March 2006

Reading Your Talk--Part 3: Practice

This is the third in a four-part series on reading a talk. As I’ve said, while reading the talk has disadvantages, it does let you plan the exact words to use.  Here are some points to consider as you practice the talk.

• Record yourself on a cassette recorder and listen to the playback to help discover spots where you may not be communicating effectively.
• Consider videotaping your presentation to see how you look reading it.
• Read and reread the talk several times, perhaps once a day for several days.
• Try to make your talk sound like conversation, as if you were thinking the words for the first time as you read them.
• Avoid combinations of words that are difficult to say.  Make necessary changes on the manuscript.
• Practice looking at your audience most of the time as the manuscript becomes more familiar to you.
• Provide punctuation with vocal inflection, variety and pauses.
• Think about what you are saying as if it were the first time you said the words.

Next month I will conclude the four-part discussion on how to effectively read your talk by discussing how to actually present it.

This material is adapted from my book Speaking Effectively.

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