Preparing for the Unexpected

How would you feel if someone asked you to get up in front of a crowd and talk about what you do? Zero time to prepare. Could you do it?

There are SO many opportunities for people who are comfortable speaking with little to no preparation.

Would you like to be one of them?

I have some tips to help you prepare for being “unprepared”…

1) The Napkin Plan

The power of the napkin plan is in how quickly and imperfectly you do it. They are not notes. This is not a detailed talk-map. It shouldn’t be complicated enough for you to need to take it up on stage with you. This is  the most minimal sketch you can possibly make to help organize your thoughts.

For example if I was asked to speak on how to be confident on camera, my napkin plan would look like this…

Confident on Camera

• Be yourself (quirky and imperfect)
• Fast talking is better on video than on stage - energy
• If they can see and hear you then your tech is OK

Actually, to be honest, it would look more like this…

Confident on Camera

• Be yourself
• Fast talking
• See and hear

But I wasn’t sure if that would mean much to you for the sake of this explanation.

You’ll notice I have 3 bullet points. Human brains do well with 3s. So if you’re looking for a default structure, I would recommend 3 points. Structure and consistency are your friends. If you always speak about 3 points, your brain is going to remember those 3 things way more easily.

2) The Most Important Thing

Ask yourself: What is the ONE most important thing I want my audience to know?
Or, an alternative question you could use: What is the ONE most important thing my audience wants to know?
(Just use one, not both.)

You need to be able to articulate the answer in one SHORT sentence.

No matter how long or short your talk is, if you manage to communicate your one most important thing - you’ve succeeded!

If you have a few minutes, write your most important thing at the top of the page of your napkin plan. It’s an excellent editing tool when planning AND in the moment when you’re on stage or on camera speaking.

Every time you have an idea, ask yourself…

“Does this support my most important thing?”

If the answer is yes you can say it.

If the answer is no, don’t.

3) Bookends
Have an idea of the the first and last sentence you want to say. Even if the middle is all jumbled, if you start and end strong you’ll appear way more “together”.

It’s not even really the words you choose as much as your conviction as you say them. A fumbled awkward beginning can make an awful first impression, let yourself arrive and be present before you begin speaking.

One of the MOST COMMON mistakes I see speakers make is continuing to speak after a strong finish. It completely dissipates some really powerful energy. Know when you’re done and stick to it.

4) Train Your Brain and Mouth

The secret to being comfortable “winging it” is practice. Muscle memory. You just need to get your brain and your mouth accustomed to this new way of doing things. Find a place to practice speaking.

If you don't have somewhere to practice, check out my Authentic Speakers Portal Membership.