On the Spot! Master Your Impromptu Speaking Skills

1. Course Overview Welcome!: Do you get anxious when asked to speak up during work meetings? Do you worry about what to say next and social settings, even at dinner parties, would you like to feel confident when asked to speak on the spot at weddings, zoo, or other live online sessions, or at any event in business, at school, or at social and other public events, you are often unexpectedly called on to make brief remarks about a specific topic. The ability to speak well on short notice is a useful skill. Impromptu speaking challenges as a speaker to develop an organized speech in a limited time. However, the thought of public speaking intimidates many people. This fear is often diminished when there is time to prepare and practice before getting up in front of an audience. But what happens when there is no time to prepare and you are asked to speak without notice. This can make the most confident presenters very nervous. Most people don't spend hours, or for that matter, anytime researching that people they will be conversing with, such as friends, family and colleagues. We are expected to speak on the spot and be good at it. And most of the time, speaking to people we are already familiar with is easy. We don't think about the flow, it just happens. However, we all know that not all conversations go well given a whole host of reasons. And for formal impromptu speaking situations, well, that's what this course is about. Being able to speak well, easily and comfortably to anyone in any situation. Becoming skilled at impromptu speaking can give you the self-confidence to give an impactful last minute presentation. You are taking the right steps by considering, exploring, and improving your impromptu speaking skills. It's such an important topic and a skill that can help anyone. In this course, you will learn exactly what impromptu speaking is, why it is so important, and how it can benefit you. Tactics for thinking under pressure and successfully developing these important skills and practice strategies to develop a polished speech brilliantly and confidently on the spot. This course is designed so that you can complete any section in any order. However, to get the most out of this course, I recommend going through each section chronologically. Each section includes an instructional video and real-world exercise with immediate feedback to help you become a polished and competent speaker. It also includes free related resources and tools that you can apply immediately to improve your speaking skills. 2. Getting Started Part 1: In this section, you will describe an impromptu speaking and what it means to you, and identify your skills so you can know where to move forward in developing them. Let's get started. Here is your first exercise. Define impromptu speaking. Be as specific as possible as if you're explaining it to someone who has never heard of the term before. Stop the video and take your time thinking about and writing your response. Continue the video when you are ready. Here is your next exercise. Describe how the word impromptu makes you feel when you think of it. Do you feel excited, elated? Do you get anxious or maybe something else? Again, stop the video to note your thoughts. You will understand why it's important to reflect on this topic as you go through this, of course, impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advanced preparation. The key in this definition is communicating without preparing, without having an opportunity to think about what you are going to say or to prepare a script of your message. When asked to speak on the spot, what do you do? What do you say? How do you feel and typically react? Do you feel nervous, scared, elated, something else? Many, if not most people relate impromptu speaking as an unpleasant experience. People tell me all of the time that they are uncomfortable speaking on the spot. And this is not a surprise. When we are faced with perceived danger, which could be physical or emotional, our body does what it needs to do for protection. You might have heard of the term fight or flight. If, for example, we detect that a dangerous animals such as awhile bear, or an angry lion may attack us. Our endorphins kick in our sympathetic nervous system. Jumpstart's, resulting in a super human experience. Helping us become strong and fast to run away from or fight the opponent straight on. However, what also happens is that the brain shuts down, making it hard to think clearly. We also breed quickly taking shallow breaths, causing lightheadedness and dizziness. We sweat and the skin may feel clammy. We feel weak and so on, all affecting our ability to think and communicate clearly and logically. This does not work well when communicating, especially with public speaking. Instead, what we want to do, recognize our emotions and feelings about a situation. And if we feel anxious and afraid, do what is needed to not go into the fight or flight response. So how is this done? Well, stay tuned to find out. Let's circle back to understanding what impromptu is. You may be called upon to speak unexpectedly in any number of situations such as the business or club meetings, social events, workshops, training sessions, reception's formal dinners, and a whole number of different situations. Maybe you can think of other situations. 3. Getting Started Part 2: Impromptu speaking serves a purpose. Usually, you are asked about something to fulfill a need. For example, you may be asked to speak on the spot because the guest speaker called in sick or to fill in for a speaker who will arrive late. You address audience questions, you volunteer to speak. You provide an unexpected update asked to give a toast at a wedding or other event. Address questions you are not for. Answer interview questions. What else? Have you ever felt like a deer in the headlights? When asked an unexpected question or request to speak about something unexpectedly. You may want to turn down the request and sometimes you have that option. However, turning down our requests can otherwise make you appear uncooperative and possibly even unsympathetic depending on the scenario. If you graciously accept, you may be received with much phrase as your efforts can show that you are a team player, It's unlikely somebody is going to ask you to give an in-depth, long presentation about something on short notice. People will likely appreciate you stepping in and will empathize given the situation. Don't worry about whether to accept it or not. Feeling anxious is completely normal. But keep in mind that if you agree to do the presentation on short notice, more likely it's going to resolve positively for you. When you must speak at an event, whether it's impromptu or not, how do you generally feel? Do you get nervous and blank out? V, don't sleep at night or nights prior to the event. C, leave planning until the last minute and wing it. D, embrace the opportunity and look forward to it. Or perhaps E, none of the above. But I do typically feel this. And then you fill in the blank. Take a moment here and again, stop this video. If you need to think about any one of these choices, which one of them? And it could be more than one that applies to you. Welcome back. I hope you were able to identify more about yourself regarding any anxiety that you might have with public speaking. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Stated, according to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two, is death. