example of memorized presentation

Ace the Presentation

How to Prepare and Deliver a Great Memorized Speech

Today we will learn a bit about how to prepare ourselves and deliver a memorized speech successfully!

Everything we need to say and pitch about is centered on only one content that usually is not new to our public (whichever is other speakers or audience).

 As the speakers in the speech, we need to have some time, days, or weeks, to prepare to perform it to an audience.

Our audience doesn’t expect us to bring notes, books, or any guide besides memory to remind the content. 

There is an implicit requirement that the speaker needs to be familiar with the content and passionate if possible, this way… it will come out naturally; That is why it is crucial to find a reason or something that we like about the content.

Related Articles:

Extemporaneous Speech or Presentation

Manuscript Speech or Presentation

The 4 Types of Speech Delivery

15 Ideas to Make a Speech Unique, Memorable, and Inspiring

 Passion comes in zero place before our two main tasks: 

• Preparation

Successful Memorized Speech Task 1: Preparation

Reading about it or having conversations with people that know about it would be great to create natural memories that we won’t easily forget.

Most times, subjects are given, so we don’t need to focus on producing content, but they’re also those times we need to be the speakers and the content like most poetry contests. 

Visual interactions associated with arguments tend to last more time on our minds, and because we are about to find a way to bond with the content, it won’t fade away that easily.  

A memorized speech is not always about saying the words precisely as they were written. To wing it without going out of the original content can be in sometimes an excellent thing. 

Because it passes the message that we own the content, and it is not a set of words that we took memorize and repeat.

Some memorized speeches will produce the content, which means looking for the information that interests us and makes us feel passionate enough to write about it; this is commonly seen in poetry contests. 

Our concern is to take on board which type of subjects our audience is concerned about, but we should also find it essential to find reasons to be passionate to create flow and openness.

They are also those memorize speeches like a sales pitch, in which our primary focus is on getting to know more about the product itself, side-effects, finding positives things, and structure the best way to launch it behind people.

The preparation stage of a memorized speech is all about three things:

• Get Familiar with the subject;
• Feel Comfortable with it;
• Develop a structure of speech outcome.

 These are the pilar of the preparation stage, and to achieve this, we need to draw actual goals, namely, transforming the which to perform a memorized speech in activities.

So imagine we are getting ready for a spelling competition, we need to engage this new goal into on our schedule, not as a task that needs to be ticked diary but as visualizing different sets it could be practiced, for example:

• Hanging around with friends making a game of rotating spell;
• Scrolling images and as we see spell the word;
• Have a playlist of our favorite relaxing songs when it is time to practice.

Because we want to imprint in our brains and make it a regular action, our memory will be tested.

We need to practice, especially when we are about / having fun, so it gets on our emotions, in front of friends or family, so having an audience on the big day won’t make us feel anxious or blocked.

A memorized speech can be prepared in 4 steps:

• Make our need to memorize an activity;
• Engage it in our daily schedule to turn into a lasting memory;
• Choose times we are having fun, so it becomes easier to do;
• Do it with people’s help from time to time so we can get used to an audience.

Successful Memorized Speech Task 2: Delivery

So here we are, the BIG DAY as arrived. What should we first? First of all, breathe. We need to make sure we have time enough to breathe slowly and be in the moment. It is scientifically proven that breathing helps our brains calm down and find solutions when facing a problem. 

When I had to perform my first memorized speech, I took plenty of time reading the content over and over again. All kinds of the way with music, without music, alone, with people, I  did everything but breathe , which was my biggest mistake.

When the time arrived, I had all in my mind until I got nervous and forgot everything I need to say before; I could not improve because I didn’t bond with content. We don’t this to happen with you never, so remember to breathe.

On the day of the delivery, we want to be relaxed and make sure our mind and spirit are in sync. The pressure of practicing too much on the day eventually will create tension between us, trying to remember what goes next and the audience. 

