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Extemporaneous Presentation: Definition and Actionable tips

There are several forms or methods of speech delivery out there and it can be impromptu (with no warning, more improvisation required), or the most common case: extemporaneous presentations.

EXTEMPORANEOUS PRESENTATION DEFINITION

We need to define this properly and make sure people don’t get confused here. Because from a literal sense extemporaneous and impromptu have the same exact meaning, the difference being that extemporaneous is an older term, both mean out of time, without preparation, ad-hoc, etc .

Now, here’s the tricky thing: From a dictionary point of view, they’re one and the same, but in the art/science of public speaking, they are taught as different things.

Extemporaneous, which comes from Latin  ex tempore  (“out of the time”), joined the English language sometime in the mid-17th century. The word  impromptu  was improvised soon after that. In general usage,  extemporaneous  and  impromptu  are used interchangeably to describe off-the-cuff remarks or speeches, but this is not the case when they are used in reference to the learned art of public speaking. Teachers of speech will tell you that an extemporaneous speech is one that has been thoroughly prepared and planned but not memorized, whereas an impromptu speech is one for which absolutely no preparations have been made.

Merriam Webster Dictionary

In Short: an extemporaneous presentation is a form of speech delivery where the speaker is notified with some antecedence that he/she will be presenting, giving an opinion, or sustaining arguments about a particular subject, and usually, he/she prepares for it and brings some keynotes.

Here the speaker has time to prepare himself, he can have some notes as a reminder with him, but the audience does not expect them to be read. The speaker has to be spontaneous and deliver the speech with the soul, a more formal way of speaking because it is carried out using notes.

Related Articles:

Impromptu Speech Topics and Tips

Memorized Speech or Presentation

The 4 Types of Speech Delivery

Extemporaneous Presentation or Speech Tips

This speech delivery method is significant because it follows the outline that usually comes from the notes we take; most of them come from our personal experience and research.

Even if we have a full manuscript or tons of notes, memorizing the speech is a bad idea the audience expects us to be prepared and know what we talk about, yet when we show up, our heart has the speak up.

One key thing that makes or breaks your extemporaneous presentation is the lack of planning, research, outlining, mastering the topic.

The extemporaneous presentation can happen in situations such as:

• A business meeting or negotiation;
• When delivering a press conference or an interview;
• A school presentation;
• A graduation or birthday speech;
• A political debate.
• A Training session with your Team at Work

Let’s take this last scenario as an example…

Extemporaneous Presentation Example & Actionable Tips

Training Your Sales Team About a New Product

Say you have to deliver a 2hr training session to your sales team about the launch of a new product in the next 3 days

As we mentioned above, having a decent amount of background knowledge allows us to discuss any topic or question that can pop up from the audience.

A) Planning and Preparing an Extemporaneous Speech

• Research all you can about the new product, the place where the training will take place, and the target customers of that product.
• Prepare your Presentation Outline, based on key findings and most critical needs identified
• Fill out the Deck or Slideshows with some of the pointers /features/pictures/or any relevant info about the product
• Highlight the Pitch to be used to Convert many prospects
• To connect with the audience and build engagement prepare a small session where the trainees can rehearse the pitch
• Make sure you know your slides and the topic well enough to answer most questions fired at you
• , and iterate on them for the next one

B) Delivering an Extemporaneous Speech

• ! It goes without saying that the opening of the speech or presentation is key to making an impact on your audience. Here, it could be something as simple as the results of your audience research and the astounding findings on the potential of sales…or, a great sales quote.
• Tell Stories that are Relatable: In your research, you spoke to prospects, and you have got some real-life feedback on the product, and the challenges it may solve. Share those stories with the trainees.
• Engage the Audience: Make sure to ask questions about how the audience feels they could sell the product and the challenges they’d face. Collect feedback and share your own thoughts and findings and ask for their feedback as well.
• Posture and Confidence: You did all the preparatory work, you know your topic, and you really want to share some valuable insights and learnings with the audience. Stand proud of your work, and exude confidence – that builds trust in your teachings.
• Ending an Extemporaneous Presentation: Make sure you voice the trainee’s opinions, summarize them, highlight key learnings, key findings from your research, the expected number of sales, the commissions they’ll earn, and end with a motivational quote on perseverance and success.

Here you have six characteristics of an extemporaneous presentation

• Has a Script / Notes / Teleprompter and it is not expected to be used too much
• Has a Specific topic of discussion
• Delivered with very little notes
• Performed after some preparation
• Practical, clear, and somewhat improvised at times (not sticking to reading notes)
• The speaker has some background knowledge on the topic

It is possible to be ready for surprises and unexpected events, in this case.

 An extemporaneous presentation if we make our daily steps by choosing activities like reading, and surround ourselves with wise and creative people with helping us in a future extemp presentation.

If you read this article until the end, thank you so much for the attention hope you enjoy it.

References and Further Reading

9+ Extemporaneous Speech Examples 

How to Deliver an Extemporaneous Presentation or Speech

Extemporaneous

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14.1 Four Methods of Delivery

Learning objectives.

• Differentiate among the four methods of speech delivery.
• Understand when to use each of the four methods of speech delivery.

Maryland GovPics – House of Ruth Luncheon – CC BY 2.0.

The easiest approach to speech delivery is not always the best. Substantial work goes into the careful preparation of an interesting and ethical message, so it is understandable that students may have the impulse to avoid “messing it up” by simply reading it word for word. But students who do this miss out on one of the major reasons for studying public speaking: to learn ways to “connect” with one’s audience and to increase one’s confidence in doing so. You already know how to read, and you already know how to talk. But public speaking is neither reading nor talking.

Speaking in public has more formality than talking. During a speech, you should present yourself professionally. This doesn’t mean you must wear a suit or “dress up” (unless your instructor asks you to), but it does mean making yourself presentable by being well groomed and wearing clean, appropriate clothes. It also means being prepared to use language correctly and appropriately for the audience and the topic, to make eye contact with your audience, and to look like you know your topic very well.

While speaking has more formality than talking, it has less formality than reading. Speaking allows for meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Reading is a more or less exact replication of words on paper without the use of any nonverbal interpretation. Speaking, as you will realize if you think about excellent speakers you have seen and heard, provides a more animated message.

The next sections introduce four methods of delivery that can help you balance between too much and too little formality when giving a public speech.

Impromptu Speaking

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. Impromptu speeches often occur when someone is asked to “say a few words” or give a toast on a special occasion. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m a volunteer with the Homes for the Brave program.” Another example of impromptu speaking occurs when you answer a question such as, “What did you think of the documentary?”

The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme of his or her message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu speech in public.

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point you want to make.
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak.
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking.

As you can see, impromptu speeches are generally most successful when they are brief and focus on a single point.

Extemporaneous Speaking

Extemporaneous speaking is the presentation of a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes. By using notes rather than a full manuscript, the extemporaneous speaker can establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they are understanding the speech as it progresses. The opportunity to assess is also an opportunity to restate more clearly any idea or concept that the audience seems to have trouble grasping.

For instance, suppose you are speaking about workplace safety and you use the term “sleep deprivation.” If you notice your audience’s eyes glazing over, this might not be a result of their own sleep deprivation, but rather an indication of their uncertainty about what you mean. If this happens, you can add a short explanation; for example, “sleep deprivation is sleep loss serious enough to threaten one’s cognition, hand-to-eye coordination, judgment, and emotional health.” You might also (or instead) provide a concrete example to illustrate the idea. Then you can resume your message, having clarified an important concept.

Speaking extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it is engaging both verbally and nonverbally. The disadvantage of extemporaneous speaking is that it requires a great deal of preparation for both the verbal and the nonverbal components of the speech. Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to speak.

Because extemporaneous speaking is the style used in the great majority of public speaking situations, most of the information in this chapter is targeted to this kind of speaking.

Speaking from a Manuscript

Manuscript speaking is the word-for-word iteration of a written message. In a manuscript speech, the speaker maintains his or her attention on the printed page except when using visual aids.

The advantage to reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. As we mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, in some circumstances this can be extremely important. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers may require that the original words be exact. In reading one word at a time, in order, the only errors would typically be mispronunciation of a word or stumbling over complex sentence structure.

However, there are costs involved in manuscript speaking. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the speaker has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures (as poets do in a poetry slam and actors do in a reader’s theater), the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script precludes eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript speech to hold audience attention, the audience must be already interested in the message before the delivery begins.

It is worth noting that professional speakers, actors, news reporters, and politicians often read from an autocue device, such as a TelePrompTer, especially when appearing on television, where eye contact with the camera is crucial. With practice, a speaker can achieve a conversational tone and give the impression of speaking extemporaneously while using an autocue device. However, success in this medium depends on two factors: (1) the speaker is already an accomplished public speaker who has learned to use a conversational tone while delivering a prepared script, and (2) the speech is written in a style that sounds conversational.

Speaking from Memory

Memorized speaking is the rote recitation of a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie scene. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage to memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means that you can move freely around the stage and use your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage. However, there are some real and potential costs. First, unless you also plan and memorize every vocal cue (the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace), gesture, and facial expression, your presentation will be flat and uninteresting, and even the most fascinating topic will suffer. You might end up speaking in a monotone or a sing-song repetitive delivery pattern. You might also present your speech in a rapid “machine-gun” style that fails to emphasize the most important points. Second, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your style of delivery will alert your audience that something is wrong. More frighteningly, if you go completely blank during the presentation, it will be extremely difficult to find your place and keep going.

Key Takeaways

• There are four main kinds of speech delivery: impromptu, extemporaneous, manuscript, and memorized.
• Impromptu speaking involves delivering a message on the spur of the moment, as when someone is asked to “say a few words.”
• Extemporaneous speaking consists of delivering a speech in a conversational fashion using notes. This is the style most speeches call for.
• Manuscript speaking consists of reading a fully scripted speech. It is useful when a message needs to be delivered in precise words.
• Memorized speaking consists of reciting a scripted speech from memory. Memorization allows the speaker to be free of notes.
• Find a short newspaper story. Read it out loud to a classroom partner. Then, using only one notecard, tell the classroom partner in your own words what the story said. Listen to your partner’s observations about the differences in your delivery.
• In a group of four or five students, ask each student to give a one-minute impromptu speech answering the question, “What is the most important personal quality for academic success?”
• Watch the evening news. Observe the differences between news anchors using a TelePrompTer and interviewees who are using no notes of any kind. What differences do you observe?

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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The Extemporaneous Presentation: When and How

The extemporaneous presentation is one that is carefully prepared, but not memorized. You organize the speech but do not write it out word for word. Instead you use key words and key phrases to trigger the next thought. Note cards or sheets of paper encased in plastic covers are the most efficient methods of delivering this presentation.

This mode of presentation is the one where you can make the best contact with your audience. You can also adjust your length and even content of the presentation as you speak. Even though you are carefully prepared, you should not sound memorized or that you are reading your notes to the audience.

Here are some steps you can take to assure you that you are preparing an extemporaneous presentation.

Begin by spending time in thinking about what you want to say. Don’t write things down yet because once you have an idea on paper, other ideas are less likely to be considered. Talk about the topic to a friend. Google the topic and see what you can find.

Once you have spent a few days pondering the topic, write notes down on paper. Don’t worry about organization at this point and don’t write in complete sentences for this will tempt you to write out your speech.

As in a jigsaw puzzle, begin to fit the pieces of thoughts and words together in a rough outline. Based on your thoughts, consider what will make up the key points and the support for each one. Which part would be the best way to start and where are you going to place the strongest argument?

Then you are ready to practice the speech. Don’t worry about word choice or even how the ideas fit. Talking through your speech will give you ideas on the best transitions, wording of your main points, and use of nonverbal cues.

Practice aloud at least three times and one of the times should be with someone as your “audience” listening to give you feedback. Practice with the notes you plan to use in the actual   speech. On the day you speak, look through your notes and practice some small portion of the talk, such as one of your stories (you will, of course, have good stories !) and the opening two minutes. This will increase your comfort level and build confidence.

This speech style should be the one most speakers choose to incorporate in their presentations. You will appear most natural, most attentive to your audience, and more at ease than in either of the two types— manuscript and impromptu—we have discussed earlier.