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you were to go to a funeral, you are better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. His humerus description emphasizes just how fearful people are a public speaking. Most people experienced some form of anxiety when public speaking, even just thinking about it causes anxiety. However, you don't have to settle on being normal if this applies to you, the good news is that the fear of public speaking can be minimized and anyone can get better at and enjoy public speaking. Here are some thoughts that might help you feel better about impromptu speaking. First, impromptu speeches are usually brief. They typically last only for a few minutes. Keep that in mind as you think about impromptu speaking. Usually, no one is asking you to do a speech that is longer than just a few minutes. Unlikely. Someone is going to say, Oh my gosh. So in so-called and sick, can you please present for the next three hours, right? That's not likely going to happen. And if it does, probably you already know enough about the topic to be able to at least speak at some length about it. Second, impromptu speeches are typically easy. You won't be likely expected to be involved in detailed discussions. Unlikely anyone would ask you to discuss how you are going to solve all of the world's problems. Now of course, that's an extreme example, but usually you are just asked to talk about things that are general or that you already know enough about the topic. Now that you understand what impromptu speaking is and what it means to you, let's talk about strategies for speaking and prompt you easily, comfortably and effectively. In the next lesson, we will address impromptu formulas and which one best works for you. But before you begin the next lesson, after you stop this video, think about formulas are strategies that you already use for impromptu speaking. What do you do? How do you respond on the spot? Whether it's just in conversation or specific situations where you've been asked to speak about something on the spot without any time to prepare. Complete exercise one in this module, it asks you to reflect on any impromptu go-to approaches. You might use that work. And if you can't think of any, No worries. Reflect on past impromptu speaking experiences you have had and jot down what worked, what didn't work, why and what are your feelings about the experience? 4. Overcome the Fear of Impromptu Speaking Part 1: You sometimes get anxious when asked to speak on the spot. This lesson, we'll address methods to get calm and prevent anxiety so you can speak without feeling anxious and fearful. One method that is free and can be used anytime and that works well to calm nerves. Is breath work or simply breathing deeply? It can be done momentarily without anyone aware that you are doing it. Consider this. The difference between fear and excitement is breadth or exhalation. When you experience something that makes you feel good, maybe you see a cute puppy or a baby or beautiful flowers, or a beautiful beach or mountain range, whatever it is, then you feel good about it. You'll take deep breaths. And if you blow out candles on your birthday cake, depending on how many candles you have, you'll also need to take in a deep breath to expel enough air to blow all of them out. Conversely, when anxious or fearful, that's when we tend to hold our breath or take shallow breaths. Possibly even hyper ventilating. Without adequate oxygen, our body reacts, shutting down, causing unpleasant effects such as light headedness, stomach ache, we may sweat, and so on. This also affects our ability to think clearly and communicate. Take deep breaths when feeling scared or anxious. This can trigger the sympathetic nervous system to become calm. I recommend giving it a try. It's something that you can do on the spot. You can do it either when you're onstage giving a presentation, either before, during or maybe even after, your audience doesn't even have to know that you are doing that. Try this. Breathe in and out deeply for a few times. Sit or stand comfortably, close your eyes, or to a soft gaze and breathe in through your nose for a count of four. As you are filling up your lungs. Make sure you fill up your belly and expand your rib cage to give full breadth as possible. Then Excel out of your mouth, making an S, sound like the sound of a snake for four counts, breathe in, and then Excel. If you are at a setting where making an S sound is inappropriate, you can still get the same effect silently. Hearing the sound isn't added mechanism to connect the mind for producing a calming state. See how it feels. I recommend trying this anytime and you can do it anywhere, give it a try. You'll get to a point where you realize just how effective it can be. The next activity is free and simple, and that is to just smile. It really does work. The face conveys emotions and that is reflected when nervous, producing perhaps somewhat of a frozen Facebook. However, you can quickly change that by smiling. And even if it's forced initially, you might have heard of that term fake it until you make it. This can certainly apply to smiling. When you smile at your audience, they will instinctively smile back at you. It shows a sign of respect and it just makes them feel good because they see you smiling at them. When you see your audience smiling at you, then you are going to smile back more genuinely. Soon. That smile that you might've had to force initially will be genuine, which immediately columns nerves. Not only does deep breathing help, but smiling does as well. Smiling has a secondary effect also, and that is, it's engaging. And they can help demonstrate your passion for your topic. It draws your audience in because it may appear as if you are interested and passionate about your message. Of course, don't smile inappropriately, such as when communicating sensitive and upsetting news. Give it a try. Practice speaking first without showing any emotion and reflect on how that feels. Then speak again about any topic and smile and see how that feels to you. Record yourself. View your recording, and observe your non-verbals and your voice. Did smiling effect the quality or tone of your voice? How do you see yourself when you are smiling as compared to when you are not smiling. Next, we will address posture and how it affects confidence. When we appear confident, we feel competent. This is another easy trick and it can have very impactful results. Stand up or sit up as tall as possible. Your body language is a form of communication. Standing up and sitting up straight as you address your audience will help you appear confident. 5. Overcome the Fear of Impromptu Speaking Part 2: When you appear confident, you will more likely also feel confident. Good posterior also helps to breathe fully and correctly. Give it a try. If you are standing, you want to have a good firm foundation on your feet. Place your feet about hips apart, and then adjust your weight so that you are equally balanced on the soles of your feet and then tuck your tailbone under and lift up your chest. Try to tighten your abs a bit and then roll your shoulders up and back. Lift up your chin so the bottom of your chin is parallel to the floor. To open yourself up. You can do this seated as well. Sitting up as tall as possible with both feet firmly planted on the floor, keeping your legs about hip distance apart. Relax your shoulders, lift your chin, and somewhat puff out your chest without arching your back. Then pause the video and either sitting or standing forward fold so that your torso and head are pointed down. Try saying your name. My name is. Then sit or stand up as tall as possible and then try to say the same thing. Notice any difference in your voice. It should be easier to do when you're sitting or standing up correctly as compared to when you are hunched over like a curled up hedgehog because you just can't. You're all squeezed up. Your internal organs get crunched together and you lose your power. And we do this all too often, perhaps sitting way back on a lounge chair or hunched over