Having a structure is always helpful. We could start by not forgetting to interact with the audience, which means say Good Morning, smile, make eye contact, and maybe just come with a little joke.

Showing some pictures related to our content or adding some light instrumental to a poetry contest would be a good tip because it would create an open environment.

We want to choose clothes that are not very colorful so that the audience pays attention to what we have to say and not how neon green doesn’t match our curvy stance, so yes, we also need to pay attention to our body language.

The memorized speech can be delivered in 5 steps:

• Believe that we got this; after all, we have been practicing to make it a habit, something that is naturally part of us;
• Keep up the new routine we created on the preparation stage;
• Have a structure to outcome the content;
• Articulate body language with speech to make the audience open and receptive;

It is possible to perfume a memorized speech without getting stressed by planning it and engaging in our daily activities. It doesn’t have to be a speech without personality either by creating a structure that will not only outcome the content at the right time but also adding some images to make it memorable.

References and Further Reading

Social Sci LibreTextes. Methods of Speech Delivery .

SPCH PPTs Text LearAct. Speak from the Memory.

How to Make a Speech Unique, Memorable, and Inspiring

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15 Short Memorized Speech Examples

Giving a speech feels hard and that feeling is so common that a majority of people would rather die than speak publicly. But when it is inevitable, maybe as the best man, mother of the bride, or a speech assignment for class, we turn to memorization.

Why? Because we assume that if we know and remember what to say, we won’t embarrass ourselves. Slightly effective, but it comes with its own limitations.

Here, I will show you how to memorize a speech with 15 examples worth referencing.

But first, let’s go over how to write a speech, because it doesn’t matter how well you memorize one if the content is bad.

How to Write a Speech

The anxiety that fuels the need to memorize a speech comes from either not knowing what to say or how to say it. A sure fire way to overcome that is by writing the speech.

And contrary to what you might think, it is not hard to write a good speech. If you know how to have a meaningful conversation, moving from point A to point B, you can write a speech. You just need to follow these tips.

Set the stage with an introduction

How exactly you start depends on the context of your speech. For instance, you may need to introduce yourself if your audience isn’t familiar with you. This is unnecessary if you’ve been introduced or you’re speaking among your peers.

But the main point here is about how you start your speech. The goal is to explain the what and why in a way that captures the audience’s attention.

It could be a famous quote, a shocking statement, or a rhetorical question. As long as it gets ears to perk up and eyes to focus on you.

Create and follow a structure

Now that you have their attention, it is time to hold it. As the speaker, the audience expects a path and destination from you. They want to know where the gist leads and why the point matters.

Ergo, structure.

Each paragraph in your speech must have a central point and connect with the next. Don’t try and stuff everything you know about the subject in the paragraphs. Focus on the key issues and maintain clear, logical transitions from idea to idea.

That is why it is crucial to understand the purpose of the speech. Are you trying to entertain, argue a point, inspire, or educate? The answer will inform the structure and overall tone of the speech.

Use Anecdotes to illustrate key points

When you write a speech, tailor your language and ideas to your audience. The way you speak in a school seminar is different from how you will talk at your best friend’s wedding, and there is no place where this matters more than in your anecdotes.

Countless studies have shown that our brains remember stories pretty well. That means if you want your speech to be memorable, you have to sprinkle some of them in there to illustrate your points.

That way, even if the facts and figures fly over their heads, the story will stick. And the good thing about anecdotes is, you don’t have to memorize them.

Use Transitions

No matter how great every line in your speech is, there will be moments when the audience drifts off. Use transitions to recall their attention. It signals to them that the oncoming part is worth paying attention to.

There are different ways to deploy this. It could be a rhetorical question like “Why does this matter?” followed by a pause, just long enough to create anticipation.

Other examples include “So here’s the lesson” or “In a similar fashion.”

Summarize with a call to action

Your audience won’t remember everything you say, but they are more likely to remember the last thing you said to them. That means, alongside the introduction, this is an integral part of your speech.

