Several readers sent in questions related to impromptu speeches, including Matthias K.:

I’m pretty comfortable when I have days or even weeks to prepare a speech, but I REALLY struggle when I’m asked to speak at a moment’s notice. Do you have any tips for impromptu speaking?

In this article, you’ll find a set of tips that will make you shine the next time you are asked to speak on the spur of the moment.

Impromptu Speech Scenarios

Impromptu speaking may not be as glamorous as prepared speaking, but it is an equally vital skill simply because there are so many scenarios where you find yourself speaking without more than a few moments of preparation. It’s no surprise that “impromptu speaking sessions” are found within Toastmasters meetings, college communications courses, and public speaking seminars.

Consider just a few situations where you find yourself speaking off the cuff:

• The scheduled speaker is unavailable (or late), and you’ve been asked to fill in.
• You are sitting on a panel answering questions from the audience.
• You are fielding questions after your own talk (yes, your Q&A session is impromptu speaking)
• You are being interviewed on television, radio, webinar, or telephone.
• You are invited (at the last moment) to say a few words at a company gathering
• You are asked to provide a brief status report for your project at a department meeting
• You are motivated to join the debate at the parent association meeting for your child’s school.
• You decide to give an unplanned toast at an event with family or friends.

It’s also worth noting the irony that the better you are at giving prepared speeches, the more often you will be invited to speak with no time for preparation at all. Your friends and colleagues will recognize your speaking skill, and when they need “someone” to say a few words… you’ll be that someone!

Winning Strategies for Impromptu Speeches

Although you may only have a few seconds to prepare for any particular impromptu situation, you certainly can prepare yourself to be ready when called upon.

Here are a few strategies you can use:

Anticipate situations where you may be called upon to speak. For example, if you are attending an engagement party for a close friend or family member, there’s a reasonable chance that you might be asked to speak. Similarly, if one of your close colleagues is scheduled to speak (e.g. your boss, your peer, or your report), it’s also reasonable to assume that you will find yourself speaking. As you head to the event, do a few mental exercises, trying to guess what you might be asked to speak about, and how you would respond. Even if your guess isn’t accurate, it’s amazing how those prior thoughts will help you think on your feet when you are asked to speak.

Wrap your response around a simple template, or framework. If you practice this a few times, you will find that your mini-speeches are much more polished and coherent. A few easy frameworks include:

1. P.R.E.P. (Point. Reason. Example. Point) – Start off by clearly stating your point. Share the primary reason (or reasons, if you have more time). Then, share an example (preferably in story form) where your main point or reason is supported. Finally, conclude by summarizing your central point again. The template works well in many situations, and is easily adapted.
2. Issue, Pros vs. Cons, Conclusions - Start off by framing the issue. Talk about the benefits, and then talk about the drawbacks. Conclude with your recommendation.
3. 5W – In this pattern, you cover your topic by addressing the Who, What, When, Where, and Why elements. For example, if you’ve been asked to speak briefly about a fundraising initiative, you could talk about [1] who started it, and who is involved now; [2] what the goals are; [3] when it started, and the schedule for the future; [4] where does it take place; and [5] why are you involved. This template works nicely, largely because the “why?” comes last, because this is often the most critical information.

Turn your impromptu session into a Q&A session. In situations where you are asked to fill in when the schedule speaker is absent, it may not be wise to launch into a 45 minute impromptu speech. Even the most accomplished speakers are prone to meander in that situation. Instead, reframe the session as a Q&A session, which breaks it up into a series of very small impromptu speeches that are probably easier for you to answer individually. Plus, the content comes directly from the audience, so you are guaranteed to deliver what they are seeking.

Use personal stories. Storytelling is an essential skill for prepared speaking, but it is equally useful for impromptu speaking as well. Stories are emotional, real, and interesting. If you stick to personal stories, you’ll find that it is much easier to speak (even without preparation) because the events happened to you.

Avoid the tendency to go on, and on, and on. Craft a coherent message, and then be quiet. Rambling on will only weaken your overall speech. If you must fill more time, shift into a Q&A.