looking at our cell phones, somewhat in a cocoon position. When giving a presentation virtually in front of a camera, like a live video session like Zoom. You still need to sit up and stand up tall and place the camera about I distanced height so that it looks like you are looking directly at the eyes of your audience and not looking up or down at them. Now, why fearful? Fear equates to self deprecating doubts? But how true are our thoughts? Is what we think and believe about ourselves, expectations and actions true? I love this quote by philosopher Lao-Tzu, who said, there is no illusion greater than fear. The question can then be asked, is fear real? Because oftentimes we have doubts about a future event. And this is ironic because the future event hasn't yet happened. We envision what the future might look like. But it's a made-up story and allusion. This typically happens when we have had a past experience about a similar event that didn't go well and we are worried the same thing might happen. Consider though the opposite. What if you envision a positive experience? How you view the future is a choice. Do you want to create a scenario in your mind and focus that energy on something that is negative that doesn't really serve you well as compared to the opposite. Envisioning something that can go well and tap into that energy. Used past experiences as a learning mechanism of what you can do going forward. So that doesn't happen again. Then by doing that, you can envision it going well. Having a successful public speaking experience, kept yourself when you start having doubtful thoughts to consider the reason for your thoughts. Are they based on prior experiences? Is what you are thinking likely going to happen? Is that real? Is that really going to happen? Are these doubts about something that you are referring to in the future? Keep in mind that fear itself isn't bad. It can motivate you to do well, and it can be managed and prevented using a few simple techniques. Don't beat yourself up. Don't have doubts about yourself. Don't feel bad about yourself because you are afraid of injury or any anxiety form of regarding public speaking. Instead, consider these thoughts. How realistic are my beliefs and expectations? Chances are, most people will respect me or everyone makes mistakes. So just because I make a mistake doesn't mean I'm an idiot. Or most people can relate to feeling anxious onstage. If I were not nervous, how might I view the situation differently? I might feel excited about it, or I will feel indifferent or slightly annoyed that I must do this, but it really doesn't matter. Or Glad I have an opportunity to be in the limelight. Balanced thoughts. I will be prepared. I will know my topic well. I will present a solid speech. I will do the best I can even if it's not perfect. I don't have a lot of experience with public speaking, but I am learning complete exercise one in this module to practice methods of appearing boys and confident. And of course, feeling raised and confident. 6. Simple Structure for any Impromptu Speech Part 1: We've all been asked a question that we were not prepared to answer, especially in front of a group of The Dinner Party, in front of about ten people at a semi-formal dinner event. I was asked, Lisa, tell us the one thing most people wouldn't know about you. And I'm thinking, one thing, it has to be good. I need to while my audience of what? Perhaps you have a go-to response to this question, and that is great. But it's a lot easier if you have a formula in place regardless of the question. In this section, you will learn a basic and easy to remember and apply structure or impromptu speaking. Without notice, you are asked a question, asked to talk about a certain subject, maybe even asked to present formerly about something. What do you say? Do you have a go-to formula for impromptu speaking? First and foremost, don't panic. The best thing you can do is just start speaking confidently as if you own the platform. Even if you feel uncertain and anxious, if you show that you are confident, you will likely come across more credible in and engaging without any plan or structure to guide and help you at the very least, just start talking. This triggers the brainwaves to fire, helping you communicate what you know about the topic. A popular musician shared in a documentary that even though he was on tour, giving numerous concerts across the globe, stepped on stage and there were thousands of screaming fans who were very excited to hear him perform almost always when he belted out first few words in a musical lyric, that to him, it came out flat. But then he quickly got into tuned and usually gave a powerful and dynamic performance. Likely the audience had no idea that he was not seen as he thought he should be sounding flats. They were just so excited for him to be there in concert and for them to be in attendance. They expect it in one to tend to perform well and focused on that. Don't worry about having a perfect start. Sometimes it's helpful just to start speaking and get the momentum going. From there, your topic or message will take shape and you can adapt on the spot. That's stated. And impromptu speaking to a you can always carry with you, makes it a lot easier to respond. Have at least some sort of a structure in mind when you give your impromptu speech. It should be one that works for you, that's easy to use on the spot. And it works well. Here is one that can work for almost any type of speech. It's called the three T's, defined as telling them what you are going to tell them. Tell them, tell them what you told them. In school, we learned the structure more commonly stated as the introduction, the body and the ND. The key strategy for doing well with this formula is just say something and then follow that with any kind of details or supporting information. Here is my response to the tell us one thing most people don't know about you question using the three t formula, telling them what you're going to tell them, tell them and tell them what you told them. I said, you want to know one thing that most audiences don't know about me, I will tell you a little side note. This remark buys you time to start thinking of a response and it entices your audience and anticipation. One idea that I will never forget popped into my head, so I shared that story. I said I outran a wild bear. And then T2 tell them. I said I was chased by a mother bear with her two cubs and the remotes of Alaska when I worked there during the summer and college. True story. At this point, I could pause to gauge the audience's reaction and give them time to respond, which further by his knee time and helps guide the converse. At the end, then I could T3 tell them what I told them, which I said, yes, I was chased by a bear and recommend having bear spray or not hiking alone or at all in bear country. You could end your speech with a call to action or audience takeaway. Whatever your response. State it with conviction and confidence. Own your response which will have a stronger impact. 