Summarize the speech using sentences that drive home the main point. You can do this by repeating a few key takeaways or sharing an anecdote that illustrates the point.

How to Memorize a Speech

Image by Rodnae Productions ( Pexels )

Hopefully, after reading that section, you are starting to get the idea. Once you know what to say and how to say it, you’ve cracked the first step to memorizing a speech.

The next thing is to observe a few steps, and you are well on your way to delivering a captivating speech from memory.

Rehearse the Speech

After writing the speech, try reading it out loud. The goal here is to figure out how it sounds to fix what doesn’t work.

You can add, delete, or reorder parts of the speech until it sounds compelling and natural during this phase. Like something you wouldn’t mind sitting through yourself.

This process could take a few times, so feel free to pause and come back with fresh eyes and ears. You could also try reading it to someone for a different perspective.

Memorize the main ideas

The best way to memorize a speech is to learn the main points. This is where you benefit from writing the speech. Once you understand the subject matter and the goal of the speech, your mind has a framework to follow.

Instead of trying to capture the entire speech word-for-word, you have memorized the main ideas. Enough to talk about it to an audience as if you are having a regular conversation.

There are two main benefits to this. One, it gives a natural feel to your speech. Regurgitating a speech word-for-word makes you seem like a robot. There is no warmth, and it makes your content less engaging.

Two, it makes you immune to a slip-up. When you forget a word or sentence, it has little to zero impact because you know what you are trying to say and how to say it. You have maximum flexibility.

A practical way to memorize each idea is by quizzing yourself over each paragraph. “What is it about?” “What problem is it describing?” “Why does this matter?”

Practice your delivery

Finally, a speech is only as good as its delivery. Think about the most remarkable speeches you’ve heard or seen. What made them stand out?

One thing that is for sure is it isn’t because they remembered every single word. Not that you would know. But instead how the speaker spoke, entertainingly and informatively.

It is possible to memorize this by rehearsing over and over again.

Since you are more concerned about the meaning than the syntax of your sentence, you start to get a feel of when it’s okay to make a joke, change the timing or intonation.

That is how to memorize a speech, and it all starts with focusing on the content. Now, let’s see some good examples of these tips being put to use in different scenarios.

Short Memorized Speech Examples

Short memorized speech for a college paper.

This example might not align with your definition of “short,” but it gets a whole lot right when it comes to speeches.

First, it starts with a question that piques attention, then immediately establishes what and why they are talking about it. The sentence structure is also conversational, and the author doesn’t have to memorize each word.

The rest of the speech maintains that tone, and the thought flows logically. From explaining what dreaming big is to its downsides and negative impact, all told through anecdotal lenses.

Not only is this speech easier to memorize because it is their story, but it makes it more engaging. More than what a rollout of psychological facts would have been.

Finally, the speaker ties it up in a compelling conclusion that summarizes the key point with a call to action.

Short speech for a company event

This is a much shorter speech than the previous example, but it still follows the same principles. In the introduction, the author uses the scale of time to capture the audience’s attention. With a few sentences, it transports their mind to the past and the future. Engaging!

That thought continues its logical progression in the body. The CEO (presumably) zeroes in on the implications and impact of that journey in time on members of the organization. Relatable!

Finally, they tie up the speech with a nice bow with a call back to the beginning.

Not only does this speech have the perfect length for the occasion, but it is also stirring enough to leave a lasting impression.

Short wedding speech

If you have ever attended a wedding, you are probably familiar with speeches like this. What makes them so common yet effective is how much it understands its audience.

A wedding reception is a relaxed atmosphere, which means the audience experts jokes and laughter. The author doesn’t waste time and delivers right from the beginning. Humor makes us attractive, and with that, the audience is interested in what the writer has to say.

Another thing that makes this speech good and easy to memorize is a total familiarity with the subject matter. In this case, that’s Josh. Because of that, the author can craft a structural narrative that establishes Josh’s personality and character and its relevance to the current event.