One of my favorite definitions of public speaking is conversation with a purpose. Extemporaneous speaking best exemplifies this definition.

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Presentation Skills explained plus examples

Presentation skills: this article explains the topic of presentation skills in a practical way. The article starts with reasons why these skills are important in the business environment and in academic research, followed by examples and practical tips. Enjoy reading!

What are presentation skills?

Whether it concerns presenting the results of a long-term research project or introducing a new invention, a new strategy or a new brand , presentations are often important moments for professionals.

Learning presentation skills helps presenters understand what they need to practice when preparing for such important moments.

Practicing and developing in this area makes them more confident and competent, which can make all the difference.

Examples of presentation skills include:

• Body language

Use of voice

Visual aids.

• Storytelling
• Stress management
• Adaptability
• Time management

Figure 1 – examples of Presentation Skills

Why is giving good presentations an important skill?

It’s no secret that effective presentations can help people advance in their careers. After all, what better way to demonstrate knowledge and expertise than giving a well-thought-out and good presentation? The right skills enable the presenter to share ideas with the general public in an engaging and persuasive way.

In this article you will read about the different types of presentations that are important in professional life and you will read about practical tips to develop yourself into an effective presenter.

Fear of presentations and public speaking

Fear of presentations and speaking in front of an audience is something that many people share.

It is a normal feeling and has to do with dealing with the pressure of conveying information to others, the fear of judgment and the natural fear of the unknown.

Fortunately, this fear can be overcome with practice and techniques, and many successful speakers have gone through this process.

The most important thing is to realize that you are not alone in feeling this fear, and that there are resources and support available to help you cope and thrive in public speaking.

Overcoming fear

Overcoming presentation anxiety starts with understanding where this fear comes from and then addressing its causes. Gaining insight into and control over something starts with understanding, especially the causes. You can then work on these.

The cause of anxiety during presentations and public speaking usually stems from:

• Lack of self confidence
• Lack of control (or feeling not having control) – over the situation, other people (the audience) and our own reactions and feelings
• In some cases, a negative memory or experience from the past

These effects are amplified as the size of the audience increases and possibly also depend on the nature of the audience and the situation.

Presentation Skills the main types of presentations

Persuasive presentations.

Persuasive presentations aim to influence the audience to make a specific decision or take action.

• A start-up founder convincing an investor to provide funding
• A salesperson who tries to convince customers to buy a product
• A political candidate who tries to convince voters to vote for him

Instructive presentations

Instructive presentations focus on guiding the audience in understanding new policies, procedures, laws, or other complex topics.

• An HR manager giving a presentation to instruct new employees on company policies
• A teacher who explains to students how to understand a complex mathematical concept
• A legal expert giving a presentation on recent changes in legislation

Informative presentations

Informative presentations aim to provide the audience with factual information about a specific topic, such as updates, benefits, or new developments.

• A company presentation in which the HR manager shares information about a new bonus structure for employees
• A health expert giving a presentation on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle
• A technology expert discussing the latest developments in the industry at a conference

Inspirational presentations

Inspirational presentations are intended to motivate the audience, increase their enthusiasm, or create a sense of pride and belonging.

• A TED Talk speaker who encourages the audience to pursue their dreams
• A CEO who shares his vision during a company meeting and inspires employees to commit to the company
• A sports coach who motivates his team before an important match through an inspiring and uplifting speech

Presentation styles: which style suits my purpose?

There are different ways to convey a message in a presentation. Read below about which methods are often used.

Extemporaneous presentations

Extemporaneous presentations are presentations that you give without prior preparation, although you plan them in advance and structure them in your mind.

With this method you do not have a fully written text or notes to fall back on. Instead, you rely on your knowledge and speaking skills to give a presentation on the spot.

Extemporaneous presentations may seem more spontaneous, but they require a good command of the topic and confidence in your speaking skills.

Rehearsed presentations

Rehearsed presentations are presentations that you memorize and recite without relying on notes or visual aids.

This approach requires significant effort and practice to deliver the presentation without errors.

It can be very persuasive if done well and the speaker gives a strong, flowing presentation without hesitation.

Written presentations

Written presentations are presentations in which the speaker uses a fully written script or detailed notes to closely follow the content.

This method provides a high degree of precision and control over the words used, reducing the risk of errors.

It is useful for formal, legal, or technical presentations.

Impromptu presentations

Impromptu presentations are similar to extemporaneous presentations, but they are improvised on the fly without prior planning or preparation.

In impromptu presentations, the speaker must think quickly and respond to an unexpected question or situation. The ability to speak clearly and coherently without preparation is crucial here.

This approach is common in informal conversations, debates, or discussions where the speaker must respond immediately.

How to improve presentation skills

Below you will find tips for improving the key skills associated with giving good presentations.

Speaking skills are essential for effective business and academic presentations.

Improve it by practicing regularly and asking for feedback , use visual aids such as slides, master the content thoroughly, master nonverbal communication, and work on voice modulation and intonation.

You can also join speaking clubs or take courses focused on public speaking to refine specific skills. Practice and confidence are crucial for successful presentations.

Body language as a part of presentation skills

Mastering body language is also very important for giving effective presentations in both business and academic research.

Improve this skill by becoming aware of your own body language, paying attention to posture, eye contact and gestures.

For example, practice in front of a mirror. Work on self-confidence and relaxation during presentations.

Also study successful speakers to learn from their body language. Consciously controlling body language increases the impact and persuasiveness of a presentation.

Controlling your voice is crucial for effective presentations. Improve this skill by working on tone, tempo, volume and articulation. Practice varying your voice to convey emotion and meaning.

Recording and listening to feedback is helpful and consider consulting voice coaches or taking speaking courses for improvement. Good voice use can make presentations more interesting and convey the message more clearly to the audience.

Presentation Skills and structure

Improve this skill by creating clear introductions, transitions, and conclusions.

Use a logical sequence, such as problem-situation-solution, to structure the presentation.

Use visual aids such as slides and bullet points to reinforce the structure.

Practice concise and clear communication of the most important points.

A well-structured presentation makes it easier for the audience to understand and remember the message.

Effective use of visual aids can make all the difference in business and academic presentations. Improve this skill by providing simple, clear graphics and relevant images.

Limit text and ensure consistency between the verbal and visual message. Practice timing slides and making eye contact with the audience, not just the screen.

Storytelling and Presentation Skills

Storytelling is crucial for effective presentations.

Improve this skill by creating a clear storyline. Use concrete examples and anecdotes to clarify abstract concepts. Work on voice variation and emotion to make the story more engaging.

Now it’s your turn

What do you think? Do you recognize the explanation about presentation skills? Have you ever given a presentation where you struggled with anxiety? How did you deal with this then? What tips or techniques can you share for overcoming presentation anxiety? Have you ever attended an inspiring presentation? Can you share this moment with us? What do you think are the most important characteristics of a good presentation? Do you have other tips or comments about this article?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

More information

• Bradbury, A. J. (2006). Successful presentation skills (Vol. 111). Kogan Page Publishers .
• Gelula, M. H. (1997). Effective lecture presentation skills . Surgical neurology, 47(2), 201-204.
• Haber, R. J., & Lingard, L. A. (2001). Learning oral presentation skills: a rhetorical analysis with pedagogical and professional implications . Journal of general internal medicine, 16, 308-314.
• Pittenger, K. K., Miller, M. C., & Mott, J. (2004). Using real-world standards to enhance students’ presentation skills . Business Communication Quarterly, 67(3), 327-336.

How to cite this article: Janse, B. (2023). Presentation Skills . Retrieved [insert date] from Toolshero: https://www.toolshero.com/personal-development/presentation-skills/

Original publication date: 11/06/2023 | Last update: 11/06/2023

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Ben Janse is a young professional working at ToolsHero as Content Manager. He is also an International Business student at Rotterdam Business School where he focusses on analyzing and developing management models. Thanks to his theoretical and practical knowledge, he knows how to distinguish main- and side issues and to make the essence of each article clearly visible.

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Introduction to public speaking as an extracurricular activity

Public speaking is an important skill in many stages of life, both in school and in your career. Honing your communication skills while you are in high school will help you tremendously in college and beyond and also serves as a great confidence-booster. There are a number of extracurricular activities available to help you develop your public speaking skills, such as Speech and Debate , Model UN , Mock Trial , Girls and Boys Nation/State , and others. It’s also a skill involved in many performance-related activities, including drama, singing, and slam poetry.

Despite how nerve-wracking public speaking can be, putting in the time and effort to develop your skills in high school will serve you well no matter what your future plans are.

What is extemporaneous speaking?

“Extemporaneous” means on the spot, with minimal preparation. Extemporaneous speaking is speaking about a topic on the fly. You receive or think of a topic, generally have a short amount of time to jot down ideas and formulate a structure, and then publicly perform your speech.

The National Speech and Debate Association (formerly National Forensics League) has two specific Extemporaneous Speech events, International and United States, at Speech and Debate competitions, with particular rules and standards. The National Speech and Debate Association website describes these events as follows:

Extemporaneous Speaking, typically called extemp, is a speech on current events with limited preparation time. A student’s understanding of important political, economic, and cultural issues is assessed along with critical thinking and analytical skills. Students report to a draw room (often referred to as extemp prep) where all of the extempers gather at tables, set out their files, and await their turn to draw topics. Students may access research brought with them to the tournament during the 30-minute preparation period. When prep time is up, the student reports to the competition room to deliver a 7 minute speech.

Students have a lot to do in 30 minutes—they must select a question, review research, outline arguments with supporting materials, and practice at least part of the speech before time expires. Many tournaments prohibit the consultation of notes during the speech in which case speech structure and evidence need to be memorized during prep time as well.

The International and United States events are similar in that they both offer a choice of three questions related to current events; the International event’s questions concern international issues, while the United State event deals with the U.S. only.

Other Speech and Debate organizations may have similar events. If you are interested in participating, start by talking to your English teacher or the Speech and Debate coach at your school. He or she may be able to give you resources and names of competitions that are most appropriate for you. If you are a homeschooled student, contact the school in your zoned school district to find out if you are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities through that school or ask our state’s activities association for more information.

The skills you will develop as an extemporaneous speaker will serve you well in a number of different arenas. For instance, you may use them to respond to a classmate’s point in a class discussion, or to give an impromptu toast at a wedding. If you decide to attend law school, you will be tasked with formulating impromptu arguments in class routinely, and must be well-prepared with extemporaneous speaking skills.

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How to become a better extemporaneous speaker

If you would like to become a better extemporaneous speaker, start by practicing with a wide range of both familiar and unfamiliar topics. You could find ideas by watching the news or reading a newspaper or a book.

Use competition-type timing and materials restrictions while practicing (consult The National Speech and Debate Association website for the rules). It is also a good idea to practice in front of audiences, especially those who can give you critical feedback on booth your content and delivery, such as your parents, teachers, or friends. If you are in a Speech and Debate club or organization, ask fellow members if they can give you feedback, and offer to do the same for them.

You can also record yourself on video and watch it back critically to evaluate your own speaking. Pay attention to your body language—your gestures should be natural and accentuate your message. Try not to be overly dramatic.

Work on your memorization abilities. Repetition is one way to solidify facts in your mind, so try making flash cards with key points and facts and using them to practice. Repeating facts out loud is another way to help you remember them. You will need to practice before your events, because using notes while speaking during competitions is usually not allowed. Even if it is permitted, notes can sometimes confuse you and hold you up more than they help.

Be sure to slow down even more than feels natural. Many students in Speech and Debate events speak much too quickly, but if you practice speaking slowly, you are less likely to let your nerves get the better of you and speed up when the competition rolls around. Also, be sure to time yourself: you want to fill your allotted time slot without going over the limit, and regularly timing yourself will help you develop a feel for how much you can say in the given time.

Make sure you use your analytical skills to argue an interesting and nuanced point rather than simply listing facts. You might practice doing so by thinking about arguments from different angles and developing counterarguments, as well as paying attention to current events and other issues in the news so you are aware of what is happening and the different perspectives people have on them.

