Public speaking can be extremely stressful, especially if it’s your first time or you have stage fright. In fact, 30% of Americans report they are afraid of public speaking. So how can we mask fear with confidence while delivering a speech?
I’ll show you some effective tips on memorizing a speech and the steps that will help you prepare.
How Long Does It Take to Memorize a Speech?
There is no exact time it takes to memorize a speech. I don’t even recommend memorizing a speech word by word because it leads to a monotonous delivery. All you have to do is get the flow and ideas in your head and refine the terms.
The duration of your memorization process depends on several factors, including the length of the entire speech and your memorization skills. It also depends on how you practice verbal enhancement.
Excellent speakers perform delivery of speeches anywhere between 1 and 18 minutes. For instance, an impromptu speech or short story might only take 2-5 minutes, which is easier to memorize than a TED talk with broad content.
A powerful speaker can memorize a 5-minute speech in under a minute if they don’t have to deliver the exact words. But if the speech takes longer, the speaker should list the sub-topics and practice it every day for 10-15 minutes.
If you need to memorize it within the day, give yourself two to three hours. Make sure this practice time includes rests in between so you don’t get burned out once it’s time to do the actual public speaking.
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How Long Should a Speech Be?
A superb performance does not necessarily depend on the length of the speech. The best way to know how long your piece should be is to ask the event organizer. If you were invited to deliver a speech, this duration should already be part of the invitation.
Extemporaneous speeches, which we don’t memorize or read from manuscripts, should take around 5-8 minutes or 600-1000 words. This type of speech is usually used to deliver a compelling story, discussion on business, or educational preaching.
A complete speech with a manuscript takes about 10-15 minutes. You can also give a 20-minute speech when necessary. These speeches are pre-planned and require several practices.
If you want to give a TED talk, the average time for a speech is 18 minutes. This platform for public speaking has been very successful because of the limits they set for their presenters.
Benefits of Being a Good Public Speaker
Public speaking skills are more than just a confidence booster. Let’s discuss the different advantages of learning how to deliver an exceptional speech.
Public Speaking Shows Your Expertise
Being an excellent public speaker is an attention-getter to your career network. You’ll stand out in the workforce since not all your coworkers want to be in the spotlight.
This marketable skill might attract potential employers with better career opportunities to offer. You will be more comfortable in interviews, sway more people in your favor, and convince them to give you a promotion.
Professional speakers also make business speakers in sales. You can reach higher sales goals when you know how to convince other people about your product or service.
You might also show your expertise in leadership because people will start approaching you for your ideas. They will consult on problems and make you a more reliable person.
You Can Develop Your Courage
Aside from better careers, self-confidence is a life-changing characteristic you will acquire once you start public speaking. Even if you make typical mistakes your first time, you’ll quickly get over them and be motivated to create a more awesome speech in the future.
That’s because public speaking develops your communication skills and counters your negative self-talk. This freeing activity allows you to express yourself and feel like everyone is listening.
Public speaking enhances your social interaction skills because you learn how to present your perspectives logically and coherently. You won’t be afraid to share your ideas in round-table discussions and intimate conversations.
It Helps Build Relationships and Connections
A successful speech is an excellent way to meet people with the same interests as you. For instance, if you deliver a business speech, you’ll find that entrepreneurs will approach you to share their own ideas or maybe ask for advice.
Try mingling with your audience after the speech to seek new perspectives on the topic and clarify any misunderstandings they had. Consider giving them your number or email for new opportunities.
Don’t be afraid to speak with other presenters and congratulate them on their speeches. There are several networking opportunities you don’t want to miss in the public speaking sphere.
Develops Critical Thinking Skills
Preparing for a speech goes beyond rote learning and memorization techniques. It also enhances your critical thinking skills because it helps you analyze your thought process and ensure you follow the correct structure of a speech.
If you’ve tried giving an engaging performance a couple of times, you already have a mental image of your ideas and their sequence. But if you’re a beginner, you can practice with professionals to help you make well-reasoned opinions.
The Step-by-Step Process to Memorize a Speech
Good speakers do not rely on memorizing a speech by heart. But there are a couple of steps you need to undergo when remembering a speech.
Prepare Yourself
The first thing you should do when memorizing a speech is to be ready. That means being in the right headspace to write and remember everything. Be prepared to undergo a 3-step process of writing, memorizing the big parts, and memorizing the small details.
The actual process includes making a detailed outline, producing cue cards, and researching your audience. It would help if you had an idea about their interests and attention span, so you’ll know the content and length of your speech.
This step is also an excellent time to motivate yourself. Think of the career prospects you’ll get and the social network you’ll build after delivering this speech. Imagine the confidence, leadership, and critical thinking skills you’ll gain after it.
You also want to try relaxation techniques if you have stage fright. This strategy helps if you are not used to speaking in front of a crowd or if you have too many expectations from yourself.
Rehearse the Speech With Your Script/Outline
Once you’re relaxed and ready, performing content mapping is the next step to effectively memorizing a speech. This method lets you structure everything you want to say so that you don’t include additional content that will ruin the piece’s flow.
You can also do mind mapping by providing structure in space to fill your memory. Another strategy to try is reading some books to widen your knowledge about a specific topic.
Understanding the outline is an easy way to get everything in your head. Memorize each sub-topic so you’ll know your cues and appear more casual or spontaneous.
Effective speeches take lots of practice. Pretend you’re speaking in front of the audience to make memorization fun. Check how it sounds as a speech before actually memorizing it.
It also helps to edit the speech for every round of reading continuously. Make sure it’s free from technical and flow errors. It should sound more natural, logical, and interesting. This process is relatively easy if you’ve given speeches before.