Short memorized speech for a presentation

Here is a nice example of a proper introduction if you ever have to give a speech to your peers at school, work, or any other setting. They already know who you are, which means your primary focus is to give them something to listen to.

Next, dive into the what and why it matters. Here, the writer offers both at the end of the first paragraph and in the next. In two paragraphs, the audience knows why she’s talking about her future and why it matters to the speaker and them.

The next logical question is how the speaker plans to achieve that, and they answer in the final paragraph.

Short introductory speech for a college seminar

What if you had to come up with an introductory speech for an event? Well, you still follow the same beats as other types of speeches. Establish the what and the why.

For What, this college seminar speech covers the relevance of the seminar by mentioning the dignitaries that have supported it. Without explicitly stating that it is an important event, the roster of those in attendance and the organizing team conveys that to the audience.

To answer Why, the principal plainly states the value of the seminar. The audience understands they are part of a long history, and the content is valuable enough for commercial publication.

Short Personal Introductory Speech

When you have to introduce yourself, you have a limited time to establish who you are and why you should be listened to.

Thankfully there is not much to learn in this scenario because you are the subject, and no one knows you better than you. Start with your name and your experience like this example to prove your credibility.

Since it is a personal introduction, the body of your content should be something that humanizes you. That way, you go from a name and title to a person, and in this example, a relatable one.

The good thing about this type of speech is it is fun to memorize, and you can rehearse and shape it by giving it to as many people as possible.

Short persuasive speech to students

In the game of attention that is speech writing and delivery, there are multiple paths to victory. This example deploys the rhetorical question method to command the attention of its audience.

By asking questions audience members have most likely asked themselves, the speaker has positioned himself as someone with answers. After all, if you know about these questions, then they have probably figured it out.

Furthermore, each point builds on the one before it, in the direction of a typical day. Because it follows the logical progression of their regular day, the audience has permission to insert themselves into the narrative, making them more receptive to the advice and suggestion.

Persuasive for a diverse audience

What if you are trying to write and memorize a speech for a diverse audience? First, you need to find something that unites you all. In this short excerpt from a speech, the speaker has chosen their identity as residents of Thailand.

It would be difficult for the speaker to memorize every single word in this speech. However, by crafting points around how the central purpose of the speech benefits everyone, they don’t have to.

All that needs memorizing are the broader supporting points. To provide jobs, improve the local economy. Each point is bolstered with verifiable facts, which makes it more convincing.

Short speech for an argumentative speech

If you ever find yourself having a debate, the trick to making a convincing argument is to display a complete understanding of the topic interspersed with your opinions and verifiable facts.

This example does two of those things excellently. It starts by recognizing the conflict. Phones are helpful, and they serve an essential role in modern society, but it has its downsides. Then there’s the referenced medical fact that adds credibility to the conflict.

These points are connected by transitional phrases and words like “On the other hand” and “Worryingly” that make it easy for the audience to follow the speaker’s train of thought.

Short Memorizable speech for a proposal

Found the perfect partner and want to propose? Besides the content, writing and delivering your proposal speech is no different from any other kind of speech. It is all about connecting with your audience.

That means, like this example, you need to speak in the first person a lot, i.e., lots of Is. Your key points, as shown here, should focus on how your partner makes you feel and what their presence in your life means to you.

Memorizing the main points of your proposal is especially important in this context because your speech should come from the heart. Or at least feel like it did.

Memorized acceptance speech

Suppose you’ve received an award or recorded an accomplishment that requires a speech. In that case, the majority of your content should focus on showing appreciation.

First, start by thanking the people giving you the award, then move on to thank everyone else, specifically those who contributed to the achievement.

Feel free to introduce humor into your speech, but it should be appropriate for the event and place.

As always, when you memorize this kind of speech, you should focus more on each section than on the exact words. For instance, you could thank the awarding body first, then move to your peers, then family last.

