Should you memorize a script for a presentation?
For everyday presentations, no. Know the one thing you want each slide to get across, and speak to your message, not a script.
What I say in the video
A client recently said to me, "I hate public speaking. I hate having to memorize every single word."
So, instead of a script, I said, "Well, what's the one thing you wanna get across on each slide?"
She was showing three examples of software that streamlines manual work. I told her: forget the talk track for each slide, just answer two questions: What's the problem and how does your software solve it?
Suddenly she wasn't speaking from a memorized script. She was explaining, and that pressure to "get it right" disappeared.
So save memorizing for a TED Talk. Day to day, speak to your message, not a script.
What I didn’t say in the video
A memorized script is fragile. Drop one line and the whole thing wobbles, because your brain is retrieving words instead of thinking about ideas. That's why people go blank mid-sentence. It isn't a memory problem. They gave themselves the wrong job.
Speaking to your message is something you already do every day: explaining a thing you know to a person in front of you. You don't rehearse how to tell a friend why you love a restaurant. You know the point, and the words show up.
One exception, and it matters: I do have clients memorize their first couple of sentences. Not the whole talk, just the opening, where the nerves hit hardest. Memorize the takeoff, then let go of the script.
Try it today
Before your next meeting, pick one slide and write down the single point you want to land. Not the sentences. Just the point. That's your script now.
Bill Smartt is a New York executive presence and public speaking coach and the founder of Smartt Talk. He works with leaders in financial services, tech, advertising and startups.