7. Simple Structure for any Impromptu Speech Part 2: Great story with a weak delivery. Here's another example. Let's say that you were asked, What's your favorite food. Of course, you could respond and any number of ways. But let's say that you were asked to respond to this question as a formal speech. Now this is what I call the beauty pageant question, or that unexpected question that you might get asked in a job interview. And the key strategy for doing well as to just say something confidently and appropriately and then follow that with any kind of details or supporting information. The food question was asked of me edit Toastmasters session. And if you are not familiar with Toastmasters, it's a global organization dedicated to helping people improve their public speaking skills. It's open to anyone regardless of their speaking experience who want to get better at public speaking and presenting. So they asked me this question, what is your favorite food? Well, I like a lot of different kinds of foods. I really don't have one favorite, but I just needed to answer the question in my audience really probably couldn't care less. What my response was. I said, I like strawberries and then I use that formula. Telling them what you're going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them. I said, I like eating strawberries because then I launched into the body while I like eating in the body of your speech for the basic formula that tell them. At that point, you can just really launch into any details or supportive information that relate to your topic. You are doing this. And depending on how much time you have, keep in mind that impromptu speeches are usually short. Addressed 123 points, then include supporting points that could include the examples. Going back to my strawberries speech, what is your favorite food? My response was, I like eating strawberries because they taste great, especially the sunrise and sweet ones that when bitten into delight the sentences. I also like eating them because they are nutritious. They have vitamin C in fiber and are low in calories and fat. Strawberries are also colorful, useful. They can be used as a decorative item in foods, such as when used as toppings on cakes. Now let's review the structure. Makes sure that you have key points that are followed by supporting sub points. So in this example, 0.1, I like eating strawberries because they taste great. And my set point was especially the sun ripened, sweet ones that would bitten into delight. The senses point too. I also like eating them because they are nutritious. And then I go on to describe how and so on. When you give your message, think about using transitional words such as first, next. In addition, you also don't always have to have some points that support your key or main points, but it can be helpful for your audience to understand. The structure. Could be an illustrated story, maybe a personal story that supports your purpose before and after timeline, past, present, future, chronological, or any other type of structure that works. Makes sure that it works for you. And what you feel comfortable with. Going back to my favorite food topic, I concluded by summarizing my message and letting the audience know what they could do with it and how and why it benefits them. And then some kind of a call to action, I said, with the many benefits of strawberries, consider purchasing them, purchasing them next time you're at the store, you can be amazed at how they can benefit your life. It's a pretty basic ending, but you get the idea. Here is another example. Just for the opening. The topic is inclusive teaching. In this scenario, you are in a meeting with educators and someone asks you because you have knowledge about this, how do I practice inclusive teaching? Your response might look like this. Using the three T's. Your introduction could start with a question. Have you practicing inclusive teaching? Great question. I'll explain. Teaching approaches that address the needs of students is various backgrounds, learning styles and abilities. It's helpful to start by rephrasing the question. Not only does that buy you time to think about what you were going to say, but it acknowledges the person who asked the question. Also, rephrasing and restating helps others who may not have heard the question. Coming up. We will talk about other impromptu speaking approaches, strategies and formulas. Your tasks. Complete the exercise in this lesson as instructed to help you strengthen your impromptu speaking skills. 8. Seven Structures for any Impromptu Speech: This section presents simple, easy to remember and apply impromptu speech structures in templates. You can use at a moment's notice. The first one is called the prep method, and an acronym stands for point, reason, example, or evidence. And point. This direction works for any type of impromptu speech, including answering interview questions with conviction and is easily adapted. Begin your speech clearly stating your point. Focus on 1 only so it's easier for your audience to understand and remember. Then, continue by explaining the reasoning for your point. Tell your audience why you think the claim is true. Back it up with research and statistics to add credibility. Also include examples to support your main point and reasons. And then finish by summarizing your main point. Here is a example. The scenario is a job interview. Let's say that you were asked to discuss your names, strength. What might you say given this structure? You could say, your point is that I have strong writing skills. Then state the reasons. I know how to structure a written document to influence and persuade my audience, and I can adapt my message to diverse audience types. Now, state that evidence. The proposal I wrote for my company to fund our training program was awarded by the state. We received over $2 million in Monday. And then finally state the point. I am an accomplished and enthusiastic writer with over a decade of professional writing experience seeking to efficiently explain highly complex systems and processes to XYZ ease customers. For the last point, you can circle back and restate your initial point. Tap of the prep structure is about repeating the points. It's also easy for the audience to follow. It is a sensible structure that allows you to focus on the explanation rather than on the structure. And it also works well when you have 1 to emphasize. You can apply to both sides of the brain. The reason appeals to the logical left brain and the examples and stories in appealed to the emotional right brain. Structure also works well and there are varying views and beliefs. You can tap into those who might be more logically oriented and those who are receptive to the emotional side or maybe even vote. Now, it's your turn to practice that prep method. Stop this video and complete exercise one in this module. When you're done, continue with the video. The next structure is called the five W's. And that is the who, what, when, where, and why. This pattern can be easily remembered. And most of us have had this drill into her head in primary and secondary school. And it works well for informative and persuasive speeches. Let's look at an example. You might state something that happened. Perhaps there was an avalanche of what? Well, Alice killed some people. When did it happen? It happened on October tenth of 2022. Where did it happen? It happened on Mount mine. This structure works well when you know the details and facts about the topic. Here's another example. You can ask to speak briefly about a new startup venture. You could talk about who started it and who is helping to kick off the project, what the initial goals or targets are when it started and the schedule for the future, where the project takes place and why you are involved and any other information as needed. This structure works well, largely because the why often comes last, and it's often the most critical information, which in turn becomes your concluding statement. Now it's your turn to practice the five W's. Stop this video and complete exercise too in this module. When you are done, continue with the video. Next formula is called car, which stands for challenge. Action and result. The nice thing about this formula is that it's easy, typically to remember is just the three letters. This structure also works well for any topics related to problems or issues that needs solving. How would you prevent information using the car example? Let us look at what that might be. Let's say that the challenge, this C is