Go easy on yourself. We all want to speak perfectly every time, but demanding perfection from yourself in an impromptu speech is setting the bar too high. The audience (probably) recognizes that you’ve been thrown in at the last minute, and they will understand.

Your Turn: What’s Your Opinion?

Do you have any proven strategies for mastering the impromptu speech?

Please share in the comments.

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Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

When you’re asked to present as part of a panel of experts or a team making a sales pitch, you might think that there is safety in numbers and that you need to prepare less than if you were speaking on your own.

The truth is that, for your audience, a group presentation is only as strong as its weakest presenter. Here’s how to help your team create a strong and unified group presentation.

3 Ingredients of Great Group Presentations

The three ingredients to develop and deliver a unified group presentation are clarity, control, and commitment.

1. Clarity
   • Clarity of Purpose
   • Clarity of Roles
   • Clarity of Message
2. Control
   • Control Introductions
   • Control Transitions
   • Control Time and Space
3. Commitment
   • Commit to a Schedule
   • Commit to Rehearsing
   • Commit to Answering Your Audience’s Questions

Incorporating these elements will give your audience a “seamless” message.

Ingredient #1: Clarity

Clarity means clearness of purpose, thought or style. Developing clarity within your group will help you develop a clear message for your audience.

Clarity of Purpose

Just as your presentation will have a clear purpose, expressed in a thesis statement, your group should create a Charter Statement that explicitly captures the group’s desired outcome.

The charter is different from a thesis statement. The thesis specifically frames the presentation message whereas the charter frames your group’s purpose. This Charter Statement becomes the test of everything that will go into the presentation and help guide the efforts of the team. The charter and the thesis may overlap, but even your thesis statement must be tested against the group’s Charter.

For example, if your group agrees that your general purpose is to sell your product, and, more specifically, you know that the key decision maker in the audience is leery about cutting checks to companies like yours, build that into your Charter Statement.

The purpose of our presentation is to sell our Product to ABC Company by overcoming the objections of the company’s Purchasing Officer through clear examples of how our Product provides a fast return on investment.

The Charter Statement will come in handy when you have a team member who may want to go “off track” to tell personal anecdotes that don’t pass the test of the group’s charter.

Clarity of Roles

Personalities come into play when groups meet to develop presentations. Jockeying for position and ego struggles can quickly deplete the group’s momentum, resulting in hurt feelings and, potentially, a weaker presentation. Providing clarity to group roles helps to establish expectations and keep the entire group moving towards a common objective: a great group presentation.

Identify the roles your group needs during message development. For example, to ensure that team members are meeting assignments, select a Project Manager. This person isn’t the “boss of the presentation”, but rather will focus on schedule and assignments.

Other roles could include a Gap Analyst who is responsible for identifying “gaps” in content and support materials (handouts, graphics, etc.), which in turn could work closely with other roles within the group like the Chief Researcher.

Capitalize on the unique personalities within your group to develop roles that work well for all, but be sure to discuss the roles openly so they are clear to everyone.

Clarity of Message

Instead of writing “speeches” for each individual speaker, try creating one master presentation, a unified narrative, and then decide who speaks to which points, and when.

This is a shift from the traditional segmented method of group presentations where often group members are directed to “give five minutes of talking” and then are left to develop content independently.

In a master presentation, each speaker may weave in and out at various points during the presentation. When done well, this fluid dynamic can hold an audience’s attention better by offering a regular change in speakers’ voices and presence.

By using a master presentation, your group will ensure that each of the presenters will stay “on script” and use cohesive language, smooth transitions, and (when using visuals) consistent graphics.

Ingredient #2: Control

Group presentations face unique logistical challenges beyond just developing presentation content.

Control Introductions

Your audience notices how your group introduces itself, so plan those introductions with your presentation.

Your presentation may be part of a larger event that includes an emcee who will introduce the team. If so, be sure that you provide pertinent information to the emcee that will allow her/him to generate interest in your presentation even before you begin speaking.

If your group is responsible for making its own introductions, however, you will need to decide if you will introduce your group members in the beginning, or when they first speak. Your group also will need to decide if each member introduces her/himself, or if one member will introduce everyone.