At events that do allow you to bring research materials and notes, make sure you organize your materials so you can access the information you need quickly and easily.

Visit the NSDA website for guidelines to help you with particular events.

For more information

There are many extracurricular activities that can help you hone your public speaking skills. Start with CollegeVine’s guides below to find the one that is right for you.

A Guide to Excelling at Speech and Debate

Guide to the American Legion Oratorical Competition

A High School Student’s Guide to Mock Trial

How to Win Best Delegate in Model UN

Girls and Boys Nation—an Extension of Girls and Boys State

Summer Programs for Prospective Theatre Majors

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9.1 Methods of Presentation Delivery

The importance of delivery.

Delivery is what you are probably most concerned about when it comes to giving presentations. This chapter is designed to help you give the best delivery possible and eliminate some of the nervousness you might be feeling. To do that, you should first dismiss the myth that public speaking is just reading and talking at the same time. Speaking in public has more formality than talking. During a speech, you should present yourself professionally. This doesn’t necessarily mean you must wear a suit or “dress up”, but it does mean making yourself presentable by being well groomed and wearing clean, appropriate clothes. It also means being prepared to use language correctly and appropriately for the audience and the topic, to make eye contact with your audience, and to look like you know your topic well.

While speaking has more formality than talking, it has less formality than reading. Speaking allows for flexibility, meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Reading is more or less an exact replication of words on paper without the use of nonverbal interpretation. If you think about great presentations you have seen and heard, you will realize that speaking provides a much more animated and engaging message.

Methods of Presentation Delivery

There are four methods of delivery that can help you balance between too much and too little formality when giving a presentation.

Impromptu Speaking

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m an account manager.” Impromptu speaking also occurs when you answer a question such as, “What did you think of that report?” Your response is unplanned, so you are constructing your arguments and points as you speak. Now envision yourself going into a meeting when your boss suddenly says, “I want you to spend a few minutes talking about the last stage of the project….” Although you are not prepared to present on that topic, experience and practice may allow you to do so with relative ease.

The advantage of impromptu speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context – your audience is not expecting perfection. The disadvantage, is that with little or no time to contemplate the central theme of your message, it may come out disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow. Although perfection is not possible, you will want to deliver a sound and coherent message, remembering that impromptu presentations are generally most successful when brief and focused on a single point.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu presentation in public:

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point you want to make.
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak. Avoid making comments about being unprepared, called upon at the last moment, on the spot, or feeling uneasy.
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• If you can, create some structure, using numbers if possible: “Two main reasons . . .” or “Three parts of our plan. . .” or “Two side effects of this drug. . .” Timeline structures are also effective, such as “past, present, and future or East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast”.
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking (it is easy to “ramble on” when you don’t have something prepared). If in front of an audience, don’t keep talking as you move back to your seat.

For additional advice on impromptu speaking, watch the following 4 minute video

Video: Impromptu Speaking by Toastmasters International  [4:00] Transcript available

Manuscript Presentations

Manuscript presentations  are the word-for-word iteration of a written message . In a manuscript presentation, the speaker keeps their attention on the printed page except when using visual aids. The advantage of reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. In some circumstances this can be extremely important. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers or announcing a new policy pertaining to maternity leave may require that the wording be exact.

A manuscript presentation may be appropriate at a more formal affair (like a report to shareholders), when your presentation must be said exactly as written in order to convey the proper emotion or decorum the situation deserves, ho wever there are costs involved in manuscript presentations. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the presenter has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance, animated with vocal expression and gestures, the presentation will tend to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script prevents eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript presentation to hold audience attention, the audience must be already interested in the message and presenter before the delivery begins.

It is worth noting that professional speakers, actors, news reporters, and politicians often read from an autocue device, commonly called a teleprompter, especially when appearing on television, where eye contact with the camera is crucial. With practice, a presenter can achieve a conversational tone and give the impression of speaking extemporaneously and maintaining eye contact while using an autocue device. However, success in this medium depends on two factors: (1) the presenter is already an accomplished public speaker who has learned to use a conversational tone while delivering a prepared script, and (2) the presentation is written in a style that sounds conversational and in spoken rather than written, edited English.

Extemporaneous Presentations

Extemporaneous presentations are carefully planned and rehearsed presentations, delivered in a conversational manner, using brief notes . By using notes rather than a full manuscript, the extemporaneous presenter can establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they are understanding the presentation as it progresses. Without all the words on the page to read, you have little choice but to look up and make eye contact with your audience.

Watch the following 10 minute video of a champion speaker presenting his extemporaneous speech: 2017 International Extemporaneous Speaking National Champion — Connor Rothschild Speech

Video: 2017 International Extemporaneous Speaking National Champion — Connor Rothschild Speech by Jennifer Rothschild [10:40] Transcript available

Presenting extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible since you know the speech well enough that you don’t need to read it. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it is engaging both verbally and nonverbally. It also allows flexibility; you are working from the strong foundation of an outline, but if you need to delete, add, or rephrase something at the last minute to adapt to your audience, you can do so.

The disadvantage of extemporaneous presentations is that it in some cases it does not allow for the verbal and the nonverbal preparation that are almost always required for a good speech.

Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to present, so be aware that if you want to present a credibly delivered speech, you will need to practice many times. Because extemporaneous presenting is the style used in the great majority of business presentation situations, most of the information in the subsequent sections of this chapter is targeted toward this kind of speaking.

Memorized Speaking

Memorized speakin g is the recitation of a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors , of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie scene. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage to memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means that you can move freely around the stage and use your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage. However, there are some real and potential costs.

First, unless you also plan and memorize every vocal cue (the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace), gesture, and facial expression, your presentation will be flat and uninteresting, and even the most fascinating topic will suffer. Second, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your style of delivery will alert your audience that something is wrong. More frighteningly, if you go completely blank during the presentation, it will be extremely difficult to find your place and keep going. Obviously, memorizing a five to seven minute presentation takes a great deal of time and effort, and if you aren’t used to memorizing, it is very difficult to pull off. Realistically, you will probably not have the time necessary to give a completely memorized speech. However, if you practice adequately, your approach will still feel like you are being extemporaneous.

“ 39. Methods of Presentation Delivery ” from Communication for Business Professionals by eCampusOntario is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Talking Business Copyright © 2023 by Laura Radtke is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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PRDV008: Preparing and Delivering Presentations

Extemporaneous speeches.

Read this article, which summarizes the basics of extemporaneous presentations, as compared to impromptu speeches.

Extemporaneous, the most natural method of delivery, involves glancing at notes while maintaining crucial eye contact with the audience.

Key Takeaways

• There are two popular methods for organizing ideas to create a graphical representation for speaker notes – outlining and mind or concept mapping .
• An outline is a list of items with each item divided into additional sub-items. Each level in an outline has at least two subcategories. There are three basic types of hierarchical outlines – sentence , topic and phrase .
• Topic and phrase are the most useful for speaker notes since they allow the speaker to quickly glance at the notes while maintaining eye contact with the audience.
• Mind mapping and concept mapping are visual representation of ideas and concepts. Both mind maps and concept maps can be used to graphically show the relationship between ideas for a speech and as speaker notes for delivery.
• A mind map diagram starts with a single word as a central branch node and lesser categories as sub-branches going off from the central node. A concept maps can have multiple hubs or nodes with clusters of concepts labeled to show the kind of relationship.
• While extemporaneous speaking may be free of the constraints of memorization and manuscript speaking, it is not careless talk; the speaker prepares notes in advance to deliver an organized speech.
• Concept Map : A diagram showing the relationships among concepts, with the concepts drawn in rectangular boxes, which are connected with labelled arrows that denote the relationships between concepts, such as "is a", "gives rise to", "results in", "is required by", or "contributes to".
• Mind Map : A diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea.
• Extemporaneous : A type of speech delivery which involves preparation of speaker notes prior to delivery, associated with conversational style of delivery.

Extemporaneous Speech

Extemporaneous speaking is one of the most natural methods for delivering a prepared speech. You can use an extemporaneous speech to achieve a more natural tone, flow, and style with the audience.

First, think about your topics and anticipate the audience's reception to your speech. You can develop speech notes based on this preparation and use them to aid you during the presentation.

Preparing Speech Notes

There are two popular methods for creating a graphical representation for notes: outlining, and mind or concept mapping.

An outline is a list of items with each item divided into additional sub-items. Each level in an outline has at least two subcategories. There are three basic types of outlines:

• Sentence outline – Each complete sentence includes a heading or single sentence about the subject of the outline.
• Topic outline – Each topic is listed and functions as a subtopic of the outline's subject.
• Phrase outline – Each short phrase entry is a subtopic of the aforementioned main entry.

Speaking notes, topic outlines, and phrase outlines have an advantage over sentence outlines. For example, you can easily look at your notes for reference and as a personal reminder of which topics to discuss as you're speaking.

Outlines commonly take two forms: alphanumeric and decimal.

Alphanumeric Outline

An alphanumeric outline includes a capitalized number or letter at the beginning of each topic. Look at the sample:

I. Thesis statement: Email and internet monitoring is an invasion of employees' rights

Decimal Outline

The decimal outline shows how each item at every level relates to the whole sample.

Thesis statement:

1.0 Introduction

….1.1 Brief history of Liz Claiborne

….1.2 Corporate environment

2.0 Career opportunities

….2.1 Operations management

……..2.1.1 Traffic

……..2.1.2 International trade and corporate customs

……..2.1.3 Distribution

….2.2 Product development

The outline could be printed or handwritten as in this expert from Richard Nixon's Checkers speech.

Speech Notes : Notes from Richard Nixon's Checkers speech.

Mind Mapping and Concept Mapping

Mind mapping and concept mapping are visual representations of ideas and concepts. A mind map is a diagram that starts with a single word and then branches out from the central node, with lesser categories as sub-branches of the larger branches. Concept maps are more freeform, since multiple hubs and clusters can be created. Unlike mind maps, concept maps do not fix on a single conceptual center.

For example, in the mind map for student learning, you can view the main component idea and related ideas which connect to its branch nodes. You can also use a mind map as speaking notes.

Mind Map : A mind map is a diagram that starts with one word and expands into additional categories.

Practice and Rehearsal Guidelines

The following guidelines are best practices on how to practice and rehearse an extemporaneous speech:

• Speak in a conversational style by pretending you are  with  your audience.
• Rehearse with your graphics and coordinate them with your talk.
• Display your graphics  only   when you are talking about them.
• Rehearse in front of others and solicit feedback.
• Record and listen to your timed practice speech.
• Prepare for interruptions and questions at the end.

Although extemporaneous speaking may not require memorization and manuscript speaking, organize and prepare your content and notes ahead of time to deliver a speech that will be well received by your audience.

Free Speech : "Free speech doesn't mean careless talk!" produced by the Office for Emergency Management.

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Oral Discourse and Extemporaneous Delivery

The spoken word differs from the written. Audiences for public speeches do not have the benefit of being able to go back and re-read sentences. They cannot look at a page and see section headings or new paragraph indentations. Public audiences have a more limited capacity to comprehend complicated ideas and to take in long sentences and difficult or dense language. Public speakers have to compensate for these limits by using the principles of repetition of content, clarity of structure, and simplicity of language.

Repetition is a fundamental part of most good public speeches. An old public speaking adage goes something like: “tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em, tell ‘em, and then tell ‘em what you told ‘em.” By the end of a speech, an audience should have absolutely no question about what the central idea or main claim is. 

To make sure that happens, state that idea clearly in the introduction of your speech, tie the information and arguments of the body to it in explicit ways, and restate the idea again in your conclusion. Audiences are more likely to miss or forget important information if you do not repeat and restate it.

Clarity of structure means that ideas are logically grouped into categories the audience can easily understand. In addition, just as paragraph indents and underlining alert readers to new or important ideas, transitions and signposts help listeners recognize new 'paragraphs' and key points of the speech.

Brief pauses can signal to listeners that the speaker is about to say something important or is moving onto the next main point. Phrases like "most important," "I am claiming that," "the crucial point is this," call your listeners' attention to what follows them and act as verbal underlining.