pollution on local beaches. The action could be to organize ongoing volunteer beach clean-ups. And then the result is cleaner beaches and a healthy environment. Even though I'm probably speaking typically means that you are asked to speak about something unprepared. That doesn't mean that you can't at least anticipate and prepare for such speeches. That way. When you are asked, you are ready to go and can work competently and easily present the information. Now it's your turn to practice that car method. Stop this video and complete exercise three in this module. When you are done, continue with the video. Here is another formula that can be easily remembered and apply, and it's simply called the pros and cons. This structure works well for requests, such as requests for funding or purchasing products and services are getting approval for something. Addressed the issue first, and then share the advantages regarding that issue. And then the disadvantages about that. And then conclude. Let's look in an example. And again, this can work well for divided issues. The topic is the health benefits of synthetic turf on athletic fields. The issue is, in addition to the health and safety concerns for athletes, that it raises environmental concerns. Now, imagine this. You are at a town hall or a city council meeting on divided issues. Start by addressing the issue and then state with the pros are regarding that issue. In this case, it could be that it does not require irrigation, synthetic fertilizers, or toxic pesticides. The cons, in this case, vector fields produce global warming emissions. As of any kind of speech, It's usually beneficial to have some kind of clincher or closing or summary. This is a persuasive speech. You might want to emphasize more are the pros or the cons, depending on which side you want to emphasize, then you can embed that in your conclusion. In this case, the summary is well-managed. Natural turf is better for the environment, environment by using recycled water and water wise irrigation. There could be multiple pros and cons. Issue. Of course do what works for you. Another thing to consider is people's opinions. And you have no or any experts on the topic asked them to participate. That can help add value. And they were no more likely to do and just say their participation, their knowledge of the topic that will help with possible arguments. And have as much information as you can from others or yourself so you can speak authoritatively and clear and achieve the result that you want. Don't worry if you don't know much about the topic, you can focus more on directing the conversation, making sure the pros and the cons are discussed. The whole thing with these impromptu speech templates is not to get too hung up on, on it or be fearful that you are not able to follow or you don't remember all the rules. There are no rules. These are just aids to help you get started to speak about a topic. Now it's your turn to practice the pros and cons method. Stop this video and complete exercise for this module. When you are done continuing. Another formula is called the chronological. And this is applicable where there is a logical step-by-step approach, such as first, second, third, and so on. Most of the time, if you are asked a question where this approach is the most applicable or appropriate, you don't even need to think about it. You'll just know in advance to do this. For example, if someone says, Can you tell me how to build a planter box? Think, Oh well, what's the first step? The first step is you start here and the next step is then you do this and so on and so on. This structure works well when describing the timeline at something, let's say that you are at work and your boss asks you to share with colleagues or customers the evolution of the company's product. You then could start out with when it was invented and when that happened. And it happened from that point on and so on. I think you get the idea. Now it's your turn to practice the chronological method. This video and complete exercise five in this module. When you are done, continue with the video. The next structure is called C, and it stands for S, statement, e, evidence and emotion. What is nice about this structure is that it is easy to remember and works well. Or almost any kind of impromptu speech. Start with unclear statement and then share any evidence or reasons that support that. Appealing to the left side of the brain with logical evidence. And then conclude with something emotional, such as a story appealing to the right side of the brain. That's pretty much it. You have your statement followed by any evidence that supports that statement, and then share an emotional story or information to accommodate both sides of the brain. This works well, especially if there's more than one person in the audience. And you might have conflicting thoughts or opinions about that topic. Here's an example. This scenario is a boardroom meeting. Let's say that you are asked to update the board on a project. You can start with the statement, we are making progress on project XYZ. Next, address the evidence. We launched a second milestone and are on budget and time. Also address the emotional aspect. Chloe, our head of operations, stated that she is happy with the progress and believes that at this stage, we will be ready to launch the project by next order. Here's another example. Back at the boardroom meeting, let's say that you were asked to workforce reduction and the Board recommends letting go of one of your key managers. Your statement might be, josh is an excellent sales rep. Next, support that statement with evidence such as last quarter, Josh brought in over $2 million for our company. Now seek the final E or emotion. Josh is also a great leader and mentor. He and his team collectively brought in an increase of approximately 30% in revenue since he took on this role. And that's all you really need to say. You can then add in that final clincher is that call to action or final message. Josh is a great example of what can be achieved with a positive attitude and a strong dry. He's been instrumental in building up our company's revenues. Now it's your turn to practice this method. Stop this video and complete exercise six in this module. When you're done, continue with the video. If you are unprepared for a full formal or maybe even an informal presentation, then you can turn the session into a question and answer session, which is essentially a series of small impromptu speeches. This only works well though, if you already have some knowledge on the topic that you can address the questions when the environment is such that the audience will likely ask them, such as might be the case during the public hearing, or those in attendance has strong opinions and are hungry for more information. The benefit of this technique is that the content comes directly from the audience. You may also have deliver a short speech. And then the benefits of this approach is that again, it works well when you know the topic and when the audience has strong opinions and will likely ask questions and content comes directly from the audience. This also takes some of the pressure off of you to figure out what you need to do and say. Here's an example using that same topic mentioned earlier in this video. Installing artificial turf on athletic fields is harmful to athletes. You could present this information in different formulas like that prep or the sea or whatever it is. But let's say that you are for whatever reason comfortable going or deep diving into this topic. One option then is to turn it in or turn it over to the audience and ask them questions. You could ask them what they know about it, or if they have any questions. In this case, you could say, who all agrees with this statement or who all disagree and why. This takes the pressure off you. And often people, especially if they do know something about the topic, are happy to share what they know. They become the expert, placing them on the center stage. And some people really enjoy doing that. This approach also engages the audience and can turn into a lively conversation. This can be nice fallback way when you just are not sure what to say. Now it's your turn to practice the question-and-answer method. Stop this video and complete Exercise seven in this module. When you are done, continue on to the next section. 