There is no one right way to do introductions, but your group must decide how to do them before the day of the presentation.

Control Transitions

Decide how you are going to “hand off” from one speaker to the next. In the “master presentation” approach, you may want to consider simply have speakers pick up a narrative right where the previous speaker left off.

If you use the more traditional segmented approach, each speaker may cue the subsequent speakers by identifying them and their subject matter. For example:

“…and speaking of quality control, no one is more qualified the Bob Johnson. Bob is going to tell us about how this team will deliver a quality project for you.”

Another option is to assign a group emcee who will handle transitions between presentation sections. Your group will need to determine which option makes the most sense based on your presentation style and audience expectations.

Control Time and Space

Multiple speakers translate to occupying more physical space, and the potential to gobble up more time with introductions and transitions.

If you will be presenting in a small room, consider where each speaker needs to be positioned to quickly reach the speaking area, and whether they will sit or stand when not speaking.

Your presentation must fit within your allotted time, so you will need to time your group’s presentation, including equipment set up, introductions, and transitions.

Ingredient #3: Commitment

Commitment from each group member is going to give your presentation the best content and flair that will impress your audience.

Commit to a Schedule

Once you know the date of your presentation, create a schedule that includes specific milestones, such as “presentation draft due” and “final rehearsal”. Having a specific schedule allows members either to agree to the group’s expectations or to offer dates that better fit their personal schedules.

Additionally, you can assign specific responsibilities to the scheduled milestones; for example, who is responsible for bringing the handouts, projector, and laptop to the presentation?

Commit to Rehearsing

Rehearsing is one of the most important steps for presentation success. Have your team members agree from day one that they will make themselves available to practice with the group.

If you find group members who lack the commitment to rehearse, consider finding group members who will commit. Practice makes perfect, and no rehearsal means your group doesn’t know what will happen to the content, timing, or quality of the presentation. Do those sound like things your group would like to leave to chance?

Commit to Answering Your Audience’s Questions

Once your formal presentation is over, you may see some raised hands in the audience, ready to pepper your group with questions. Your presentation is not over yet. How you handle those questions is as important as the presentation itself. A well-done presentation means nothing if presenters fumble questions so badly that they appear incompetent.

Have each member develop a list of potential questions and then, as a group, review the list. Discuss who will be responsible for handling which types of questions. Are there any questions important enough to build into the presentation?

From a Rag-Tag Group of Speakers to a Dynamic Presenting Team

By incorporating these three ingredients into your next group presentation process, you will find that you not only develop a presentation that your audience loves, but your group will transform from a rag-tag group of speakers into a dynamic presenting team.

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Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Chaunce Stanton provides marketing communications support for the professional services industry, including architects, engineers, and scientists. For more than eight years, he has routinely helped teams develop messages and craft polished presentations for multimillion-dollar projects. Chaunce is an enthusiastic member of Toastmasters International in St. Paul, Minnesota’s Metropolitan Chapter.

A great Q&A session – one that adds value to your presentation – requires planning and thoughtful contributions from both the audience and the speaker.

Q&A from Audience Perspective

From the perspective of audience members, Gretchen Rubin offers ten tips for asking questions from the audience:

1. Wait for the microphone, if there is one.
2. Pause for silence – don’t talk over a chattering crowd.
3. Don’t make excuses for yourself. This is tiresome and unnecessary.
4. Don’t address speakers by their first names. Some people will disagree with me, I’m sure, but this always strikes me as affected and inappropriately familiar, unless the mood of the presentation is extremely casual.
5. Don’t be long-winded.
6. Plan it out. This will help you avoid being long-winded.
7. Don’t ask double question. Give other people a chance.
8. If appropriate, say a little about yourself. Just a little.
9. Speak up. Nothing’s more frustrating to the audience than not being able to hear a question.
10. Remember: you’ll be happy that you asked a question. I’m one of those people who rarely asks a question at such an occasion. I never spoke in class in law school. But whenever I do participate, I feel more engaged and enjoy myself more. I’m working on speaking up.