Simplicity in language is crucial to conveying information effectively. Oral discourse differs from written in its use of language. Oral discourse is often best when it uses the first person, “I” and “we.” Such language gives the speech a sense of immediacy and helps the speaker to connect with the audience.

In addition, good speeches will often use less formal language--contractions, sentence fragments, selected slang expressions. Finally, oral language needs to be less dense and jargon-laden then some kinds of written language, especially academic language. When written papers are read out loud, they almost never make effective speeches.

While there are several effective modes of delivery, extemporaneous speaking is the most adaptable and time efficient. Learning it is also an excellent way of sharpening critical thinking. Extemporaneous speeches are developed through outlining ideas, not writing them out word-for-word. They are practiced ahead of time, rehearsed and re-rehearsed (extemporaneous speeches are not impromptu), using a keyword outline of single words and short, 3-5 word phrases.

The speech is not memorized but instead is concentrating on the main ideas; each time a speaker practices and delivers the speech, wording comes out a little differently. Extemporaneous delivery gives the speech freshness, for it doesn't sound canned and over-rehearsed. Additionally, this flexible form of delivery allows a speaker to make adjustments to their speech in response to non-verbal signals from the audience--signs of confusion, displeasure, curiosity, or excitement.

Extemporaneous delivery allows speakers to make eye contact with the audience—one of the best ways to connect with them and keep them involved in the speech. Eye contact is an important way to establish a speaker's credibility and make a speech compelling; when a speaker relies too much on notes, they are potentially losing their audience and running the risk of looking unprepared.

Verbal and nonverbal communication is important in public speaking, helping to make a speech clear and compelling to an audience. Developing good vocal delivery means focusing first and foremost on being heard clearly: a speaker must speak loudly enough to be heard by everyone, articulate words sharply so they can be understood, and speak slowly enough so that the audience can easily take in the ideas.

In addition, avoid monotone delivery and be engaged enough with the speech to communicate interest. Effective bodily delivery begins with this simple maxim: do not distract the audience with extraneous movement. Nervous pacing, standing cross-armed or hands-in-pockets for long stretches, turning from the audience and talking into a visual aid, gestures unrelated to the verbal message--all of these distract from the content of the speech and should be avoided.

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What are presentation skills?

The importance of presentation skills, 6 presentation skills examples, how to improve presentation skills.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety

Learn how to captivate an audience with ease

Capturing an audience’s attention takes practice. 

Over time, great presenters learn how to organize their speeches and captivate an audience from start to finish. They spark curiosity, know how to read a room , and understand what their audience needs to walk away feeling like they learned something valuable.

Regardless of your profession, you most likely use presentation skills on a monthly or even weekly basis. Maybe you lead brainstorming sessions or host client calls. 

Developing effective presentation skills makes it easier to contribute ideas with confidence and show others you’re someone to trust. Although speaking in front of a crowd sometimes brings nerves and anxiety , it also sparks new opportunities.

Presentation skills are the qualities and abilities you need to communicate ideas effectively and deliver a compelling speech. They influence how you structure a presentation and how an audience receives it. Understanding body language , creating impactful visual aids, and projecting your voice all fall under this umbrella.

A great presentation depends on more than what you say. It’s about how you say it. Storytelling , stage presence, and voice projection all shape how well you express your ideas and connect with the audience. These skills do take practice, but they’re worth developing — especially if public speaking makes you nervous. 

Engaging a crowd isn’t easy. You may feel anxious to step in front of an audience and have all eyes and ears on you.

But feeling that anxiety doesn’t mean your ideas aren’t worth sharing. Whether you’re giving an inspiring speech or delivering a monthly recap at work, your audience is there to listen to you. Harness that nervous energy and turn it into progress.

Strong presentation skills make it easier to convey your thoughts to audiences of all sizes. They can help you tell a compelling story, convince people of a pitch , or teach a group something entirely new to them. And when it comes to the workplace, the strength of your presentation skills could play a part in getting a promotion or contributing to a new initiative.

To fully understand the impact these skills have on creating a successful presentation, it’s helpful to look at each one individually. Here are six valuable skills you can develop:

1. Active listening

Active listening is an excellent communication skill for any professional to hone. When you have strong active listening skills, you can listen to others effectively and observe their nonverbal cues . This helps you assess whether or not your audience members are engaged in and understand what you’re sharing. 

Great public speakers use active listening to assess the audience’s reactions and adjust their speech if they find it lacks impact. Signs like slouching, negative facial expressions, and roaming eye contact are all signs to watch out for when giving a presentation.

2. Body language

If you’re researching presentation skills, chances are you’ve already watched a few notable speeches like TED Talks or industry seminars. And one thing you probably noticed is that speakers can capture attention with their body language. 

A mixture of eye contact, hand gestures , and purposeful pacing makes a presentation more interesting and engaging. If you stand in one spot and don’t move your body, the audience might zone out.

3. Stage presence

A great stage presence looks different for everyone. A comedian might aim for more movement and excitement, and a conference speaker might focus their energy on the content of their speech. Although neither is better than the other, both understand their strengths and their audience’s needs. 

Developing a stage presence involves finding your own unique communication style . Lean into your strengths, whether that’s adding an injection of humor or asking questions to make it interactive . To give a great presentation, you might even incorporate relevant props or presentation slides.

4. Storytelling

According to Forbes, audiences typically pay attention for about 10 minutes before tuning out . But you can lengthen their attention span by offering a presentation that interests them for longer. Include a narrative they’ll want to listen to, and tell a story as you go along. 

Shaping your content to follow a clear narrative can spark your audience’s curiosity and entice them to pay careful attention. You can use anecdotes from your personal or professional life that take your audience along through relevant moments. If you’re pitching a product, you can start with a problem and lead your audience through the stages of how your product provides a solution.

5. Voice projection

Although this skill may be obvious, you need your audience to hear what you’re saying. This can be challenging if you’re naturally soft-spoken and struggle to project your voice.

Remember to straighten your posture and take deep breaths before speaking, which will help you speak louder and fill the room. If you’re talking into a microphone or participating in a virtual meeting, you can use your regular conversational voice, but you still want to sound confident and self-assured with a strong tone.

If you’re unsure whether everyone can hear you, you can always ask the audience at the beginning of your speech and wait for confirmation. That way, they won’t have to potentially interrupt you later.

Ensuring everyone can hear you also includes your speed and annunciation. It’s easy to speak quickly when nervous, but try to slow down and pronounce every word. Mumbling can make your presentation difficult to understand and pay attention to.

6. Verbal communication 

Although verbal communication involves your projection and tone, it also covers the language and pacing you use to get your point across. This includes where you choose to place pauses in your speech or the tone you use to emphasize important ideas.

If you’re giving a presentation on collaboration in the workplace , you might start your speech by saying, “There’s something every workplace needs to succeed: teamwork.” By placing emphasis on the word “ teamwork ,” you give your audience a hint on what ideas will follow.

To further connect with your audience through diction, pay careful attention to who you’re speaking to. The way you talk to your colleagues might be different from how you speak to a group of superiors, even if you’re discussing the same subject. You might use more humor and a conversational tone for the former and more serious, formal diction for the latter.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to presenting. Maybe you’re confident in your use of body language, but your voice projection needs work. Maybe you’re a great storyteller in small group settings, but need to work on your stage presence in front of larger crowds. 

The first step to improving presentation skills is pinpointing your gaps and determining which qualities to build upon first. Here are four tips for enhancing your presentation skills:

1. Build self-confidence

Confident people know how to speak with authority and share their ideas. Although feeling good about your presentation skills is easier said than done, building confidence is key to helping your audience believe in what you’re saying. Try practicing positive self-talk and continuously researching your topic's ins and outs.

If you don’t feel confident on the inside, fake it until you make it. Stand up straight, project your voice, and try your best to appear engaged and excited. Chances are, the audience doesn’t know you’re unsure of your skills — and they don’t need to.

Another tip is to lean into your slideshow, if you’re using one. Create something colorful and interesting so the audience’s eyes fall there instead of on you. And when you feel proud of your slideshow, you’ll be more eager to share it with others, bringing more energy to your presentation.

2. Watch other presentations

Developing the soft skills necessary for a good presentation can be challenging without seeing them in action. Watch as many as possible to become more familiar with public speaking skills and what makes a great presentation. You could attend events with keynote speakers or view past speeches on similar topics online.

Take a close look at how those presenters use verbal communication and body language to engage their audiences. Grab a notebook and jot down what you enjoyed and your main takeaways. Try to recall the techniques they used to emphasize their main points, whether they used pauses effectively, had interesting visual aids, or told a fascinating story.

3. Get in front of a crowd

You don’t need a large auditorium to practice public speaking. There are dozens of other ways to feel confident and develop good presentation skills.

If you’re a natural comedian, consider joining a small stand-up comedy club. If you’re an avid writer, participate in a public poetry reading. Even music and acting can help you feel more comfortable in front of a crowd.

If you’d rather keep it professional, you can still work on your presentation skills in the office. Challenge yourself to participate at least once in every team meeting, or plan and present a project to become more comfortable vocalizing your ideas. You could also speak to your manager about opportunities that flex your public speaking abilities.

4. Overcome fear

Many people experience feelings of fear before presenting in front of an audience, whether those feelings appear as a few butterflies or more severe anxiety. Try grounding yourself to shift your focus to the present moment. If you’re stuck dwelling on previous experiences that didn’t go well, use those mistakes as learning experiences and focus on what you can improve to do better in the future.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety 

It’s normal to feel nervous when sharing your ideas. In fact, according to a report from the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, public speaking anxiety is prevalent in 15–30% of the general population .

Even though having a fear of public speaking is common, it doesn’t make it easier. You might feel overwhelmed, become stiff, and forget what you were going to say. But although the moment might scare you, there are ways to overcome the fear and put mind over matter.

Use these tactics to reduce your stress when you have to make a presentation:

1. Practice breathing techniques

If you experience anxiety often, you’re probably familiar with breathing techniques for stress relief . Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can help you stop worrying and regulate anxious feelings. 

Before a big presentation, take a moment alone to practice breathing techniques, ground yourself, and reduce tension. It’s also a good idea to take breaths throughout the presentation to speak slower and calm yourself down .

2. Get organized

The more organized you are, the more prepared you’ll feel. Carefully outline all of the critical information you want to use in your presentation, including your main talking points and visual aids, so you don’t forget anything. Use bullet points and visuals on each slide to remind you of what you want to talk about, and create handheld notes to help you stay on track.

3. Embrace moments of silence

It’s okay to lose your train of thought. It happens to even the most experienced public speakers once in a while. If your mind goes blank, don’t panic. Take a moment to breathe, gather your thoughts, and refer to your notes to see where you left off. You can drink some water or make a quick joke to ease the silence or regain your footing. And it’s okay to say, “Give me a moment while I find my notes.” Chances are, people understand the position you’re in.

4. Practice makes progress

Before presenting, rehearse in front of friends and family members you trust. This gives you the chance to work out any weak spots in your speech and become comfortable communicating out loud. If you want to go the extra mile, ask your makeshift audience to ask a surprise question. This tests your on-the-spot thinking and will prove that you can keep cool when things come up.

Whether you’re new to public speaking or are a seasoned presenter, you’re bound to make a few slip-ups. It happens to everyone. The most important thing is that you try your best, brush things off, and work on improving your skills to do better in your next presentation.

Although your job may require a different level of public speaking than your favorite TED Talk , developing presentation skills is handy in any profession. You can use presentation skills in a wide range of tasks in the workplace, whether you’re sharing your ideas with colleagues, expressing concerns to higher-ups, or pitching strategies to potential clients.

Remember to use active listening to read the room and engage your audience with an interesting narrative. Don’t forget to step outside your comfort zone once in a while and put your skills to practice in front of a crowd. After facing your fears, you’ll feel confident enough to put presentation skills on your resume.

If you’re trying to build your skills and become a better employee overall, try a communications coach with BetterUp. 