That way, even after rehearsing multiple times in front of a mirror, it still feels natural and spontaneous.

Short acceptance speech with commentary

There are occasions when you want to do more than simply thank you in your acceptance speech. In scenarios like that, find a way to connect your appreciation with your commentary, as seen in this example.

Start by appreciating the organization or people responsible for the award or accomplishment. Then use transitional phrases or a topic sentence to segue into your commentary.

The example above used “…all the effort of my entire team…” to segue into an inspiring comment. It also used an anecdote to illustrate the point further.

Finally, end with a note of thanks to close the circle.

When crafted this way, you only need to memorize the broad strokes of your speech and perhaps the connective phrase if you came up with the perfect line in your draft.

Short Goodwill speech

Above is an excerpt of the famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. You can watch and read the whole thing here .

The popular name appears at the very end of the speech, but it would have made zero sense or had little impact if it wasn’t the conclusion of logically progressive thought.

Goodwill speeches should be informative and persuasive, and this example does that brilliantly from the first paragraph. It starts by showing great respect to the city and sticks to the theme by highlighting the shared values and beliefs.

If you ever have to deliver one, focus your memorization efforts on what you have in common with your hosts and build out from there.

Short memorized speech for a funeral

Many of us will have to deliver a speech at a funeral someday. When that time comes, it is better to memorize the order of your thoughts than the exact words.

A good order starts with introducing yourself and your relationship with the deceased. Then spend the following paragraphs talking about their life and personality. This includes speaking about their accomplishments, major life events. Each talking point should connect back to the impact on you.

Finally, summarize with a final takeaway from the theme, how you want others to remember the individual, and a thank you to attendees.

Short Farewell Speech after leaving a place or position

Your farewell speech is your last time to leave an impression on your audience. This could be your colleagues, boss, or students. Whoever they are, they will determine the exact tone and style you choose in your speech.

Depending on your experience and emotional attachment to the organization, your speech could be a simple thank you. It could also be exciting stories that highlight your history and journey there.

Whatever you decide, make sure it is personal. The second half of the first paragraph and the second paragraph above is an excellent example of this.

Wrapping it Up

That makes it 15, and depending on the scenario, each one is a useful reference when crafting your speech. Remember, the first step to memorizing a speech is to write one.

It gives you a chance to organize your thoughts, deepen your understanding of the topic, and familiarize yourself with the audience. In turn, you get the confidence to deliver in a way that is both engaging and convincing.

By following these tips and examples, you too will be able to deliver a speech that makes you proud.

Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.

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How to Memorize Your Presentation—In 60 Minutes or Less

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Chelsi Nakano April 29, 2016

Learn the simple trick that will help you memorize anything—and that will make your presentations more memorable to your audience.

Originally published on the  SlideGenius blog .

When presenting, it’s never a good idea to read from your slides or note cards. A few quick glances are usually acceptable. And if you read everything word for word, you will seem disengaged from the audience. Even though most presenters know this, the situation still seems unavoidable. What if you experience a mental block and forget an entire section of your presentation? You can’t be expected to memorize an hour-long speech that’s packed with crucial data. Is that even possible? If we were to ask the ancient Greeks and Romans, we would find that the answer is a loud “yes.” How did Cicero remember all of his famous orations? He used a technique called “the memory palace.”

While the term might be new to you, I’m sure you’ve seen this technique portrayed in popular media. The latest incarnation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic character, Sherlock Holmes, uses it to solve the most complex mysteries. In BBC’s Sherlock , we watch Holmes sweep through imagined mental spaces to find crucial information that could help his investigation. In real life, the technique was used by the greatest Greek and Roman orators to memorize their speeches . Currently, “ memory athletes ” use it to memorize a deck of cards or a long list of random names in seconds.

HOW DOES THE “MEMORY PALACE” WORK?

