We all listened to Oprahs acceptance speech for the Cecil B. de Mille Award?
Next time you speak in public, would you like to be a little more like Oprah?
Your speech is almost definitely not as important as Oprahs, and you are almost definitely not Oprah.
Dont just plan it out in your head.
Everything sounds good in your head.
You have to actually write or speak it aloud to test it.
Usually, youll find your own structure for your speech.
Each part of Oprahs speech supports the others.
Her personal story puts her win in the context of race and gender.
She calls on her audience to join in this fight, and assures us that we will win it.
The whole speech has a logical through-line.
So first, you’re gonna wanna find your core message.
It should be the one that you’re free to tell best.
Even if youre just giving a funny little talk at an informal event, findyourbrand of funny.
Now make every line of your speech work toward communicating that core message.
Oprah starts with the context of racial and gender progress, because thats what shell be digging into later.
Its an uplifting story, because the overall message is uplifting.
Now lets get into some details.
You have three options.
Keep throwing away first lines until one sticks.
Thats how they do it in the movies.
It can stop you from constantly second-guessing yourself.
You have to read your speech out loud to yourself, then to a friend or partner.
(This is secretly why people get married.)
You could even read your very first draft aloud, and combine the editing and reading phases.
You could even write and edit the speech by improvising it over and over out loud.
(But write it down at some point too.)
The first time you read your speech to yourself, youll realize that some parts are bad and dumb.
Then you will edit them.
The second time, youll realize that some parts are secretly good, butsoundbad and dumb out loud.
Then you will edit them.
Once everything sounds good to you, read it to your friend.
That third part is the most important to work on.
By six to ten rehearsals in, you probably should only be changing a couple words here and there.
Even if youre reading something that was already published elsewhere, you should still edit.
What works on the page doesnt always work out loud.
Maybe you overlooked a different piece that works better out loud than on paper.
Or maybe you could just cut a few paragraphs that meander.
Your piece is a rock song and this is the radio edit.
Perform
Your performance is as important as your words.
Otherwise you could have just emailed everyone.
At a personal event like a wedding, your presence is actually the most important part.
Each time you deliver your speech, it sounds more natural than the last.
you’ve got the option to adjust your volume and your speed.
(You probably need to slow down.)
If you dont work on your performance, everyone will know it.
You might think a practiced performance will seem fake.
It wont; thats what acting is.
It lets you finish with dignity.)
As much as your friend can stand it, do all this performance work in front of them.
Their feedback is better than your own.
You dont have to tape yourself or do anything in front of a mirror, unless you want to.
Memorize
By now, youre on your way to memorizing your speech.
Because your audience wants to see your face.
They want to hear your voice.
They cannot do that when youre buried in your notes.
When your head is down, youre talking into your chest.
When your head is up, youre talking into the microphone, or youre projecting your voice.
Memorization isnt about slavish devotion to specific words.
Its about having all the words you need, so that you could improvise to your comfort level.
If you do bring notes, have a go at fit them on index cards.
When your hands shake, index cards dont wobble as visibly as paper.
Your notes dont have to be a thorough outline.
Maybe theyre just the specific parts you had trouble memorizing.
Theyre a memory aid.
Unless this is a reading, you shouldnt actually be reading them.
Dont bring your entire speech, word for word, unless youre doing a reading.
The shorter your notes, the less youll stare down at them.
Do not read your speech off your fucking phone.Print it out or write it down.
Do all that good public speaking stuff
Take your time.
Have confidence in your speech.
The host or the next speech-giver should take your place before the applause has fully faded away.