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

The 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills

The importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, goal-setting theory: why it’s important, and how to use it at work, what is a career path definition, examples, and steps for paving yours, 6 career changes for teachers that truly pay off, 20 marketing skills professionals should have in 2023, how to write a speech that your audience remembers, what’s my earning potential determining the right salary, why it's good to have a bff at work and how to find one, similar articles, 8 tip to improve your public speaking skills, 30 presentation feedback examples, your ultimate guide on how to be a good storyteller, how to give a good presentation that captivates any audience, 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), communication coach: what they are and how to find one, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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Module 9: Beyond the Research Paper

Delivering the presentation, learning objectives.

Explain the elements of effective presentation delivery

Methods of Presenting

There are four basic methods for delivering a speech or presentation: manuscript, memorized, impromptu, and extemporaneous. Depending on the task or assignment, you may or may not have a choice of which method to use; even if the method is stipulated, it’s useful to think about the pros and cons of presenting this way.

A manuscript speech is when the presenter writes down every word they will speak during the presentation.

Speaking from a manuscript

The advantage of using a manuscript is that you have access to every word you’ve prepared in advance. There is no guesswork or memorization needed. This method comforts some speakers’ nerves as they don’t have to worry about that moment where they might freeze and forget what they’ve planned to say. When the exact wording of an idea is crucial, speakers often read from a manuscript, for instance in communicating public statements from a company.

However, the disadvantage with a manuscript is that the speakers have MANY words in front of them on the page. This prohibits one of the most important aspects of delivery, eye contact. When many words are on the page, the speakers will find themselves looking down at those words more frequently because they will need the help. If they do look up at the audience, they often cannot find their place when the eye returns to the page. Above all, the speakers should remember to rehearse with the script so that they practice looking up often.

Wedding toasts are often memorized

A memorized presentation is also fully prepared in advance and one in which the speaker does not use any notes. In the case of an occasion speech like a quick toast, a brief dedication, or a short eulogy, word-for-word memorization might make sense. Usually, though, it doesn’t involve committing each and every word to memory, Memorizing a speech isn’t like memorizing a poem where you need to remember every word exactly as written. Don’t memorize a manuscript! Work with your outline instead. Practice with the outline until you can recall the content and order of your main points without effort. Then it’s just a matter of practicing until you’re able to elaborate on your key points in a natural and seamless manner. Ideally, a memorized speech will sound like an off-the-cuff statement by someone who is a really eloquent speaker and an exceptionally organized thinker!

The advantage of a memorized presentation is that the speaker can fully face their audience and make lots of eye contact. The problem with a memorized speech is that speakers may get nervous and forget the parts they’ve memorized. Without any notes to lean on, the speaker may hesitate and leave lots of dead air in the room while trying to recall what was planned. Sometimes, the speaker can’t remember or find his or her place in the speech and are forced to go get the notes or go back to the PowerPoint in some capacity to try to trigger his or her memory. This can be an embarrassing and uncomfortable moment for the speaker and the audience, and is a moment which could be easily avoided by using a different speaking method.

When you speak up in class or in a meeting, it’s usually an impromptu speech.

An impromptu speech is one for which there is little to no preparation. There is often not a warning even that the person may be asked to speak. For example, your boss may ask you to deliver a presentation on a new initiative you’ve been working on. You may or may not be given a few minutes to organize your thoughts. What should you do? DO NOT PANIC. Even under pressure, you can create a basic speech that follows the formula of an introduction, body, and conclusion. If you have a few minutes, jot down some notes that fit into each part of the speech. (In fact, the phrase “speaking off the cuff,” which means speaking without preparation, probably refers to the idea that one would jot a few notes on one’s shirt cuff before speaking impromptu.) [1] While an impromptu speech can be challenging, the advantage is that it can also be thrilling as the speaker thinks off the cuff and says what they’re most passionate about in the moment. A speaker should not be afraid to use notes during an impromptu speech if they were given any time to organize their thoughts. The disadvantage is that there is no time for preparation, so finding research to support claims such as quotes or facts cannot be included. The lack of preparation makes some speakers more nervous and they may struggle to engage the audience due to their nerves.

Extemporaneous

Extemporaneous speaking uses notes to help keep the speaker on track.

The last method of delivery we’ll look at is extemporaneous . When speaking extemporaneously, speakers prepare some notes in advance that help trigger their memory of what they planned to say. These notes are not full sentences, but help the speakers, who turn them into a full sentence when spoken aloud. Note that if a quote is being used, listing that quote verbatim is fine.

The advantage of extemporaneous speaking is that you are able to speak in a more conversational tone by letting your notes guide you, but not dictate every word you say. This method allows you to make more eye contact with the audience. The shorter note forms also prevents you from getting lost in your words. The disadvantage of extemporaneous delivery is that you may forget what you were planning to say in connection to a given note, or lose track of your place in teh overall presentation. This problem can be avoided through rehearsal and double-checking the note order before speaking.

Many speakers consider the extemporaneous method to be the ideal speaking method because it allows them to be prepared, keeps the audience engaged, and encourages a more natural style of delivery. In academic classes, many presentations will probably be delivered extemporaneously.

Rehearsing Your Presentation

The most important element in delivering your presentation as eloquently as possible is practice. The more you rehearse, the smoother your delivery will be and the more you’ll be able to deal with unexpected interruptions or challenges. Ideally, you’ll find time to rehearse in conditions as close to the actual presentation as possible: using the same equipment and even the same space.

As you rehearse, here are some elements of speech delivery to focus on:

• Breath : Strong, sustained speaking begins with breath. Try to breath from the diaphragm, not from your shoulders.
• Articulation : Pronouncing the words so that your audience can follow the nuances of your argument.
• Pitch : Varying your pitch to avoid sounding monotonous.
• Rate : Speaking at the right rate for comprehension; not too fast and not too slow.
• Emphasis : Using emphasis to call attention to key points.
• Volume : Controlling your volume to add variety and call your listeners’ attention to the most important moments in the speech.
• Pauses : Never underestimate the power of the pause. It focuses the audience’s attention and creates anticipation. Not to mention, pauses give you time to think about what you’re going to say.
• Nonverbal aspects of delivery : Controlled body language and gestures help to reinforce your points and help the audience interpret the impact of your words.

Remember: More practice means less nervousness! Building in time to rehearse productively will make the speech far more effective and far less painful.

• As per the Oxford English Dictionary's entry for "Off the Cuff." See an extensive discussion at Mark Liberman's Language Log here: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4130 ↵
• Speaking from Manuscript. Authored by : Laszlo Tuske. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/MrMLBN . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Toast. Authored by : Rona Proudfoot. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/6V5W9L . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Notes. Authored by : Travis Wise. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/rrfva1 . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Town hall. Authored by : Spc. Pollhein, Benjaman and Spc. Adams, Jordan, Pfc. Min, Min Kwon. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/EDN4Ys . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Delivering the presentation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

Chapter 12: Developing Presentations

Joseph Williams

Chapter Learning Objectives

• Identify the different methods of presentation delivery.
• Identify key elements in preparing to deliver a presentation.
• Utilize specific techniques to enhance speech delivery.
• Demonstrate how to methodically plan a presentation.

12.1: Introduction and Methods of Presentation Delivery

12.2: from start to finish: an example of planning a professional presentation, 12.3: choosing and refining your topic.

• 12.4: Analyze your Audience

12.5: Creating the Draft

12.6: developing a meaningful introduction, 12.7: developing a meaningful conclusion, 12.8: developing a meaningful slideshow, 12.9: contemplating delivery particulars, 12.1.1: impromptu speaking.

• 12.1.2: Manuscript Preparations

12.1.3: Extemporaneous Presentations

12.1.4: memorized speaking.

Whether you have a marketing presentation coming up for a potential client or a scientific presentation to give to your expert colleagues, you want to be certain your presentation is built on a sound foundation of current concerns and trends your audience will want you to address. As you read this chapter, consider what you might do to win and/or inform a client or supervisor based on your presentation development.

This chapter will help you consider how to organize presentation information and develop a winning strategy for a surefire professional presentation. While knowledge and research on your topic are key to an effective presentation, do not underestimate the importance of organization.

Organization in any presentation is helpful both to you and to your audience. They will appreciate receiving the information presented in an organized way, and being well organized will make the presentation much less stressful for you.

A successful presentation involves flexibility and organization. You know your material. You are prepared and follow an outline. You do not read a script or PowerPoint presentation, you do not memorize every single word in order (though you may memorize some parts), but you also do not make it up as you go along. Your presentation is scripted in the sense that it is completely planned from start to finish, yet every word is not explicitly planned, allowing for some spontaneity and adaptation to the audience’s needs in the moment.

Your organization plan will serve you and your audience as a guide. Your plan will also help you present a more effective speech. Just as there is no substitute for practice and preparation, there is no substitute for organization and an outline when you need it the most: on stage.

Delivery is your unique interaction between you and your audience, and delivery is what you are probably most concerned about when giving presentations. This chapter is designed to help you give the best delivery possible and eliminate some of the nervousness you might be feeling. To do that, you should first dismiss the myth that public speaking is just reading and talking at the same time. Speaking in public has more formality than talking. During a speech, you should present yourself professionally. This policy doesn’t necessarily mean you must wear a suit or “dress up,” but it does mean making yourself presentable by being well-groomed and wearing clean, appropriate clothes. It also means being prepared to use language correctly and appropriately for the audience and the topic, to make eye contact with your audience, and to look like you know your topic very well. Lastly, HAVE FUN with your presentation. Looking like you care about the subject matter, you’re comfortable with speaking in general, and you’re comfortable with your audience all make a difference in terms of audience perception.

While speaking has more formality than talking, it has less formality than reading. Speaking allows for flexibility, meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Reading is a more or less exact replication of words on paper without the use of any non-verbal interpretation. Speaking, as you will realize if you think about excellent speakers you have seen and heard, should provide a more animated message.

Different speaking occasions call for different delivery methods. According to Engineering professor and author Michael Alley (2013), there are four methods of delivery that can help you balance between too much and too little formality when giving a presentation.

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m an account manager.” Another example of impromptu presenting occurs when you answer a question such as “What did you think of the report?” Your response has not been preplanned, and you are constructing your arguments and points as you speak. Even worse, you might find yourself going into a meeting and your boss says, “I want you to talk about the last stage of the project…” and you have no warning.

The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme of their message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu presentation in public:

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point you want to make.
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak. Avoid making comments about being unprepared, being called upon at the last moment, being put on the spot, or feeling uneasy.
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• If you can use a structure, use numbers if possible: “Two main reasons . . .” or “Three parts of our plan. . .” or “Two side effects of this drug. . .” Timeline structures are also effective, such as “past, present, and future,” or geographical structures like “East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast.”
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking (it is easy to “ramble on” when you don’t have something prepared). If in front of an audience, don’t keep talking as you move back to your seat.
• Smile, even if you’re not feeling like it. A smile shows the audience that you’re in control.

Impromptu presentations are generally most successful when they are brief and focus on a single point.

12.1.2: Manuscript Presentations

Manuscript presentations are the word-for-word iteration of a written message. The speaker maintains their attention on the printed page in a manuscript presentation except when using visual aids. The advantage of reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. In some circumstances, this repetition can be critical. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers may require that the original words be exact.

A manuscript presentation may be appropriate at a more formal affair (like a report to shareholders). Your presentation must be said exactly as written in order to convey the proper emotion or decorum the situation deserves.

However, there are costs involved in manuscript presentations. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the presenter has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures, the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script prevents eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript presentation to hold the audience’s attention, the audience must be already interested in the message and presenter before the delivery begins.

Extemporaneous presentations are carefully planned and rehearsed, delivered in a conversational manner using brief notes that feature “punch” words. Using notes with punch words rather than a full manuscript allows the extemporaneous presenter to establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they understand the presentation as it progresses. Without all the words on the page to read, you have little choice but to look up and make eye contact with your audience.

Presenting extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible since you know the speech well enough that you don’t need to read it. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it engages both verbally and nonverbally, such as through eye contact. It also allows flexibility; you are working from the strong foundation of an outline, but if you need to delete, add, or rephrase something at the last minute or adapt to your audience, you can do so.

The disadvantage of extemporaneous presentations is that in some cases it does not allow for the verbal and nonverbal preparation that are almost always required for a good speech.

Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to present, so be aware that if you want to present a credibly delivered speech, you will need to practice many times. Because extemporaneous presenting is the style used in the great majority of professional presentation situations, most of the information in the subsequent sections of this chapter is targeted toward this kind of speaking.

Memorized speaking recites a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie scene. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage of memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means moving freely around the stage and using your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage. However, there are some real and potential costs.

First, unless you also plan and memorize every vocal cue (the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace), gesture, and facial expression, your presentation will be flat and uninteresting, and even the most fascinating topic will suffer. Second, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your delivery style may alert your audience that something is wrong. More frighteningly, it will be quite difficult to find your place and keep going if you completely blank out during the presentation. Obviously, memorizing a typical seven-minute presentation takes a great deal of time and effort, and if you aren’t used to memorizing, it is challenging to pull off. Realistically, you probably will not have the time to give a completely memorized speech. However, if you practice adequately, your approach will still feel like you are being extemporaneous.

Congratulations! You have been asked or selected to speak on a topic. Here’s one presenter’s method for creating a professional presentation.

• Use a brain drain or mapping to list the concepts under your main topic. The brain drain serves as a “wish list” that you can discuss in a perfect world where there is enough time.
• Analyze your audience. Who are they? Are they experts, non-experts, or both?
• What does your presentation intend to do: inform, persuade, or both?
• How much time do you have? Do you need to leave room for questions? Create a skeletal outline that features a basic order of your presentation subtopics. Consider placing a number of minutes beside each concept so that you have a rough estimate of how long each subtopic will take you. Remember to leave room for a few minutes of introduction and conclusion!
• Now it’s time to research. What do you need to say about each subtopic? Does your subject matter require primary research, secondary research, or both? Are there special thinkers, professionals, or heavy-hitters that you want to include in some of your subtopics?
• Create a rough draft of your presentation content. You can choose from a chronological pattern, spatial pattern, topical pattern, cause-effect pattern, or problem-solution pattern. Practice your presentation and note the time of each of your sections, whether this includes complete sentences or punch words. Does everything fit where you want it? Is there a natural flow of ideas from one topic to another? If not, feel free to shift content until you get a sense of a natural flow of ideas. Is there any content that does not appear to be inviting to demographic sections of your audience? This is the place for you to objectively remove and replace any content that may be viewed as objectionable or othering.
• Now it’s time to develop your final presentation content. As often as possible, replace complete sentences with punch words so that you rely more on your memory and expertise (as well as your prowess!) on the subject rather than reading your notes. If there is complex material, never fear: Write those full sentences down!
• Choose a slideshow format that you feel comfortable with, such as Google slides, PowerPoint, or Prezi. Adjust your content so that less is more—audiences should listen to your presentation and watch you rather than read long content on your slides.
• Practice until you get the balance right. Then approach friends, colleagues, and family members to try out your material on them. Do they offer recommendations? Consider their advice, but ultimately, you’re the boss of your own show.

Let’s break it down.

First, think about what your audience will already know about your topic. Conversely, think about what your audience does NOT know about your topic to keep your presentation streamlined and concise. Finally, what information do your audiences need to know in order to be properly informed and/or persuaded?

Write a specific purpose statement, which will be the foundation for everything you say in the speech and a guide for what you do not say. This formula, borrowed from Simon, Grimes, and Roch (2018), will help you in putting together your specific purpose statement:

To _______________ [Specific Communication Word (inform, explain, demonstrate, describe, define, persuade, convince, prove, argue)] my [Target Audience (my classmates, the members of the Social Work Club, my coworkers)] __________________ [The Content (how to bake brownies, that Macs are better than PCs)].

Example: The purpose of my presentation is to demonstrate for my coworkers the value of informed intercultural communication.

12.4: Analyze Your Audience

Who will be listening to your presentation? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Will audience members be experts in the subject matter, non-experts, or both? What kind of information must be tailored so that experts AND non-experts can follow along?
• What methods do you intend to use to persuade, inform, or both?
• Will a significant portion of your audience be speakers of English as a second language? If so, avoid overuse of humor, metaphors, two-word verbs (such as shut up, shut in, shut out, shut down), and use of slang.
• What kind of action do you want your audience members to take? What will be your methods to win them over?
• Will audience members be objective, indifferent, or hostile about the subject matter? All of the above? Consider what “moves” you want to make to placate those who are not already onboard with your presentation material so that it will further convince them to take action.

12.5.1: Using Examples and Scenarios

12.5.2: a word about storytelling.

To be successful in your presentation, you’ll need two outlines: a preparation outline and a speaking outline. Preparation outlines are comprehensive outlines that include all of the information in your presentation. A presentation outline will consist of the content of what the audience will see and hear.

Eventually, you will move away from this outline as you develop your materials and practice your presentation. Your speaking outline will contain notes to guide you and is usually not shared with your audience. It will summarize the complete preparation outline down to more usable notes. You should create a set of abbreviated notes for the actual delivery. Your organizational model will help determine how you will structure your preparation outline. However, most, if not all, of the organization models will align with this structure:

• Attention statement : An engaging or interesting statement that will cause your audience to sit up and take notice.
• Introduction : Setting out your general idea statement (LINK) and giving the audience an idea of what to expect.
• Body : This section contains your research, main points, and other relevant information. It will follow your organizational pattern.
• Conclusion : Reiterating your idea statement, and/or includes a call to action—what you want the audience to do or think about following your presentation.
• Residual message : This is an optional section but a powerful one. It is the final message you want the audience to remember.

You can use your presentation outline as a starting point to developing your speaking outline. It’s a good idea to make speaking notes to align with each section’s main points and visuals.

Presenters will often use examples and scenarios to help illustrate their message. The main difference between examples and scenarios is that while both help show the audience what you mean, an example is the thing itself; in contrast, a scenario would include more detail about the sequence or development of events. Scenarios also tend to be longer and more nuanced. An example of a sales target might be: to sell 500 units in 30 days. A scenario might be described as: Company A is selling vacuums to the Atlantic Canada region. They are trying to increase their sales and so have set a target of 500 units in the region in 30 days, using a sales incentive program for employees, and promoting a sale at local stores.

According to Simon, Grimes, and Roch (2018), storytelling can be an effective way to convey your message to your audience. Stories are a fundamental part of the human experience, and if they are well told, they can resonate effectively with listeners. Some of the most inspiring speakers of TED Talks use storytelling effectively in their presentations. You can find out more about how to incorporate storytelling techniques into presentations from the TED Talk speakers directly.

By now you have identified your main points, chosen your organizational pattern, and written your outline, and you are now ready to begin putting your presentation together. But how will you connect your main points together in a relevant manner so that your presentation appears fluid?

Transitions are segues: words, phrases, or visual devices that help the audience follow the speaker’s ideas, connect the main points to each other, and see the relationships you’ve created in the information you are presenting. Transitions are used by the speaker to guide the audience in the progression from one significant concept or point to the next issue. They can also show the relationship between the main point and the support the speaker uses to illustrate, provide examples for, or reference outside sources. Depending on your purpose, transitions can serve different roles as you help create the glue that will connect your points together in a way the audience can easily follow.

Internal summaries: a type of connective transition that emphasizes what has come before and reminds the audience of what has been covered. Examples include: as I have said; as we have seen; as mentioned earlier; in any event; in other words; in short; on the whole; therefore; to summarize; as a result; as I’ve noted previously; in conclusion.  

Internal previews: a type of connective that emphasizes what is coming up next in the speech and what to expect with regard to the content. Examples include: if we look ahead to….; next we’ll examine; now we can focus our attention on; first we’ll look at; then we’ll examine.

Signposts: a type of connective transition that emphasizes physical movement through the speech content and lets the audience know exactly where the speaker is: stop and consider; we can now address; next I’d like to explain; turning from/to; another; this reminds me of; I would like to emphasize.

Time: focuses on the chronological aspects of your speech order. Use of time is particularly useful in a speech utilizing a story, as this transition can illustrate for the audience progression of time: before; earlier; immediately; in the meantime; in the past; lately; later; meanwhile; now; presently; shortly; simultaneously; since; so far; as long as; as soon as; at last; at length; at that time; then; until; afterward.

Compare/contrast: draws a parallel or distinction between two ideas, concepts, or examples. It can indicate a common or divergent area between points for the audience: in the same way; by the same token; equally; similarly; just as we have seen; in the same vein.

Cause and effect or result: illustrates a relationship between two ideas, concepts, or examples and may focus on the outcome or result. It can illustrate a relationship between points for the audience: as a result; because; consequently; for this purpose; accordingly; so; then; therefore; thereupon; thus; to this end; for this reason; as a result; because; therefore; consequently.

Examples: illustrates a connection between a point and an example or examples. You may find visual aids work well with this type of transition: in fact; as we can see; after all; even; for example; for instance; of course; specifically; such as; in the following example; to illustrate my point.

Place: refers to a location, often in a spatially organized speech, of one point of emphasis to another. Again, visual aids work well when discussing physical location with an audience: opposite to; there; to the left; above; below; elsewhere; farther on; beyond; nearby; next to.

Clarification:  restates or further develops a main idea or point. It can also serve as a signal to a key point: to clarify; in other words; to put in another way; this means.

Concession: indicates knowledge of contrary information. It can address a perception the audience may hold and allow for clarification: we can see that while; although it is true that; granted that; while it may appear that; I admit that even though.

Introductions are important so that the audience obtains a concise picture of what the rest of the presentation will be about. Keep the audience’s attention and pique their interest:

• Express details to keep the audience’s attention.
• Put the most important information at the introduction’s beginning. This placement will help to “hook” your audience.
• Involve your audience
• Ask a question that requires audience participation
• Tell a story/anecdote
• Relate a personal experience
• Use humor…if the context warrants it
• Create suspense
• Use a quotation or poem
• Use a visual aid
• Give a startling fact or statistic

Your introduction should be up to 5% of your entire presentation. Once you’ve set the tone and informed your audience what you’ll be discussing, segue to the first part of your presentation body.

Like introductions, conclusions should comprise around 5% of your presentation time. The basic structure of a presentation is not so much linear as it is circular: Speeches should take you in a circle from A to Z. Therefore, your conclusion should take your audience back to the introduction—with an enhanced understanding of the topic. Here are some meaningful cues you can use to signal the eminent closing of your presentation:

• Language cues (“ Now that we have seen that we can solve this problem effectively, we can review the entire situation. ”)
• Movement cues (Physically move back to the center of the room where you began your speech.)
• Paralinguistic cues (Slow your rate of speech and use more pauses.)

Present final appeals to your audience. Depending on the type of presentation you give, you will be asking your audience for something.

• You may be asking them to act in a certain way or to change their attitude toward a certain person or topic.
• You may be asking them to simply understand what you have had to say.
• Leave your audience motivated positively toward you and your presentation topic.
• Stories can make excellent conclusions, as they complete the story that you started in your introduction. You can finish your introduction’s story OR you can retell the story; this time the story will reflect what the audience has learned from your presentation.
• If you decide to use humor, make sure that the humor is relevant to the presentation as well as the audience. A little bit of humor goes a LONG way, so don’t overdo it. Additionally, inappropriate use of humor is a very bad idea.

Knowing your audience will give you a good idea of how to adapt your slideshow design. Additionally, ask yourself, “What is my presentation’s goal?” Is your slideshow meant for training employees, selling a new product, or something else altogether different?

Slideshows should have one clear design; otherwise, the design can contribute to the audience’s lack of attention. Correct formatting should have a legible font from the back of a room, non-distractive themes, proper text and graphic alignment, and consistency.

The best visual aids are images that add context to your presentation topic, images that enhance your audience’s understanding of the topic, and informative graphics that are easy to follow. Your visual aids should complement rather than substitute for your presentation content. Ultimately, they should not be the primary focus of the slideshow.

Animation of your transitions can make or break a presentation and should be used sparingly—less is definitely more (and perhaps none at all). Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this transition animation subtle?
• Does this animation distract from my key points?
• Is this transition animation necessary? Does it enhance my message?