The memory palace technique is formally known as the “method of Loci,” and this name gives us some insight on how the whole thing actually works. Loci is the plural form of the Latin word for location. Our spatial memory is much stronger than our memory for words or ideas, because our hunter-gatherer ancestors evolved to be able to navigate their world and remember their surroundings. When associated with spatial relationships, ideas become much more memorable—that’s why tools like Prezi, which allow you to show your ideas within context and lead your audience on a visual journey, can help make your presentation more memorable.

To practice the technique, imagine yourself walking through a specific location. You then associate each item you want to commit to memory to things you come across en route. Here’s an example from Chloe Cornish of The Independent :

So does the memory palace technique really work? I tried revisiting my secondary school, to help memorise the names of the U.S. Presidents in order (there are 44). To get into the car park, I jumped over a washing line (George Washington), where Adam and Eve (John Adams) were playing cricket with Geoffrey Boycott (Thomas Jefferson). Marilyn Manson (James Madison) was in the IT block getting off with Marilyn Monroe (James Monroe) etc. It took me about 40 minutes to come up with the lurid tale, and apart from occasionally getting their first names wrong (so many Jameses and Adams), it worked a treat.

To see this memory palace visualized, take a look at the prezi below:

SO HOW CAN I USE IT FOR MY PRESENTATION?

While creating a memory palace seems pretty straightforward, it actually takes a bit of practice and preparation. To start, create an outline of your presentation. List down all of your talking points and make note of the most prominent words for each one. You will use these words to make visual associations in your imagined scene. Following that, you can start with your mental construction:

1. CHOOSE ANY LOCATION YOU’D LIKE TO USE FOR YOUR MEMORY PALACE.

It’s better if you go with a place you’re completely familiar with, like your childhood home or the walk you take to the office.

2. SET A ROUTE THAT YOU WILL MENTALLY WALK THROUGH.

For example, if you’re using your childhood home as your memory palace, it can be the walk from the front door to your bedroom.

3. WHEN YOU’VE DECIDED ON A ROUTE, IMAGINE WALKING THROUGH IT AND FOCUS ON THE ITEMS AND FEATURES YOU “SEE.”

From the front door, you enter the hallway and climb the stairs to your right. You go up to the landing where a portrait of your grandfather hangs, and so on.

4. REFER BACK TO THE OUTLINE OF YOUR PRESENTATION.

Take the most important words you took note of and make visual associations you can insert to your memory palace. Place these associations in the specific features you’ve identified in your route. Try to place associations that are extraordinary, like in the example by Cornish.

5. FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH YOUR MEMORY PALACE BY WALKING THROUGH IT A COUPLE OF TIMES.

Take note and memorize all the associations you’ve made. After some time, you will find that you’ve memorized your speech completely. Simply revisit your memory palace if you find yourself stumped during the presentation.

After building your memory palace, you won’t have to worry about forgetting what comes next in your presentation. Take a cue from some of the greatest minds in fiction and history, and you can save your note cards for another occasion.

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How I Memorized a Presentation for TEDx (Word Perfect)

Anthony Metivier | February 17, 2024 | Learning , Memory

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Beyond that presentation from the stage, what qualifies me to offer you tips for memorizing a speech of any length?

Well, I also spent a decade as a professor at three universities in three different countries. I delivered dozens of lectures during those years. In more than one language.

I’ve also spent over a decade as an online “professor of memory.” My expertise in memory has taken me around the world. I’ve given presentations in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, China, Canada, Australia and the USA.

In fact, in the feature image for this post, you see me discussing memory as a part of language learning at a 2016 Polyglot Conference in Berlin. You can also watch hundreds of hours of my presentations on YouTube from several years of live streaming.

And on this page, I’m going to share the best of my experiences with multiple kinds of presentation.

If you want to memorize a speech verbatim, I’ll show you how.

Or, if you prefer to work from mental bullet points, I’ll help you do that too.

When it comes to memory aids for speakers, this is the real deal from someone who practices these techniques week in and week out.