9. Effectively Open and Add to Conversations with Ease: In this section, you will learn how to easily start and add to a conversation or respond to a question. Everyone has finished in a situation at some social event, whether it's a professional networking event or maybe a dinner party. And they felt uncomfortable because they weren't sure how to respond to a question or how to do discuss a topic, or even just to converse with people they don't know. In this section, you will learn effective strategies to help you feel more at ease when you are communicating in any kind of social situation? Let's say that it's your turn to speak. Whatever the situation is. First, collect your thoughts before speaking. Pause and give yourself a moment. You could just opened by smiling, expressing your enthusiasm. Sometimes body language can communicate a whole lot more than what is said. If anything, it's certainly can help support and enhance what it said. And at most, it will show your enthusiasm. Smile, and your audiences will be more receptive. They will feel better about what you have to say. You could restate the question to acknowledge the questioner and clarify the question. This also bites you extra time to formulate your response. What is an effective response or methods of responding when asked a question? It depends on the topic, setting and so on. But you might talk about the pros and cons disgust the past, present, future, maybe even broaden the topic. Think about different angles and aspects of the topic that you could focus on. Perhaps someone brings up a topic about something that you don't know much about, then consider any angles and aspects of the topic that you could discuss. If you have an event coming up, prepare, find out who will be attending and learn as much as you can about them. Also consider topics that will likely be disgust and get up to speed on that. Scan the headlines. Think about recent events and ask yourself, what's the buzz and current events, sports, politics, entertainment and science, art and so on. And then reflect on recent and past experiences with people who you already know who will be there. This will help you respond knowledgeably and competently to those topics. Be an active listener. It's common for people to, instead of actively really listening to what is being said, focus on their response which may not be relevant to the topic. Active listening means that you are not disconnected from receiving the information. It means that you focus on what is being communicated to you. Focusing on the message can help calm you because instead of being worried about what you are going to say, you are thinking about and listening to what is being said. Here's a strategy to initiate a conversation are when you don't know what to say. Begin with the question. This strategy works well because it allows the audience to take on the topic. For example, you could say, what in the election, How are you feeling about it? Or I'm looking for referrals for a hairstyle, is do you know of anyone or can you recommend a great Italian restaurant? I've used this approach during conversations where it was not familiar with the topic. I ask the questions and then let the audience response so I can control what is being discussed. Or at least not worry about coming across as and competent or not being perceived as I would like to be perceived. Consider also starting up a conversation or a statement with a grabber. And this might just be something as simple as an introduction, especially if you are meeting someone for the first time. That is, hi, my name is Lisa. What's your name? And so on. You could also start out with a startling statement or a story, perhaps something that you heard about in the news or something that you experienced personally. And then from there, state 123 points that support your message and include any facts and do our opinion if appropriate. And then ask the audience for their input and possibly include a call to action. This is more of a formalized structure and it may be a lot to think about as you are initiating a conversation or you are responding to a question. So use it only if you are comfortable doing so. I recommend considering your introduction approach before the event, especially for specific information that you want to or need to share or express. Rehearse, and practice your message so you can share that information easily and informally. What is your conversational go-to strategy? Complete exercises 12 in this module to refine your conversational and networking skills. 10. How to Embrace Unexpected Questions: This section will show you how to respond and embrace unexpected questions. First, don't panic. Questions typically mean that your audiences is interested in your topic and would like to learn more about it. Embrace questions that being stated. Don't fret. If you don't receive any questions. No questions does not equate to an interest. There could be a host of reasons why people don't ask questions. Keep in mind that asking the question in front of others is a form of public speaking, and many people are afraid of doing that. So they prefer to stay silent. Or people may not ask questions because they simply don't have any. Questions are also a form of impromptu. When you don't know what will be asked. If answering questions is unnerving, then try this. Pause, smile, and give yourself a moment to think about the question. You could restate and rephrase it. This buys you time to reflect and think through your response. It also acknowledges the person who asked the question and confirms that you understand it. This also helps others in the audience who may not have heard the initial question. If you don't know the answer, don't make one up. Instead, be sincere and share what you know or be frank simply stating, great question. I wish I knew the answer to that. Then you can follow up as applicable to how you might get the answer or open it up to the room to see if anyone else might know the answer. Another strategy is to focus on what you agree on. You might say, for example, great question. I also agree about point x. This sets the stage and the mood and the tone by focusing on what you can agree on. And then the audience, especially the person who asked the question, may more likely be more receptive to agree with what you have to say, or at least be open to your response. Once you've done that, it's okay to pause and reflect before you go forward with your answer. In most cases, when you pause and reflect, it may feel like a long time to you, but it will feel less alone. Your audience. You are more likely to focus on that pause. And that feels longer. Your audience won't even probably noticed that you are thinking about your response. And then of course answered the question. Sometimes questions can be converted into conversations and then just flow easily. Assume you will be asked questions. Think through what questions might be asked and how you will respond. Consider your strategy when you don't know the answer. Perhaps you could point your audience to a resource where they can learn more about the topic. If you are asked unexpected questions regarding something very important to you, such as at a job interview or by potential investors regarding your business. Then demonstrate confidence and show appreciation for their interests. Don't waver. Keep your composure and reply. You would want to be treated if the situation were reversed. How will you easily and effectively manage all questions? Complete exercise one in this module to develop your go-to questions strategies. 