This week's tip comes from Brad Miller, who joined Toastmasters just last October. Brad has already stepped into the role of Club President, and recently competed in our club contests! Thanks, Brad, for sharing your experience with our members!
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Great speakers attract an audience! They comfortably use all of the available stage space; they look directly at the audience; and they speak to the audience rather than at them. Great speakers also share a common trait in what they don't do. They don't use notes! Memorizing a speech that is only a few minutes long is easy – but how do the great speakers memorize a speech that lasts 15 minutes or longer?
One technique a speaker uses to remember his speech is to use note cards. He will break his speech into the main topics he wants to cover, and then break each topic into subtopics which he writes on note cards. While giving the speech the speaker uses the note cards to jog his memory and help him stay on track. Note cards provide a tool to make the transition from memorizing a speech word for word to just remembering key points the speaker can use as a roadmap. When finished with a point, he moves to the next card in order to make his next point. Note cards allow a speaker to adjust his speech for individual audiences, and they prevent the speaker from appearing stiff and over-rehearsed. The drawback with note cards is that it is still difficult to really look at the audience and gain their full attention. But what if you knew a way to store each of the note cards in your head? What if you could jump from topic to topic as your speech demanded? Such a technique would empower you to pick and choose what points you want to spend more time on and what points to gloss over depending on the demands of the audience. Imagine if remembering a speech was as easy as describing the rooms in your house!
The memory technique I like best was developed by the ancient Greeks (or so I was told by the teacher who taught this technique). With note cards, the first step is to break your speech into its main topics. In my memory technique, these topics are represented by the rooms in your house. The first point you want to make might be represented by your kitchen; the second point – your living room; and the third – the bedroom. Each of the subtopics you use to support your main point can be placed in each room, either along the walls or on the furniture. Then, when giving your speech you simply walk through the rooms in your house "looking" at the objects you placed in your rooms to help you remember your speech.
The easiest way to show you how this works is to give an example. One of my first speeches I gave in Toastmasters was comparing skills learned while you are playing games, with skills that help in life. One of the points I wanted to make was how games teach us to take the offensive and take charge of our lives. As I was giving my speech I imagined myself standing in my kitchen. I looked at the sink and saw it filled with chess pieces and rolls of film. The image reminded me that I was going to discuss "developing your pieces." By developing many and varied skills we are better able to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. After I made my point I turned my attention to my stove. I saw a knight on horseback attacking a pawn standing on the ground (this was keeping in line with the chess theme of my speech). Suddenly the pawn rises and attacks the knight, knocking him from his horse! This may seem to be a crazy thing to picture but the more extreme the image the easier it is to remember when you are giving your speech. The image reminded me that I wanted to discuss ways to always be on the lookout to take the offensive, even when it seems we are losing.
As I worked my way through my speech I worked my way through my house in my imagination. My living room was where I kept my points for defensive strategies, and my bedroom was where I kept my ideas for general strategies. The nice thing about this mental strategy is that I can immediately move to any room of the house in my imagination so I can rearrange my speech at any time without too much difficulty.
With a little practice you will find that this technique will help you remember longer speeches with less effort. You will remember every point and sub-point that you want to make to the audience. You will be able to move from room to room and back again with ease so you can custom tailor your speech to any audience. Once the rooms are set you will look your audience in the eyes; you will use the entire stage, and you will have their full attention. Your audience will believe you are a great speaker!