Let’s get started!

So You Need to Memorize a Presentation… Here’s Where to Start

Getting started… this is the tricky bit.

So here’s a story using the Polyglot conference speech I gave to help dimensionalize the starting point I usually use.

Determine Who Your Presentation Is For… And Who It Isn’t For

Before I wrote a single word, I asked myself a very simple set of questions:

Who can I help and who am I unable to help?

And what’s the one thing that will help the listeners above all?

I went through this same process with my TEDx Talk and many other presentations.

Make no mistake, this step can be tricky. It’s a discipline to whittle things down to the biggest and most important point.

But it is possible and often the success of the talks we enjoy most come down to knowing that the audience you’re addressing is defined as closely as possible.

It was hard for me, but I believe focusing on just one kind of person and one message for that person helped my TEDx Talk reach so many viewers.

Of course, some presentations need more details and more nuance, but even then, the principle is the same. If you think about who each principle is for and how to focus on the biggest and most impactful part, it’s going to be easier to digest. And easier for you to remember successfully.

Script The Presentation

When it comes to helping yourself remember your presentation, writing is key. If you write a bunch of mush with endless long sentences, you’re setting yourself up for a struggle.

So when you’re putting the presentation together, ask yourself:

• Do I want to memorize the speech verbatim ?
• Or can I memorize keywords and let my expertise fill in the blanks while speaking?

Both ways work very well. It just comes down to your goal. In the case of my TEDx Talk, I wrote the speech and memorized it verbatim.

In my Polyglot Conference talk, I prepared slides and memorized the key points, which involved speaking some Chinese based on how I’ve studied that language .

Either way, scripting or preparing slides can help you decide how you’re going to memorize the presentation.

Review The Presentation

As a final preparation step, it’s great if you can take a moment to review what you’ve prepared. Ideally, you’ll also get at least one other person to review it as well.

For my TEDx Talk, Thomas Krafft reviewed the script itself and a recording of me delivering it from memory. Before presenting the script of my live-action “Memory Detective” game attached to a memory improvement novel I wrote, I had a test audience go through the entire sequence.

Reviewing the speech, slides and related materials with others helps add an extra layer of understanding that helps with the memorization process. I highly recommend making time for review.

How to Memorize a Presentation from Start to Finish in 7 Easy Steps

As Hanna Pishwa points out in Language and Memory , Aristotle was one of the first to intensively describe the rhetorical strategies used for persuasion in speeches.

But we can go a step further: Aristotle also closed his treatise on memory by explaining that we are moved most by people who speak from memory.

This is the first time I delivered a talk about Film Studies in German.

He says reciting from memory is impressive because the person who has memorized their speech doesn’t have to “hunt” for their ideas. They use a “process” that brings those ideas to them automatically.

How can you do that too? Just follow these steps:

One: Learn To Use The Memory Palace Technique

Since long before Aristotle, people have been using the ancient art of memory to commit speeches to memory using Memory Palaces .

A Memory Palace is simply a mental copy of a location you know well, like you home, office, school, church or any place with walls, paths and other environment features.

This is a graphic representation of the Memory Palace I used to memorize my TEDx Talk:

It’s a neighborhood in Brisbane and the numbers represent individual stations.

I teach people who take the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass to number their stations to help them rapidly create these simple journeys .

To do this, it’s helpful to draw your Memory Palaces first. Like this:

A Memory Palace drawn on an index card to maximize its value as a mnemonic device. This one is based on a bookstore in Zamalek, a part of Cairo.

Two: Add Interesting Associations To The Words & Ideas In Your Presentation

The best memory techniques all rely on mnemonic imagery .

When it comes to how to memorize lines for a presentation, you can do this very quickly by tapping into a pegword list .

For example, in a speech that starts with, “How would you like…?” my pegword list suggests Howie Mandel for “how” and Elijah Wood for “would.”

Those figures are laid out in the Memory Palace at the beginning of its journey.

