STD: 8

Reading: Video Summary

“Think Fast, Talk Smart

Communication Techniques”
Matt Abrahams, Stanford Business, 2014

Skill Set: 1 / Module: 5

Impromptu Speaking
VIDEO

“Think Fast, Talk Smart

Communication Techniques”
Matt Abrahams
Stanford Business, 2014

VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAnw168huqA

Recommendation
An estimated 85% of people suffer from a fear of public speaking, and being
called upon to speak spontaneously is a nightmare-inducing scenario for many.
Presenting at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, communications
lecturer Matt Abrahams shares several strategies to help you speak effectively
off the cuff. With fun and games, he encourages his audience to
embrace occasions to speak ad hoc as opportunities to shine. While his tips
may not cure you of your anxiety, they will take the edge off the fear.

Take-Aways
To communicate effectively off the cuff, you first need to rein in your anxiety.

To feel more comfortable ad-libbing, get out of your own way.

Reframe the improvisational speaking situation as an opportunity.

Slow down and listen.

Liberate yourself to speak by applying structure to your words.

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Summary
To communicate effectively off the cuff, you first need to rein in your
anxiety.
Some 85% of people admit to a fear of public speaking. While many of those
afflicted can muddle through a formal, rehearsed speech, they often clam up
when called upon to give feedback, an impromptu speech, an introduction or a
toast. As a courtesy to your audience, you need to get your anxiety under
control. If you exhibit nerves, your audience will feel uncomfortable and won’t
be primed to receive your message.

“It’s incumbent on you as a communicator to help your audience feel

comfortable, and we do that by managing our anxiety.”

To overcome your anxiety, you must first acknowledge it. When you feel
jittery, take a deep breath and recognize the response as a natural reaction.
Nervousness is the brain’s way of preparing you for something of consequence
– in this case, the delivery of an important message. Simply acknowledging
your nerves will prevent them from spiraling out of control.

Next, remind yourself that the speaking engagement is not a performance that
you must perfect. Instead, view it as a conversation with your audience. Ask
questions – rhetorical, polling, or otherwise – to draw your audience in and
encourage participation. Favor conversational language to esoteric
language, and use the inclusive pronouns “us” and “we” to draw your audience
into the conversation.

Finally, stay present. Worrying about the unknown future consequences of

a speaking engagement feeds your anxiety. To stop ruminating on the future,
ground yourself in the present: Before speaking, do some push-ups, take a
walk, listen to music or recite tongue-twisters.

To feel more comfortable ad-libbing, get out of your own way.

It is human nature to seek perfection when speaking. Unfortunately, this drive
to be simultaneously eloquent, insightful and clever inhibits your fluency
when speaking spontaneously.

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“The very first thing that gets in people’s way when it comes to spontaneous
speaking is themselves.”

To get out of your own way, train your brain to embrace imperfection. Point at
items around you and mislabel them with conviction. Avoid pre-planning what
you will shout out, and abstain from reciting a list of, say, fruits or breeds of
dog. Let your mind go blank, and call out the first words that pop into your
head.

Reframe the improvisational speaking situation as an opportunity.

View impromptu speaking situations as opportunities rather than threats. Q&A
sessions, for example, tend to provoke anxiety because speakers can’t prepare.
But if you reframe a Q&A as an opportunity to clarify what people are thinking
and improve your audience’s experience, your anxiety will dissipate.

“When you reframe...spontaneous speaking as an opportunity…you are less

nervous, less defensive, and you can accomplish something pretty darn good.”

To practice this skill, pretend to give an imaginary gift to a partner, who

responds with, “How did you know I wanted ____?” You, in turn, must think on
your feet by expounding on the reason you gave that gift.

Slow down and listen.

Your brain begins formulating replies before your conversation partner
has finished speaking. This anticipatory response prevents you from fully
gauging the needs of your audience. Slow down and listen completely to the
participants.

“As a communicator, your job is to be in service of your audience. And if you

don’t understand what your audience is asking or needs, you can’t fulfill that
obligation.”

To practice listening, try conversing with a partner by spelling out every word.
This game inhibits you from planning your response ahead of time because you
need to focus and listen throughout the conversation.

Liberate yourself to speak by applying structure to your words.

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Applying structure to your impromptu addresses helps you think on your feet
by reducing the mental burden of simultaneously trying to plan what you’re
going to say and how you’ll say it. Moreover, an audience retains 40% more of
a structured speech than of an unstructured one.

“Structure sets you free…It reduces the cognitive load of figuring out what you
are saying and how you are going to say it.”

One effective conversational structure is the “What? So what? Now

what?” structure, whereby you describe something, say why it is important
and explain what will happen next. The more you practice structuring your
speech, the more comfortable you’ll be with speaking off the cuff.

About the Speaker

Matt Abrahams lectures in strategic communication and effective virtual
presenting at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.