11. Strong Impromptu Openings - How to Start Your Speech: For any impromptu response, formal or casual, consider how you will begin. Amy, for a strong introduction. Don't start your speech by saying anything negative, such as, I didn't expect to say anything about this and so on. Or I'm unprepared but bear with me, or, Gosh, I'm really surprised I wasn't planning to be up here today. I don't know what to say, and so on. Negative comments are irrelevant and you may come across as in competent. You are basically telling your audience with negative comments that you don't have anything valuable to say, that it's a waste of their time to listen to you. Instead, begin by reiterating the topic about which you were asked to speak. This helps your listeners understand the purpose of your speech and it gives you a chance to get your brain around the subject matter. It gives you a moment to think through your thoughts and organize what and why and how you want to say it. If possible, give yourself time to prepare, even if it's just for a few minutes or even seconds. And if you don't have any time, which is rare, but if that's the case, then use that time during your walk to the podium, the stage, the front of the room, or wherever it is. Maybe the screen, to collect your thoughts and plan out your speech. If the event is a live webinar or Zoom meeting, for example, then just give yourself a few brief seconds to reflect on what is being asked of you, who your audience is, and what you will say. Silence can work well. And people likely won't even know that you are taking a pause strategically. That pods is also a nice break for your audience as well. It gives them a little moment break before you begin to speak. As part of your preparation, you could also grab a pen and a piece of paper, whether it's on a napkin or the back of a piece of paper for something else that you have on hand. And at the time and circumstances allow briefly jot down key and interesting points about your topic. You can use that as a guide when presenting to help keep you on track. Then speak confidently. A good way to start persuade a persuasive response is with the story or example. If you start an example from your own personal experience, there is no way your audience can argue with you. They are less likely to even one too. It's easier to describe something that you already know about them, to talk about something that you know little about. Just makes sure that whatever your story you describe relates to and logically leads into the topic that you are going to go into more depth about. Another benefit of telling the story that, you know, is that it can help calm your nerves. It's easier for the brain to recall unexplained something known than to try to pull out statistics and facts. Nice thing about telling something that calms your nerves is that it can prevent that brain fog. So you can more easily expand on that topic. Here's an example. Your boss asks you, why should we invest in this new software? Hypothetically, your response could be a couple of days ago, I got a call from an angry customer upset because he had been overbuild. Instead of being able to pull it up his account on my terminal, I had to put him on hold. Then I reached out to accounts receivable. I didn't have all the information that they needed. I had to put them on hold, go back and ask a couple of more questions of the customer. It was a frustrating process and the customer just got more and more irritated. New software would prevent this situation. Responding with a quick example, a story can make it easier for the listener to understand. Let's say, for example, the boss can't very well say that that did not happen. No upset customer called you. Sharing personal experience as proof that argumentative phase of a persuasive discussion is removed entirely. The technique doesn't necessarily work every time, but it does, or more often than trying to use Alyssa facts are addressed your opinion to win over your audience. You could also start with a question as described before. Questions are a great way to get your audience engaged in focus and it buys you time to formulate what you want to say. Another strategy is to start out with a startling statement. If you can think of one on the spot or a joke. However, just makes sure that the joke is relevant and appropriate and not offensive. Possibly the easiest, easiest method to start out with a smile. Smiling is engaging and also buys you time to think through what you will see next. How will you open? Complete exercise one in this module to plan and practice strong openings. 12. Strong Impromptu Endings: In this section, you will learn how to instrument and competently achieving your purpose. You will finish knowing that your audience gained and benefited from your message. Fortunately, impromptu speeches are typically shorts and in no time you'll find yourself at the conclusion of that speech. Vanish strong. You may feel compelled to abruptly end your speech simply because you don't know more what to say. However, we, as audiences really do crave closure. Q. The audience that you're speaking finished. You could end your speech by thanking the audience for their time, or you can provide them with instructions on how to get additional information. You could also pass out business cards or flyers. Your END strategy depends on the circumstances and how much time you are allowed to present a course. But don't end with an apology or any negative comments about how poorly that you felt you presented most likely to audience did not pick up on that or think that your speech was as bad as you think it was. Thank the audience for their attention, and then give the floor, the microphone, the podium, or the attention in general, back to whomever gave it to you or Whoever should get it next. There's no obvious recipient or instructions on what to do after you finish your speech, then you could simply handed off to the room at-large by saying that you hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the events and so on. How will you end your speech? Complete exercise one in this module to finish, strong. 13. Secrets to Speaking Impromptu Successfully Part 1: This section and dresses strategies to well speak publicly at a moment's notice. These tips will help you deliver impromptu speeches that will appear as if you were already prepared. The first tip, calm yourself, pause and take a deep breath. A common mistake many people make is starting to speak before they have gathered their thoughts. While you probably can't ask for a five-minute recess while you get your thoughts in order. Close your eyes momentarily and take a deep breath before you begin. This slows down your heart rate, relaxes you and makes you appear more in control of the situation. And most likely no one will know what you are doing. Then think silently about your introduction, duction, and key points. You don't have to know your whole speech when you first start speaking, just get started. Just say something. The momentum will carry you forward. Don't forget about positive nonverbals. Nonverbal communication is communication and it does convey the meaning behind what you are saying. Do a quick mental and posture check. Are you slouching or are you sitting or standing up straight? Are you facing and looking at the audience? Are you smiling? What are you doing with your hands? Avoid hiding behind the lectern of less, of course, you'd need it for