Why script a talk?

Post 5: Presenting Skills series

When I talk to people about doing pitches and presentations I use a simple five letter acronym ‘ASPEN’ to help remember the basics. You may remember this from my article on ‘Public speaking – have a simple process’:

• A is for audience – it’s about them not you
• S is for script – you need to write out what you plan to say
• P is for practise – doing rehearsals in front of real people is essential
• E is for enhance – bring your talk to life using stories, pictures, props, video clips etc
• N is for being natural – talking in an easy, conversational style (not reading notes or relying on text-slides)

None of this is particularly new but the one that people question most is S for script – especially when I’m clear that you shouldn’t use a script when you present because very few of us can come across as authentic and passionate when we’re reading.

But writing out your script before you start rehearsing your talk has three major benefits:

1. It forces you to think, in detail, about what you’ll cover, what order you’ll talk about subjects and how it all fits together
2. Once you have done a first draft, your sub-conscious will keep working on it behind the scenes and will help you think of parts that need to be improved or replaced
3. You can share your script with colleagues and get their input early in the process

Another advantage of having a script is that you can accurately gauge the length of your talk and add, or remove, material if you need to. Just time yourself as you read through your script.

When I’m presenting, I talk at about 170 words per minute – slightly faster than most people – you’ll have your own style.

I like to do multiple practice sessions on my own and at least two rehearsals in front of real people for any important presentation.

The first rehearsal is usually a few weeks before the talk and is about working out the structure – how to open it, what examples to use, whether to use video etc.

The second rehearsal is closer to the time of the talk and is about seeing how the talk flows from one part to the next. It’s too late for major re-work by this point but there is still time to polish and improve.

I use my script during the first rehearsal but by the second one I've created a cheat-sheet or storyboard to remind me of the main parts of my talk and what order I want to cover them.

It feels like a lot of work to develop a script that, ultimately, you won’t be using during your talk but it makes a big difference to the quality of the finished product. By writing and re-writing the script, then converting it on to storyboards, it helps you to remember your talk without trying to memorise it.

Keeping copies of all your scripts on file also provides a great resource for future talks.

Happy scripting!

This is the fifth post on the subject of presenting skills. It follows:

• Know your audience
• Public speaking - have a simple process
• Top tips for talks, presentations, speeches and sales pitches
• What are the top three elements of effective presentations?