12.9.1: Presentation Space

12.9.2: presentation timing, 12.9.3: presentation clothing, 12.9.4: gestures, eye contact, and paralinguistic features, 12.9.5: pacing and speed, 12.9.6: verbal crutches, 12.9.7: technical issues, 12.9.8: rough audience members, 12.9.9: practice, practice, practice.

So you’re ready for your professional presentation in terms of content and slideshow. McMurrey and Race (2020) provide some topics outside of your presentation to consider for professional delivery.

We have presented in good spaces and not-so-good spaces. You have been given access to the room where you will soon give your presentation. Test it out. Consider the venue of your presentation, whether it is in a large room at an international conference or an 8-seater meeting room in your office. Surely your presentation will be tailored differently depending on size of venue and size of audience.

How would you handle specific problems such as creaky floors, loud projectors, disorganized chairs, and immovable objects that obstruct the audience’s view of your slideshow?

• Walk around your presentation space and see if you detect creaky places where you should avoid stepping.
• You need to project your slideshow, but perhaps it becomes apparent that your own voice will have to compete with the loudness of the projector itself…or a particularly loud air conditioning unit. Acknowledge this issue ONE TIME to your listeners so that the audience understands that you are doing your best.
• If you have time to clean up the presentation room, such as disorganized chairs and trash, go for it.
• One time I delivered a presentation to a 75-member audience, and a massive concrete column was inexplicably placed to my left, thereby impeding the view of my slideshow for 20% of the audience. If space is limited and chairs cannot be moved, ACKNOWLEDGE these audience members: “For those of you who cannot see my slideshow, it is showing X, Y, and Z.…”

Time each section of your presentation and write out the percentage each section takes. Does your presentation add up? Which parts should be edited for a more streamlined, smooth delivery?

You certainly do not want to try on your presentation outfit at the moment you plan to present, as you will already be nervous. This nervousness is natural and indicates that you’re ready to perform! Try on your entire presentation outfit to ensure that you feel comfortable moving and walking effortlessly around in it.

What if you’re in the middle of giving a 40-minute presentation and your shoe breaks? ACKNOWLEDGE it one time, but don’t let it steal your presentation’s thunder. Simply remove your shoes and continue with your presentation. Your audience will be on your side, rooting for you. The show must go on!

Where are you placing your hands? Are you addressing each side of your audience with eye contact? If you want to take more calculated risks, experiment with such paralinguistic features as pregnant pauses, a contrast in pitch, or a contrast in volume. The more presentations you give in which you address these items, the better you will become at adopting them and adapting your delivery.

Sometimes, oral presenters who are nervous talk too fast. All that adrenaline causes them to speed through their talk, making it hard for the audience to follow. Although it’s entirely normal to be nervous, it helps listeners understand you better if you speak a bit more slowly and deliberately than you do in normal conversation. Slow down, take it easy, be clear…and breathe.

Watch out for too much “uh,” “you know,” “okay” and other kinds of nervous verbal habits. Instead of saying “uh” or “you know” every three seconds, just don’t say anything at all. In the days before your oral presentation, practice speaking without these verbal crutches. The silence that replaces them is not a bad thing—it gives listeners time to process what you are saying.

You have begun your presentation, but you soon realize that there are technical problems. Perhaps your projector light burns out or you are suddenly without Wi-Fi during a presentation that requires an online presence. Always have a Plan B, which may include a saved copy of your slideshow on a flash drive or actual handouts of your slide. Alternatively, you can pass out business cards or dictate your email address to your audience, telling your audience before and after the presentation that they can contact you and you would gladly forward them your slideshow and notes. APOLOGIZE ONE TIME. In your career, you will have great presentations and not-so-great presentations. That is part of the process! Muster as much energy and creativity as you can and salvage your technically derided presentation before you eventually close, refer back to your email address, and ask if there are any questions you can answer.

Audiences from both academia and industry comprise mostly of those who wish you to do well. Occasionally, there are those audience members who wish to sabotage your presentation or are simply caught up in their own dramas. Never fear!

• If you have an audience member who interrupts your presentation with asides or questions, thank them and mention that you would happily discuss topics further AFTER the presentation. The same approach can be taken if an audience member intends to tout their own research (and usurp your presentation time).
• If you have a few noisy conversationalists in the crowd, slowly walk up to their table as you continue to address your presentation materials; generally, this simple walk informs these audience members to quiet down.
• If you have an audience member who wishes to embarrass you in front of your audience in some way, do your best with your responses and your source materials. These interactions are not about you—they are about whatever hang-ups or insecurities the obnoxious audience member has.

These types of irritating audience members are fairly rare; however, it is a real possibility that they will be a part of your own audience. It is always better to strategize ahead of time your own course of action: “If A happens, I will do B.” In that way, you won’t have to flail miserably in response nearly as much if/when these tense moments present themselves.

The first time ANY speech is uttered from your lips, content comes out stilted and awkward. The second time you practice your presentation content, delivery becomes a little bit smoother. By the time you arrive to your seventh or eighth round of presentation practice, you will start varying delivery aspects, and ultimately you will master your presentation and its content.

As you prepare your visuals, look at resources that will help you. There are many rules for using PowerPoint, down to the font size and how many words to put on a single slide, but you will have to choose the style that best suits your subject and your presentation style.

The two videos that follow will provide some pointers. As you watch them, make some notes to help you remember what you learn from them.

The first one is funny: Life After Death by PowerPoint by Don McMillan , an engineer-turned-comedian:

You may also have heard about the presentation skills of Steve Jobs. The video that follows is the introduction of the iPhone…and as you watch, take notes on how Jobs sets up his talk and his visuals. Observe how he connects with the audience…and then see if you can work some of his strategies into your own presentation skills. This is a long video; you don’t need to watch it all, but do take enough time to form some good impressions. The following video does not have closed captioning.

Test your Understanding

2. Design three visuals for your topic, including a title page. Use the Styles and Themes feature in PowerPoint to create a consistent theme for a presentation. How do the visuals affect the mood and topics of your presentation?

3. Find a YouTube video or a tutorial online on how to make good presentations. Share it with classmates by teaching some of the main points in group discussion.

4. In small groups, develop a list of “rules” to follow when you have to give an oral presentation…then create a class list.

5. In a memo to your teacher (or in an online discussion forum) share some of your best practices and ideas for getting through a presentation effectively. Also, share some details from the most horrible presentations you’ve ever seen or given. Perhaps you can help a classmate avoid making the same mistakes. (I once watched a presentation in which the presenter demonstrated how to sharpen knives. Although there were no injuries, I was on edge the entire time.)

Alley, M. (2013). The craft of scientific presentations: Critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid. 2nd edition. Springer.

McMurrey, D., & Race, C. (2020). Open technical communication. 4th edition. Affordable Learning Georgia. CC Attribution 4.0 International License.

Simon, D., Grimes, M., & Roch, S. (2018). Communication for business professionals. eCampusOntario, CC Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Chapter 12: Developing Presentations Copyright © 2022 by Joseph Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Extemporaneous Speech – Definition, Tips, List of 100 Topics.

24 May, 2020

15 minutes read

Author:  Mathieu Johnson

Do you belong to that type of people who fear to speak on education topics in public? Then check our list of extemporaneous speech topics to get yourself started.

 Definition of Extemporaneous Speech

What is an extemporaneous speech you may ask? The essence of this type of speech lies in answering the question in a school assignment or tournament in front of the audience. In comparison to impromptu speech that requires zero time for topic preparation, extemporaneous speaking does allow us to take some time and take notes before entering the stage.

While giving a speech looks like a terrifying task, the art of extemporaneous delivery is not that hard to master. After all, there is a reliable essay writer , that can provide you with a brilliant text if you don’t know how to write an extemporaneous speech.

Extemporaneous Speech Tips

Stick to One Presentation Structure

For those who don’t know what is extemporaneous delivery – the answer is simple. It’s a natural ability to speak on a topic without or with little preliminary preparation for a speech. The best way to develop your extemporaneous style is to use a solid structure, like the SEE one. The abbreviation stands for statement, evidence, and emotion. This scheme is a useful tool for you to utilize when you need to speak extemporaneously during a speech. For example, when you’re asked to speak on your recent class project in an extemporaneous speech, divide your answer into blocks. First, provide a statement that tells about your success on the project. Then, give some evidence of your hard work on the task to back up your initial statement. Finally, appeal to emotion by sharing an interesting story associated with the project.

Tap into the Power of Extemporaneous Presentation Methods

There might be situations when you’ll feel uncomfortable speaking to a large – or not very – number of people. Your audience will sense this inner tension during the speech unless you find a way to maintain communication with them. One of the time-proven means of delivering an excellent speech is to be kind and speak nicely. Keep eye contact with people you talk to, smile naturally, and visually scan the audience to make them feel that you’re confident. Another great trick to use in case of confusion or oblivion during an extemporaneous speech is to create an intentional pause whenever you forget the text. This way, you’ll heat the interest of listeners for your speech even more.

Don’t Strive to Memorize Everything at Once

Learning texts by heart is a great practice anytime, except when it comes to giving an extemporaneous speech. Memorizing everything you want to pronounce in front of the audience will only distract you from what’s important – the message you want to speak on. You’ll only want to remember words from the notes instead of focusing on the essence of your speech.

Extemporaneous speaking is a skill that requires the ability to engage listeners to the topic and naturally discloses the idea with the mighty power of words. With little practice and devotion, you can make listeners genuinely interested in your personality and your manner of presenting any subject. If you have struggles defining your topic or keep asking “ can someone write my speech ?”, there are writing services that are ready to help. Stay confident, forget about fear, and strive to deliver the most memorable extemporaneous speech ever.

How to Prepare for Your Next Extemporaneous Speech in 3 Steps?

Step 1 – Think of Your Topic

Before the speech starts, you will, in most cases, be given a subject to speak about. At this point, it’s more than important to choose the topic for a speech which is closer to you, or which you have a burning desire to speak on with others. Whether it’s connected with controversial issues or even socially disturbing ones, choose wisely and confidently.

Step 2 – Develop a Thesis Statement

A thesis is an essential element of any writing or speech piece. It’s a form of instruction that helps speakers better swim in the ocean of thoughts that spring to mind with regard to this or that extemporaneous speech topic. Write down, in two-three short sentences, what your feelings and opinions about the issue are. Then, reread your thesis and add some more information to speak about if necessary.

Step 3 – Practice in Advance

The practice is the key to success in any situation, and especially in cases when you’ll need to give an extemporaneous speech. Start with something as simple as speaking to yourself in the mirror. Try to observe the manner you speak, the body language you use, and if there are blind spots, fill them with more practice to avoid such mistakes. Alternatively, consider recording yourself to evaluate how good you speak and how decent your articulation is. Keep training until you are satisfied with the result.

3 Things You Should Not do While Presenting Your Extemporaneous Speech

Don’t be Afraid of Your Audience

Your palms are probably sweating as you try to imagine how others will judge you or make premature conclusions when you speak to them during a speech. In reality, it’s just a delusion that lives in your head. Try to relax and enjoy the experience of being listened to.

Don’t Speak Fast

The human brain always needs some to process the information it receives while you speak. Accelerated speech makes it harder for listeners not only to digest your ideas but also to figure out what you want to say. To get away with nerves and calm down, it’s always a good idea to take a deep breath before you start an extemporaneous speech.

Don’t Pretend to be Smarter Than You Are

Many speakers make a huge mistake when they try to be experts in the topic, when in fact they’re not. Such an attitude to an extemporaneous speech will only diminish the trust of your audience that will otherwise detect your false intentions. Hence, be sincere with the public you speak to and take a personal stance on any topic you discuss during a speech .

Extemporaneous speaking is a skill that requires the ability to engage listeners to the topic and naturally discloses the idea with the mighty power of words. With little practice and devotion, you can make listeners genuinely interested in your personality and your manner of presenting any subject. If you have struggles defining your topic or keep asking “can someone write my speech?”, there are writing services that are ready to help. Stay confident, forget about fear, and strive to deliver the most memorable extemporaneous speech ever.

To facilitate your work on a speech, we’ve prepared a list of 100 speech topics on a wide range of disciplines that’ll guide you in the right direction.

List Of 100 Speech Topics.