support. Otherwise, step to the side of the podium and face your audience. Turn your video on it. Presenting online audience is more likely to focus on you than if listening only. Also, your non-verbals will enhance the message and aid in understanding. You will appear more credible and engaging, especially if you are smiling and looking at the camera. Remember, correct posterior makes it easier to speak and articulate well, smiling relaxes you and your audience. Even if you feel otherwise, speak as confidently as possible. Dial up your voice energy by articulating keywords and speaking loud enough. Of course, don't shout. Consider the purpose of your message. What do I want my audience to know? Keep this in mind as you speak to avoid negative emotions to affect the voice poorly. Even if you don't feel confident, no matter what you say, say it with conviction. Speaking confidently helps boost your credibility. A voice speaking quietly and mumbling your words. You may more likely use filler words, diminishing the quality of your message, especially if your audience can't hear you or understand it. Even if you just say with conviction, great topic, great question. I'm not quite sure about that one. Does anyone have an answer for this? Even just disclosing that you don't know the answer confidently. That is respectful and a respectable and the audience will understand. Avoid discussing controversial and unrelated subject matter. You can upset and disengage your audience. Anticipates durations where you may be called upon to speak. For example, if you are attending and award party for a close friend or family member, that there's a reasonable chance that you might be asked to speak about that person. Think through prior to the event, what you might say about the person, the experience you've had together, their accomplishments, how they helped others they accompany, and so on. Do any background research if needed, related to the event and person. You may not be asked to speak, but if you are and if you've done your homework and then it will be easier to talk about whatever the topic is. 14. Secrets to Speaking Impromptu Successfully Part 2: Try not to diverge too far from the topic that you are asked to speak about. Keep your focus on the topic and organization and then keep in mind that your speech should flow well. Should have an organization. Maybe just an introduction, a body and a conclusion. And that's it. It just seamlessly and logically flow from one key point to the next. Be brief and to the point. This is important, especially if you have limited time to talk. And keep in mind that impromptu speeches are short. Speak at the audience's level. If you use acronyms or terminology your audience doesn't understand, or dummy down your message to an audience who is knowledgeable about the topic. You can quickly bore and frustrate them. You wouldn't go up to your best friend who you've known for decades and talk to them in a formal manner. And this applies to any kind of presenting for any kind of audience. It should feel almost like a conversation. It should at least feel comfortable. Learn as much as you can about the audience that might regard their age, culture, education, economic status, work experience, needs, concerns, expectations and so on. Think about what they know about your topic. Maybe any issues that they might feel emotional about. And then adjust your wording in your tone. Consider these questions to craft your speech. Why is this topic important to my audience? How can the audience benefit? What new information while they learn? Knowing this information will help you adjust what you say during your impromptu speech. Go easy on yourself. Impromptu speeches can be challenging, and most likely, everyone in the audience is thinking, Well, glad that's not me up there giving that impromptu speech. If it doesn't go well, your audience will likely understand. And if it does go well, we'll impress them even who are possibly by your ability to pull off a good impromptu speech, if anything? No, that you've put yourself out there, you gave it a try and it probably is not as bad as you thought it is. Each time that you do it. Impromptu speaking, you'll get more practice and you will get better at it. Generally, impromptu speeches will probably not make or break your career or reputation. If you approach it with poise. That's stated, don't talk about a controversial subject matter and don't use the experiences and opportunities to grandstand and certainly don't complain or rolling your eyes. When asked to give an impromptu talk, remember that you are in charge of this time. It's your time to share your message. Being asked to speak on the spot does not have to be awful. It can be a fantastic opportunity to take control and make it your own. Use this five-step formula for any impromptu speaking. Listen, pause, confirm, tell, and end. Almost any if not all skills get better with practice. Impromptu speaking is a skill. And to develop mastery over this skill, you need to practice it. I like this quote by Mark Twain who stated, it, usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech. And that really is typically the case. The more that you do to prepare, the easier it becomes. And it's less likely that you're going to have that fear factor of not knowing what to say and get tongue tied. The idea is to be prepared to speak well and comfortably at a moment's notice. And you can practice in front of a chair, your pet, really anything. Try this and don't stop for two minutes. Talk about anything several times a day until you get comfortable talking logically and concisely about any topic. I also recommend putting yourself out there and initiates speaking in front of strangers. When the opportunity presents, such as a club meetings or events and even social gatherings. It's like putting one foot in front of the other to get to a destination. If you don't put that foot in front and keep going, you're not going to get there. This analogy applies to developing strong public speaking skills. If you are afraid of speaking in front of others and you are worried about failing or just not doing well or being embarrassed. These are all normal feelings, but know that with practice, you will get better and better and better. Complete exercise one in this section. This will help you on developing your impromptu speaking skills. 15. PRACTICE, RECORD, and get FEEDBACK!: You got this. With practice and intention. Any fears will one-by-one melt away and you will feel more comfortable and competent. Enjoy speaking and look forward to impromptu speeches. Hi for a moment, and then begin. Before any impromptu speech. And before you know it, you will be intentionally patting yourself on the back for a job or speech. Well, even if hastily done, and then smile, knowing that you put yourself out there and gave it your best shot. You have been presented with a variety of formulas to use for any kind of impromptu speaking. Which one will you use? Here's a review of the different types that we discussed. The three T's, that's the tell them what you're going to tell them. Tell them and then tell them what you told them. The five questions, the who, what, where, when, and why, The Press or point to reason evidence, summary, the car or challenge action result. The pros and cons, the chronological this C OR statement evidence and the motion. Not one formula fits all, and there are no requirements as to which formula must be applied. Use whichever approach works best for you. Practice using them all even with the same topic. So you can more easily apply the best one is applicable. You may find that each formula achieves a different result even for the same topic. Also, the more that you practice using different formulas, the easier it will be to recall and use them on the spot.