rehearse Your speech 3.8 41
Once you are comfortable with the structure of your talk and you have de-
veloped your visual aids, you are ready to rehearse.
Rehearse Your Speech
3.8 Identify successful strategies for rehearsing a speech.
Remember this joke? On a street in New York, one man asks another, “How do
I get to Carnegie Hall?” The answer: “Practice, practice, practice.” The joke may
be older than Carnegie Hall itself, but it is still good advice to all beginners, in-
cluding novice speakers. A speech is a performance. As with any stage perfor-
mance, you need to rehearse. Experienced carpenters know to “measure twice,
cut once.” Rehearsing your speech is a way to “measure” your message so that
you get it right when you present it to your audience.
Rehearse Your Speech Aloud
The best way to practice is aloud, standing just as you will when you deliver
your speech to your audience. If you practice your speech as if you were actu-
ally delivering it, you will be a more effective speaker when you talk to the
audience. And there is evidence that, like preparing early for your speech,
spending time rehearsing your delivery will enhance the overall quality of
your speech.^8
As you rehearse out loud, try to find a comfortable way to phrase your
ideas, but don’t try to memorize your talk. In fact, if you have rehearsed your
speech so many times that you are using exactly the same words every time, you
have rehearsed long enough. Rehearse just enough so that you can discuss your
ideas and supporting material without leaving out major parts of your speech.
It is all right to use notes, but most public-speaking instructors limit the number
of notes you may use.
Practice Making Eye Contact
As you rehearse, practice making eye contact with your imaginary audience as
often as you can. Also, be certain to speak loudly enough for all in the room to
hear. If you are not sure what to do with your hands when you rehearse, just
keep them at your sides. Focus on your message rather than worrying about
how to gesture. Avoid jingling change with your hand in your pocket or using
other gestures that could distract your audience.
If you are delivering your speech via video (whether live or prerecorded),
remember that the camera may make it appear to listeners that you are only a
few feet away from them. For video, you need not use overly animated gestures
or facial expressions. A natural, conversational quality will be valued whether
you are speaking in front of a camera or speaking to a live audience.
3.8