• How can unequal conditions for different social classes be combated?
• Should people be restricted by social rules and ethical codes, and why?
• How has the environmental pollution worsened our quality of life?
• Speak on why is apathy about politics more widespread now than in past decades?
• Should the government constantly encourage people to convert waste into reusable material?
• How can you foster environmental responsibility in your community?
• What environmental issue keeps menacing the environment in America?
• Tell us about yourself, and share some unusual trait that you have
• Speak on the best day of your life. How did you feel then and why?
• Tell the class about where you see your life in 10 years
• Describe the ten best things you like about your city
• What are the ten things you dislike about your school/ college?
• An incident of your bravest act
• A story from my life with a lesson and a message
• Speak about who is your favorite author, and why?
• Present a word portrait about one of your friends
• Recall on the time when you had to give honest feedback
• What is one thing that you think will make you successful?
• Speak on a person who motivates you
• Why do people celebrate Thanksgiving?
• Why is Paris a unique place for traveling to?
• What television show you think should be canceled, and why?
• Speak on what is the best way to combat internet crime and piracy
• Will the problem of water supply be the top geopolitical problem we will be ought to resolve?
• Can workers do anything to resist automation?
• Is big tech eroding American concerns about personal privacy?
• Speak on your biggest concern for the future
• Real wealth is never measured in money, what do you think about it?
• How do you see the killing of animals that keep happening all over the world to produce food or other leather materials?
• Do you believe in fate/ destiny?
• What is the most useless invention do you think?
• If you got a chance to choose between born as a boy or a girl, which one do you prefer?
• Speak on how important communication is to you?
• What is more important – skills or education?
• Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, do you agree with it?
• If you were extremely rich, what would you do with your money?
• What goes around comes around, how would you explain it?
• If you were a president, what would you do?
• Do you want to live in a kingdom? Why?
• If you could choose a country to live in, what country would it be?
• Describe the happiest moment in your life
• If you were an animal, what kind of animal do you want to be?
• What could we do to save the earth?
• Speak on why is it important to learn a second language
• Should exams be replaced by other forms of testing performance?
• Tell us what can we do to increase our patience?
• How can world peace be achieved?
• Every change should start with the man in the mirror, do you agree with it?
• What is the meaning of life in the moment for you?
• Should we cherish everything we have?
• Which is more important do you think, being smart or beautiful?
• Do you think the doomsday is real?
• Speak about your favorite family tradition?
• If you were alone on a lonely island, what would you do there?
• How does technology affect our lives?
• Can we reach our goals without working hard?
• What does being fair mean for you?
• Imagine how people will look like in 1000 years.
• Actions speak louder than words, how do you see it?
• Speak on whether smoking should be allowed in public places?
• If your life was a movie, what title would you give it?
• Speak on your biggest fear
• Is it important to have a sense of humor?
• What is your idea of a perfect job?
• Speak about your role model?
• What do you think being educated means?
• Is it necessary to make plans before doing something?
• Conservation is survival, do you agree with this statement?
• What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
•  All that glitters is not gold, explain it
• If you had a chance to invent something useful, what would it be?
• If you knew you only had 24 hours left to live, what would you do?
• What does a family mean for you?
• Speak on your idea of a perfect day?
• Speak on whether it is a good idea to be a vegetarian?
• Do you prefer tea or coffee? Why?
• What is the biggest thing you’ve done that you’re proud of?
• What do you think is a healthy lifestyle?
• When you go for shopping, which one is more important for you, price or quality?
•  People say the biggest challenge in life is discovering who you are, do you agree?
• The world is full of nice people. In your own opinion, are you one of them?
• When you are in a room full of people, do you mostly feel happy or lonely?
• You are what you do, not what you say you will do. Do you agree?
• If you could take a year off from school, what would you do?
• Speak on what do your dreams mean to you
• Explain the meaning of life for you
• Do you think all people are selfish?
• Speak on how can society affect your character
• What are the benefits of homework?
• Could final testing in senior high schools reflect your effort for the past few years?
• Should hunting be illegal?
• Is it right to ban fur clothing?
• Speak on the ways to reduce homelessness
• Should the death penalty be banned?
• Do you think being a leader is easy?
• Speak on what do you think your life purpose is
• How do you start a conversation with a stranger?
• What human quality do we need more of and why?
• What do you miss most from your childhood?
• Will life be better in the next century?

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What is Extemporaneous Speaking?

June 7, 2023

Extemporaneous speaking, also known as impromptu speaking, is a style of public speaking. The speaker has to deliver a speech without prior preparation, relying only on their ability to think on their feet. It involves structuring and delivering a coherent and persuasive speech within a short timeframe. This is a valuable skill for various situations, from impromptu presentations , to debate competitions, to job interviews. In the following article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about extemporaneous speaking.

The Skills You Gain from Extemporaneous Speaking

Practicing extemporaneous speaking offers several advantages that make it a popular and effective speaking style:

1. Flexibility: Extemporaneous speaking allows speakers to adapt their message to the specific audience and context. Therefore, this skill is highly versatile and engaging.

2. Authenticity: Since the speaker is not relying on a script or memorized content, extemporaneous speaking enables a more authentic and conversational delivery. This type of speaking style allows the speaker to connect with the audience on a personal level.

3. Enhanced Communication Skills: By practicing extemporaneous speaking, individuals can improve their ability to articulate ideas clearly and organize thoughts on the spot, as well as respond effectively to unexpected questions or challenges.

4. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Extemporaneous speaking develops both quick thinking and problem-solving skills. Speakers must analyze information rapidly, evaluate arguments, and also formulate coherent responses.

5. Improved Confidence: Embracing the challenge of extemporaneous speaking can boost overall self-confidence. As speakers learn to trust their knowledge and presentation skills, they become more confident communicators overall.

Tips for Successful Extemporaneous Speaking

To excel in extemporaneous speaking, consider the following tips:

1. Preparation is Key: Although extemporaneous speeches are delivered without prior preparation, it’s essential to have a solid foundation of knowledge in various subject areas. Stay informed about current events, practice impromptu speaking techniques, and maintain a broad understanding of different topics.

2. Structure Your Speech: Even without extensive preparation, structure your speech by following a clear introduction, body, and conclusion format. Include a central thesis or main idea, supporting points, and a memorable conclusion to leave a lasting impact.

3. Utilize Personal Stories and Examples: Incorporate personal stories, anecdotes, or real-life examples to make your speech relatable and engaging. These elements can captivate the audience’s attention and add credibility to your message.

4. Emphasize Clarity and Conciseness: Be concise and avoid rambling. Use clear and straightforward language to convey your ideas effectively within the allotted time. Practice eliminating filler words and unnecessary repetition.

5. Maintain Eye Contact and Body Language: Connect with your audience through eye contact and open body language. This helps establish rapport and enhances the impact of your message.

6. Practice Active Listening: Active listening is crucial for extemporaneous speaking. Pay attention to the audience’s reactions and adjust your delivery accordingly. Be prepared to address follow-up questions or engage in spontaneous discussions.

7. Embrace Mistakes and Learn from Them: Accept that mistakes or unforeseen challenges may arise during extemporaneous speaking. Rather than becoming flustered, embrace these moments as opportunities for growth and learning. Stay composed, maintain your composure, and continue delivering your speech with confidence.

Yoodli: Enhancing Extemporaneous Speaking Skills

Yoodli , an AI speech coach, can assist you in improving your extemporaneous speaking skills. Through its advanced technology, Yoodli provides real-time feedback on your delivery, language usage, and clarity of thought. It offers personalized recommendations to help you refine your extemporaneous speaking abilities and become a more effective and persuasive communicator.

By incorporating the tips mentioned above and utilizing Yoodli’s AI coaching, you can enhance your extemporaneous speaking skills and excel in impromptu situations. Embrace both the spontaneity and challenge of extemporaneous speaking, and watch your confidence and ability to engage audiences grow.

The Ins and Outs of Competitive Extemporaneous Speaking

Extemporaneous Speaking, often referred to as EXT or Extemp, is a unique speech delivery style that is commonly seen in forensic competitions at both the high school and college levels. It is a challenging yet highly rewarding form of public speaking that requires participants to combine research, analysis, and impromptu delivery skills. In an Extemporaneous Speech competition, participants are given a limited preparation time of thirty minutes to delve into a question related to current events. They must quickly gather information, develop a well-structured argument, and craft a compelling speech within this timeframe.

Unlike other speech delivery styles, such as manuscript or impromptu, extemporaneous speaking strikes a balance between careful preparation and spontaneous delivery. While the speech itself is meticulously prepared and practiced, it is not memorized word-for-word. Instead, speakers rely on small notes or outlines containing key points to guide them during their presentation. This approach allows for a more conversational and natural delivery, creating a connection with the audience and fostering a sense of authenticity.

One of the distinctive aspects of this style of speaking is its ability to showcase a speaker’s depth of knowledge, critical thinking skills, and ability to engage with current affairs. Participants must stay informed about a wide range of topics, including politics, economics, social issues, and global events. This constant engagement with current events helps speakers develop a well-rounded perspective and enhances their ability to analyze complex information in a short amount of time.

The Benefits of Extemporaneous Speaking Skills

Extemporaneous speaking competitions not only challenge participants to think on their feet but also encourage them to express their unique insights and perspectives. Each speech delivered in this style is slightly different, as the speakers adapt their arguments and delivery based on the specific question and audience. This adaptability is one of the key strengths of extemporaneous speaking, as it allows speakers to tailor their message to resonate with different audiences and effectively communicate their ideas.

Participating in extemporaneous speaking competitions offers numerous benefits for students. It enhances their research and analytical skills, as they must quickly gather relevant information and evaluate its credibility and significance. It also fosters critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, as speakers must organize their thoughts coherently and construct persuasive arguments within a limited timeframe. Moreover, extemporaneous speaking builds confidence and improves public speaking skills, as participants learn to present their ideas with clarity, poise, and conviction.

The Value of Extemporaneous Speaking in Job Interviews

Extemporaneous speaking skills are not limited to the realm of competitions and academic settings. They have practical applications in various professional contexts, including job interviews. The ability to think on your feet, organize your thoughts quickly, and deliver concise yet impactful responses is highly valued by employers.

When faced with challenging interview questions, extemporaneous speaking techniques can help you showcase your expertise, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities. By drawing on your knowledge and experiences, you can provide well-reasoned and compelling answers that set you apart from other candidates.

By leveraging Yoodli’s mock interview feature, you can gain valuable insights into your interview performance, identify areas for improvement, and enhance your overall communication skills. As you speak, Yoodli gives your AI-generated follow up questions in real time and assesses your content and delivery.

This technology-driven approach allows you to practice and receive feedback at your own pace, empowering you to enter job interviews with the confidence and proficiency needed to succeed.

Incorporating extemporaneous speaking skills into your interview preparation, with the support of Yoodli’s mock interview feature, can significantly boost your chances of standing out as a strong candidate and securing your dream job .

How to Excel in Public Speaking

To excel in extemporaneous speaking, individuals should develop strong research skills, stay well-informed about current events, and practice delivering speeches within the given time constraints. You can also seek guidance and support from experienced coaches or join speech clubs to refine their skills and receive valuable feedback.

In the modern era, advancements in technology have introduced AI-powered speech coaching platforms like Yoodli, which can further assist students in honing their extemporaneous speaking abilities. Yoodli provides personalized feedback on speech delivery, language usage, and organization, helping students refine their presentation skills. With its real-time feedback and tailored recommendations, Yoodli offers a low-stress, judgment-free environment for everyone to practice and improve their extemporaneous speaking skills.

In conclusion, extemporaneous speaking is a captivating form of speech delivery that combines research, analysis, and impromptu delivery. It challenges participants to think critically, communicate effectively, and engage with current affairs. By mastering this style, students can enhance their public speaking skills, boost their confidence, and develop a keen understanding of global issues. With the support of innovative AI speech coaching tools like Yoodli, students can unlock their full potential and excel in the world of extemporaneous speaking.

Start practicing with Yoodli.

Getting better at speaking is getting easier. Record or upload a speech and let our AI Speech Coach analyze your speaking and give you feedback.