How to Prepare Notes for Public Speaking

Many novice speakers write down their speeches and read them out loud, which audiences find dull. Others memorize their speeches and work without notes; but if they forget something, they often become completely lost and are unable to continue. The key to preparing notes for public speaking lies between these two extremes: notes remind the speaker about what to say, but don't tell the speaker how to say it.

Part 1 of 2: Creating Speech Notes

1.       Write your speech. Construct an opening, well-organized paragraphs, effective transitions, and a memorable closing. Pay attention to sentence structure and word choice.

2.       Read your speech out loud and make changes. If you stumble over a certain word or combination of words, choose alternatives that will be easier to say. Listen for the rhythm and flow of your speech and make changes so that your reading proceeds smoothly from start to finish.

3.       Read your final version out loud. Highlight the keywords in each sentence.

4.       Try reciting the speech from memory. Stop whenever you don't know what to say next.

5.       Refer to your highlighted transcript. Try to remember what to say based only on the keywords you've highlighted. If the keywords don't help you, find new ones.

Part 2 of 2: Transferring Speech Notes

1.       Transfer only the keywords to a paper or notecards. Which you will use depends on the speaking situation and your own preferences.

2.       Use a sheet of paper (or 2 if there is enough room) if you will be speaking from a lectern. Put your notes on the lectern and occasionally glance down at your keywords. This will allow you to look out at your audience most of the time, which will keep them engaged.

• Don't use more sheets than there is room for on the lectern. The movement and sound of turning pages over during your speech will be distracting to your audience.
• When using paper for notes, organize the keywords in a way that makes sense to you. You may want to number them, list them under general headings or use different colors. Write the keywords large enough to keep you from having to lean down and squint in order to read them.

3.       Put keywords on notecards if you will not be behind a lectern during your speech. Notecards give you something to hold while you speak, which is helpful if you don't know what to do with your hands, but you will not be as free to use gestures.

• Use 4-by-6-inch (10 by 15 cm) cards in a light shade. These will be unobtrusive while still allowing you enough room to use large letters.
• When using notecards, put the keywords for each paragraph or section on one card. You will pause briefly to flip the cards to the back of the stack, and this gives the audience a moment to prepare for the next part of your speech.
• Number your notecards so you can put them back in order if you drop them.

4.       Write out lengthy quotes, complex statistics or other information that must be exact on your notes. Read these word for word in your speech. In these situations, your audience will appreciate that you're taking the time to make sure you're accurate.

5.       Practice your speech using your notes. Because you haven't memorized it, your speech will be a little different each time, but it will sound more natural than a memorized speech.

• Use the notes you create to practice. If you practice from an outline and then try to use a keyword sheet or notecards when you give your speech, you'll likely become flustered.
• If you can't deliver your speech smoothly and completely, make changes to your notes.