This week's tip will come in handy the next time you need to give a speech, whether it is for your career, a networking event or even at a wedding.

Odds are you aren’t going to memorize your speech, which is fine, don't even worry about that. Most people don't memorize them. But if you go up there without any notes, thinking you can "wing it" or remember it all and you suddenly draw a blank (which happens) things can go downhill quickly! We've all seen it happen during a speech ... it isn't pretty.

Now, if by some chance you CAN memorize your speech and you feel really confident you'll remember it when the bright lights are on, go for it and good luck! But PLEASE rehearse it ahead of time.

Okay, so you don't have it memorized. No problem. But, try not to go the other way, which is to bring the entire speech with you and read it verbatim. When you do that, you sound robotic and you don't make eye contact with the audience. There's no storytelling involved and you lose your audience quickly.

So, if neither extreme is desirable, here's what you should do:

Two words: BULLET POINTS. Put a few main points on a note card, or on the memo pad of your phone, and you can use them to help guide you through your speech. Just some keywords that, when you see them, will remind you what story or anecdote you want to talk about next. It’s an outline to get you from the beginning to the middle to the end of your speech, and it allows you to stay present, be a storyteller, and make eye contact with your audience.

Of course, now you have to be a dynamic presenter and engage the room, but we can work on that together.

If you have any questions or need help giving a compelling speech, just contact me here.

Have a great day,

Dave