Learning the words for a speech, whether written by yourself or others, can be a daunting task. Not only can the process itself be overwhelming, but it can translate into day-of anxiety about whether you’ll remember your words or communicate your message effectively.

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The steps below give you a structure to not just remember everything you need to say, but to speak it in your voice instead of sounding like you’re just reading a script. Every person learns differently, but I have found this structure to be fairly universal, and a good place for people to start discovering their own best practices.

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Step One:

Write your speech in bullet points. These bullet points should be the barebones structure of your speech, containing everything you need to say, but leaving out filler words and exact phrasing. In other words, use key words that communicate detailed information and do not use full sentences. Don’t be afraid to use too many bullet points; each one should be the equivalent of a sentence or two, depending on how much information needs to be conveyed. Although this can be done digitally, I recommend using a pencil and paper for the easy use of shorthand symbols, and the fact that physically writing down will start to commit the speech to memory. This may take some time, but being diligent about this now will make the rest of the process much easier.

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Bullet Point Example 1 – Wedding Speech:

Full sentence: “Alice, from when you were a little girl, your spirit and kindness have always shone through. You taught me the importance of compassion, the power of a smile, and how to make the best macaroni and cheese from scratch.”

Bullet point: “When little, spirit & kindness shone. Taught compassion, power of smile, best mac & cheese”

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Bullet Point Example 2 – Business Pitch:

Full sentence: “Through a data-driven approach, we've identified key insights that can guide your decision-making and maximize ROI.”

Bullet point: “Thru data-driven approach, identified key insights = guides decisions/max ROI”

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Step Two:

Stand up, and begin to say your speech out loud, using the bullet points as a reference. Because you’ve used key words, you’ll have to fill in the gaps to make full sentences as you’re talking, which will not only make it sound more like you naturally speak, but will also begin to start locking it into your long-term memory. If you think details or key words have been missed in your bullet points, add them. If you think you could still convey your message without certain words, remove them.

   

Step Three:

Pick a manageable section (1-2 minutes’ worth of speaking) and see how much of it you can do out loud without using your bullet points. Once you reach the end of that section, look back at your notes and see how many bullet points you remembered. Maybe you find you’ve missed some bullet points or key words. In that case, cover up your notes and try again. Keep doing this until you hit all the bullet points, then move on to the next section. Every now and then, return to the beginning and see if you can do it all the way to where you’ve progressed so far. Try standing up and walking around the room while doing this; your body being active helps you commit the words to your long-term memory. This is a task best done in 10-30 minute increments across a few days; taking a break and coming back to it is important.

 

Step Four:

Another effective way to test yourself is by getting a friend or family member involved. Once you feel like you can mostly get through the speech, but you’re still leaving some parts out, give your bullet points to a friend and present the speech to them. Ask them to follow along with your notes and make a star next to every bullet point you miss. Once you get to the end, you’ll be able to look at your notes and see your problem areas.

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Remember, effective memorization is a process that requires time and patience. It’s also a muscle that becomes easier to use the more you exercise it, just like letting your guard down and allowing yourself to be authentic when delivering your speech. Unlike memorizing full scripted sentences or using cue cards to hide behind, this gives you the space to use your whole body and natural way of speaking to best connect with your audience.

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For more guidance on how to best utilize this technique and deliver your speech in the most natural way, contact David for a free consultation, or to book a session: david@speak-naturally.com