In this video I’ll explain how to memorize a speech, but first let’s talk about why
you’d want to do that.
Delivering a speech without notes is like walking a tightrope.
You don’t have any support and the fear of messing up can be pretty scary.
But you don’t want to feel scared, you want to feel super-confident, and that’s why
most people want to memorize their speech.
It makes sense.
So I’m going to explain not just how to memorize a speech, but how to give a fantastic
speech that people will love and admire you for.
Here’s the first big secret about memorizing a speech word for word.
Nobody knows you’ve done it!
And the second big secret?
Nobody cares!
It’s not about being a robot delivering a word perfect speech.
Why?
Because a great speech is about your message and how you deliver it, not about being word
perfect.
Your audience wants to be engaged, and entertained or educated, and that’s what your goal should
be.
So here are 3 simple steps for achieving that and then we’ll get into the memorization
part.
• Obviously, you need to have great content • Memorize only the outline or key points
of your speech • Then practice giving the speech
• Alright, time to get memorizing.
So why are you only going to memorize the key points of your speech?
Because it will be enough to give you the confidence you know what to say next, without
sounding like a robot, and it frees up your mind so you can concentrate on your delivery
and connecting with your audience.
Now memorization is all about visualization and association.
You create a mental image in your mind of what you want to recall, and then link it
to the next thing you want to remember.
For example, let’s say you need to give a best man’s speech at a wedding.
Go through your speech and divide it up into around five to eight sections.
For each section, create a picture in your mind that represents the key point or theme.
You’ll start with the introduction, so you might imagine two hands shaking.
Now visualize the room or space where you’re giving your speech.
There’s going to be an audience and a room.
Picture the two shaking hands in the front row of the audience.
That’s your starting point.
Next, choose specific locations in the room or audience to visualize more images.
Keep this nice and simple.
You could choose the corners of the room and the corners of the audience.
Whatever you decide, make sure there’s a natural progression from one spot to the next,
because that’s going to help you recall the correct order of your speech.
You’ll start with the introduction, then you might mention what a lovely wedding ceremony
it was, and say how beautiful and charming the bridesmaids are.
Tell a funny story about how you and the groom met when you were kids, and how he used to
steal your lunches at school.
So you divided your speech up into five to eight sections; then you create a mental picture
that represents each of those sections; and visualize each image in certain places around
the room you’re giving the speech.
If the speech is happening in a room you’ve never been to before, practice in your head
with a standard room, and if you can, visit the real room as early as possible so you
can transfer your mental images to their actual locations.
Now what happens if you want to add more details?
You might not feel comfortable with only 8 mental pictures to help you, so here’s what
you do.
For each section of your speech, choose the extra details you want to make sure you mention.
In the introduction you might want to mention you’ve been friends with the groom for 25
years and how happy you are he found his perfect match.
You could use a quarter, a 25c coin to represent 25 years, and picture it shaking hands with
a smiley face holding a match.
When you visualize the shaking hands you’ll know it represents the introduction of your
speech, and you’ll be prompted to say how long you’ve known the groom, and you’re
happy he found his perfect match.
So you can add more details to your mental pictures by turning a single image into a
little scene.
And that’s as much as you should memorize.
Now you’ve got your mental cue cards firmly in place, it’s time to start practicing
your speech.
Again, this isn’t about being word perfect, it’s about you feeling comfortable and confident
with what you’re saying.
To begin with, you’ll probably stumble a lot, and that’s totally fine – nobody’s
polished at the beginning.
Talk only using the key points you picture in your mind.
As you practice, you’ll naturally get into a groove of how you say things.
It won’t be exactly the same each time, but you’ll focus instead on a great delivery.
Keep practicing and you’ll rely less and less on the imagery in your head – but it’ll
be right there if you need it.
If you do happen to forget your next point, pause and take a breath while you check your
mental cue cards.
Rather than memorizing your speech, your focus will now be on making your speech memorable
for your audience.
And that’s when your public speaking becomes fantastic.
If you’d like to learn how to turn abstract or non-concrete words, words that aren’t
nouns, into mental pictures, check out the video training at Memorize Academy by clicking
the card on the screen right now.
And if you’d like to improve your public speaking skills, check out Toastmasters International
– they’re awesome.
If you thought this video was valuable, please give it a ‘like’ and share, leave a comment
below, and subscribe for more of my one-of-a-kind videos.
I’ll see you again soon, bye!