Should I Use Notes, Memorize My Talk, or What?

This excerpt is from the book Smart Speaking by Master Speech Coach Laurie Schloff.

Ideally, get to a point where you are comfortable with notes,  which we define as word cues to help remember whole thoughts. 

Notes allow you to be more conversational and to  put your main focus on the audience, where it belongs. However, if it's your first talk or a very important or formal presentation, such as at an academic conference, it might be better to speak from a prepared text. 

If you have a hard time composing fluid sentences; or if cleverness, preciseness, or entertainment is crucial to the speech, consider memorizing at least parts of your remarks. Memorizing  may help  you concentrate more on audience connection,  because you won't have to worry about which words to use. 

Make sure you have notes even if you memorize, though—a lesson Winston Churchill learned the hard way. 

 Churchill, who became one of history's greatest orators, blanked out during one of his early speeches in Parliament. After trailing off in the middle of a sentence, he fumbled in his pockets, then sat down and covered his face with his hands. Though he never again blanked out, for the rest of his career, he prepared detailed notes. 

Some of my clients resist the idea of using notes. “No one in my company does,” they say. Or “I'll look overprepared.”

If used effectively, notes  are 

nothing to be ashamed of.  

They are a sign  that you have prepared!

Having notes versus a script in front of you means that you  have to put a lot of time into  practice—as much practice as time allows. 

Follow these practice guidelines, and by the time you face the audience, your talk will be as familiar to you and as easy to get across as your name and address.  

How to Practice Using Notes:

1. Begin your practice sessions as soon as you've finished organizing your material.  Find a time and place where you won't be interrupted, review your notes, and practice out loud as if the listeners were in the room with you.

2. Look down, scan your first cue, let that evoke a complete idea, and speak. 

When you finish that thought, look down, scan the next cue, let that evoke the next idea, and speak. 

For example, in one seminar leader's notes, two words, “lead time”, prompt her to speak for several minutes about the fact that it typically takes a year or more for an author to write a book, and several additional months to publish. 

Clients  find it helpful to indicate when they will tell a certain story with an asterisk * and the subject of the story in their notes.

3. If an item in your notes doesn't smoothly evoke a thought, you need either a different cue or more detailed notes.

Rethink your idea, talk yourself through it, and adjust your notes. 

Your goal is to have notes which help you to feel secure under stress.   

 A fuller version of the “lead time” idea, for example, might be as follows:

-Lead time—time it takes to turn idea into finished book l yr (optimistic) 

-Publishing time: 3-6 months 

4. Practice multiple times before delivery day with a friend, relative, or colleague for an audience. 

Ask specific questions afterward to get genuinely useful feedback: Were there any confusing points? Any sections that seemed rough? Any parts that dragged or seemed rushed?

As a finishing touch, add reminders to your notes, indicating where you need to pause, slow down, or emphasize a particular point.