Though it isn’t always the case, let’s assume that your audience has read and followed Ms. Rubin’s excellent advice. If so, then the audience will fulfill their half of the Q&A contract. What can you do as a speaker to ensure a great Q&A?

Before the Q&A

• Plan for a Q&A. Too often, speakers fill their entire allotted time with their (formal) presentation. The consequence is that the Q&A session either doesn’t happen (everyone loses) or it is forced to run overtime (audience members may be hungry, irritated, or have to leave). Budget for the Q&A when you plan the presentation. Cut material as necessary to ensure you allow time for the Q&A.
• Be prepared. Anticipate the questions that will be asked. Look at your presentation objectively, and use your audience analysis to predict their questions. When appropriate, prepare a few “extra” slides (perhaps the ones that you cut out of your final formal presentation) that will assist in addressing questions during the Q&A. If you have presented the material before, the questions you have received in the past are likely to come up again if you have not altered the core presentation.
• Announce the Q&A. Some speakers welcome questions throughout a presentation; most speakers, however, prefer to handle questions near the end. If you fall into the latter group, don’t leave your audience wondering if there will be a Q&A. Announce this early, and you will accomplish two things: (1) Your audience is reassured that they will have a chance to pose questions and (2) Your audience is encouraged to start thinking of questions.
• Encourage questions. When you announce the Q&A session, be positive. “I look forward to addressing your questions” rather than “At 10:45, we’ll have the obligatory fifteen minutes for questions.” At certain points in your presentation, you may also want to encourage questions. “Does anyone have any questions about this process?” or “If anyone has questions or comments about this process, please bring them forward in the Q&A session.”

During the Q&A

• Restate the question, perhaps in your own words. Doing this provides two benefits. First, you increase the likelihood that the audience has heard the question. Second, you increase the likelihood that you understand the question before you proceed to answer it.
• Don’t assume everyone in your audience has the same background knowledge about the question that you do. No audience member wants to hear a response like “Yes, John, the ___ strategy would be appropriate for a company like yours because…” if they don’t know which company is being referred to or what kind of company it is. Share any contextual knowledge you have so that the audience better understands the question as well as your answer. A better alternative would be “[setting the context] John is the CEO of Frodo Solutions, a consulting company which helps small businesses with ___. [now, addressing the question] Yes, John, the ___ strategy would be appropriate for a company like yours because…”
• Give your full attention to the person asking the question. Show them professional courtesy by listening to their entire question before beginning your response. If you interrupt, the message you are sending is “I’m not really interested in your question. I’m more interested in talking…”
• Keep the questions on topic. Too often, presenters will say “This is getting off topic, but the answer is…” and then proceed to bore most of the audience. It is better to say “That’s a great question, but a little off topic. Let’s discuss that offline.” Use the same approach if you are asked a question that would just take too long to adequately answer within the time allotted.
• Don’t let a single person dominate the Q&A. Maybe they are a heckler with an intent to disrupt, or maybe they just feel that all of their questions need to be given priority. In either case, be assertive and deflect their questions offline. Give other audience members a chance to ask their questions.
• Be truthful. If you don’t know the answer, then say you don’t know the answer. Don’t lie. Don’t mislead. Don’t tap dance around the question for two minutes giving your sales pitch without ever addressing the question. Don’t risk your integrity to avoid embarrassment. Acknowledge that you don’t know the answer. Consider asking your audience if anyone has the answer.

After the Q&A

• Invite follow-up questions. Stick around after your presentation, or make yourself available at a later time. Provide contact information. Your goal is to leave no question unanswered.
• Don’t end your presentation with your last Q&A response. This is generally a weak conclusion, especially if the last question/answer was negative or neutral. Save your concluding words (and perhaps your final slides) for after the formal Q&A.

Some speaking opportunities do not allow for a full Q&A session (e.g. the 60-second elevator pitch). However, the majority of presentations are enhanced by the inclusion of a productive Q&A session. Do your part, and trust that the audience will do theirs.

What have I missed? Please share your tips for leading a great Q&A session.

Other Q&A Resources

• David Greenberg: How to Master the Question-And-Answer Session
• Speaker’s Bank: Top 10 Tips for Handling a Question and Answer Session

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Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.