260 13.2 Delivering Your Speech
to make his oratory come alive.^12 Dr. King told an interviewer that while deliv-
ering his stirring “Dream” speech in 1963, he decided only after he had begun
speaking to add the most famous portion of the speech, based on an idea he
had used many times before.^13 He made a good decision to improvise. Accord-
ing to a study by the National Endowment for the Humanities, high school
seniors were more likely to know the source of Dr. King’s famous speech
(97 percent) than that of the Gettysburg Address or the Declaration of Inde-
pendence.^14 You can use the same extemporaneous techniques he used to draw
on your audience’s energy and make your speech a living message rather than
a canned presentation.Give an Impromptu Presentation
• Consider your audience. Just as you have learned to do in other speaking situations, when
you are called on for impromptu remarks, think first of your audience. Who are the members
of your audience? What are their common characteristics and interests? What do they know
about your topic? What do they expect you to say? What is the occasion of your speech? A
quick mental review of these questions will help to ensure that even impromptu remarks are
audience-centered.
• Be brief. When you are asked to deliver an off-the-cuff speech, your audience knows the
circumstances and will not expect or even want a lengthy discourse. One to three minutes is a
realistic time frame for most impromptu situations. Some spur-of-the-moment remarks, such
as press statements, may be even shorter.
• Organize! Even off-the-cuff remarks should not falter or ramble. Effective impromptu speak-
ers organize their ideas into an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Consider organizing
your points using a simple organizational strategy such as chronological order or a topical pat-
tern. A variation on the chronological pattern is the past, present, future model of addressing
an issue. The speaker organizes the impromptu speech by discussing (1) what has happened
in the past, (2) what is happening now, and (3) what may happen in the future.
• Rely on your personal experience and knowledge. Because there is no opportunity to
conduct any kind of research before delivering an impromptu speech, you will have to speak
from your own experience and knowledge. Remember, audiences almost always respond fa-
vorably to personal illustrations, so use any appropriate and relevant ones that come to mind.
Of course, the more knowledge you have about the subject to be discussed, the easier it will
be to speak about it off the cuff.
• Speak honestly. Do not make up information or provide facts or figures you’re not certain
about. An honest “I don’t know” or a very brief statement is more appropriate.
• Be cautious. No matter how much knowledge you have, if your subject is at all sensitive or
your information is classified, be careful when discussing it during your impromptu speech. If
asked about a controversial topic, give an honest but noncommittal answer. You can always
elaborate later, but you can never take back something rash you have already said. It is better
to be cautious than sorry!How To