Read It With Others
Reading your speech aloud with a few close friends or family will save you lots of time editing and proofreading the original outline. Ask your audience to sit as you stand on stage and deliver the speech.
This step is also an excellent opportunity to study your body language. Check if your posture needs improvement or if you are not making enough eye contact.
Memorize, Big to Small
Memorizing from big to small means starting with the core content or key pieces and then the supporting details. This hierarchical process reduces verbatim memorization because it focuses more on the structure for correct delivery.
If you are an expert speaker, you don’t have to bring the entire manuscript. You might want to get a piece of paper with a bullet point list of the “big ideas.”
Remember that starting with the bigger details is better because most of your audience won’t even know the small details. This is a memory technique that is especially important in a sales presentation.
Memorizing from big to small also lets you gain maximum practice in your overall speech. Focus on the best parts first, then try to be more specific as you master each element.
Move to the Small Points
After the broader structure, it’s time to practice the tiny points of your presentations. These small points are not necessarily the exact sentences and words but the supporting details.
For example, if a big part of your speech talks about helping the community, you might speak about sub-topics such as volunteering, donating, and fundraising. In other words, you want to expand your bullets into big chunks to represent better ideas.
This third step can be more challenging than the second one. Try memorizing the small points by quizzing yourself and practicing the speech. Ask yourself, “What are the sub-topics for helping the community?”
Memorize the Delivery
Once you’re done with the chunking method, it’s time for the most elaborate process. As you already know, rote memorization is not the best way to remember your speech because it makes your delivery robotic.
If you’re confident enough, you can simply go out and deliver your presentation without note cards or any kind of memory aid. But feel free to bring a small piece of paper with you so you’ll have a guide.
If you’re delivering a speech at a conference, you might want to create PowerPoint slides. There are many compelling presentation templates for different applications. Prepare them in advance to practice the memorization of your delivery.
Rehearse the speech from top to bottom a couple of times. You should also continue editing your work until this point. For example, you might notice a grammar error or overuse of a word.
Deliver the Speech
Once you’ve done the chunk method and cue cards, it’s time to deliver the speech. Focus on the bigger chunks and ideas instead of the words and exact sentences.
Focusing on the bigger chunks will make your content more flexible and natural. If someone interrupts your speech or you forget a word, remember to return to your main point. It will help you get back to a logical path instead of just moving on to the next idea.
Tips on How to Memorize a Speech Quickly
Here are some excellent speech memorization techniques that might speed up the entire process.
Create an Outline
Creating an outline prevents you from memorizing a speech verbatim. Start with a central image that will guide your speech, also known as the thesis statement. Then, preview your main points and supporting details.
For example, your speech on opening a business might start with discussing market research and then fixing legal documents. Then, it’s time to discuss how to launch your company.
Once you’ve built the body of your speech, go back to the start and craft an introduction that will grab the audience’s attention. If you’re unsure what will work, practice it in front of your friends of similar age and interests.
Establish a conclusion, leaving your audience with something to remember. The last step is to piece everything together by using transitional devices.
Use the Memory Palace Technique
The best way to memorize a speech is using the Mind Palace Technique. This strategy might be familiar to you because the fictional character Sherlock Holmes used it. The tip is to attach the bullet points or mental images in your speech to any piece of furniture.
For example, the couch would be idea 1, and then your dining table would be idea 2. Idea 3 would be your main lamp, and so forth. Now walk through your home, stop at each furniture piece, and think of the mental image attached.
Try to keep the mental image as visual as possible. This will make you more effective because specific objects trigger your memory.
Repeat the Memory Palace Technique, then practice mentally touring your room. Imagine stopping at every room or furniture piece and recalling the idea in your head.
Use the 20-20-20 Rule
Another proven way to deliver your speech is using the 20-20-20 rule when rehearsing. That means reviewing your manuscript for 20 minutes. Then, repeat it twice for another 20 minutes each.
This repetitive strategy will help you remember the content better. Focus on the bigger chunks so that you can maximize your 20-minute limit. But another rule is to repeat the speech within 30 minutes. Otherwise, it will not be encoded in your long-term memory.
Get Enough Rest
I know how tempting it is to stay up all night to memorize a speech. But it’s not an excellent idea because it will slow down your brain. Lack of sleep increases the production of stress-related hormones and decreases concentration.
Aside from getting eight hours of sleep, it helps to take a break while practicing. Take a quick walk, eat dinner, and stay hydrated. Try meditating or using simple breathing exercises to calm yourself before the speech.
Common Mistakes of Memorizing a Speech
You don’t need to be an expert public speaker to deliver a good speech. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when memorizing a speech.
Not Listening to Yourself Practice
This is a classic mistake every beginner makes. No matter how much you cringe at a voice recording of yourself, it’s essential to listen to yourself practice.
You might not notice that you’re saying “um” or “you know” too much. Listening to yourself practice also helps you fix tongue-twisting phrases and words.
Complete Memorization
One complaint about memorization is that you won’t feel connected to your audience. Your responsibility is to speak with them or even appeal to their emotions. And if you treat your audience like air or ghosts, you will not be able to achieve your goals.
Complete memorization might also lead you to speak too fast. Control your speed so that your audience understands what you’re saying.
Keep Practicing
Don’t let your fear of being criticized hinder you from becoming a remarkable public speaker. With enough practice, you can deliver the most inspiring and convincing speech.
Remember to outline your speech, read it to a few trusted friends, and use different memory techniques. Make sure to get enough rest before the big day, too!