This leads us to the next step.

Three: Make Your Associations Zany

Let me make a preemptive strike here:

A lot of people have protested to me over the years:

I’m not creative. I can’t get myself to see Howie Mandel and Elijah Wood to kick a like button on a platform like YouTube.

Stop right there.

I’m not creative either.

All I’m doing is taking too people who already exist and having them do something strange. There are only so many actions in the world. They could kiss the like button, put it in a rocket ship and send it to the moon, or bury it with thumbs-up shaped shovels.

Seriously. There’s nothing “creative” about this. It’s just borrowing from real possible actions and animating them in the Memory Palace. Please don’t overthink this process and make sure of the exercises I’m going to share with you in step four.

If you’re memorizing your presentation verbatim, you’ll need more associations than you would for a speech delivered based on bullet-points.

Either way, the process is the same.

Four: Make Your Associations Multisensory

Once you’ve decided what your characters are going to do with one another, add some multisensory elements. For example, you can hear the voices of your celebrity associations, or imagine that you’re feeling them interacting with the like button in our example.

We do this because scientific research makes it clear that elaboration helps form memories faster.

To get better at making your associations weird and multisensory within seconds, these elaborative encoding exercises will help, as will these visualization exercises .

Five: Use The Memory Palace To Memorize Your Speech

When the ancient Romans delivered their speeches, they often would start a persuasive passage with a set of points.

“In the first place,” an orator would say before diving into the point. Then the orator would say, “In the second place,” etc.

Anthony Metivier memorizing and recalling names at a memory demonstration in Brisbane

This convention in speeches remains with us today, and those orators were literally using their Memory Palaces in real time to recall their points.

But you can be sure that they had practiced in private before delivering them. We know that Rhetorica Ad Herennium , originally attributed to Cicero , gives many suggestions around how best to practice for both public speaking and reciting poetry.

And you need to practice as well.

You do it by starting at the “first place” of the Memory Palace and then triggering those images to help you recall the words.

Personally, I practice my speeches by following several patterns. For example, instead of always starting at the beginning, I will practice reciting a few lines from the end, then switch to the beginning, then go to a spot in the middle.

This is helpful in ushering the speech into long term memory quickly because it harnesses the primacy effect, recency effect and serial-positioning effect.

Six: Practice Delivering The Speech

Now, this point is a subtly that I personally find important.

I do not go through my Memory Palace while delivering my presentations unless I absolutely have to do so.

See, when you follow the process I’ve described above, the presentation will be in your long term memory .

However, unexpected things can happen. During my TEDx Talk, people laughed at a spot I hadn’t placed a joke. It surprised me for a second and I briefly popped into the Memory Palace I’d made to help me get back on track (instead of standing there like a deer caught in headlights).

But ideally, you want to just have the speech memorized and not have to rely on any mnemonic strategies while in the moment. With optimal setup and execution, the memory techniques will have already done their job and you can do what Aristotle described: speak without looking like you’re hunting for the ideas.

And that means you can connect with that audience you identified during the preparation stage. The more you connect with them, the more successful you’ll be during and after your presentation because people remember connection.

Seven: Analyze Your Performance

Want to be a pro speaker?

Then you’ll want to spend some time reflecting on your presentation.

This step is important because it gives you the opportunity to identify areas to improve the next time.

And it will help you congratulate yourself where credit is due. Please make sure to do so. Giving a speech is a huge accomplishment and you deserve recognition merely for making it happen.

But the real gold is some objective and subjective reasoning about the entire process. It will also reveal new ideas for other presentations you might not have thought about otherwise.

In a Pinch? Here’s How to Memorize a Speech Fast

I know that some people don’t have time for all of the steps above.

To be clear: I do all that I can to make sure I have enough time.

But when I don’t, here’s what I do instead.

The Acronym Method

I’m often invited to speak in the community at the last minute. I literally don’t have time to mindmap more than a few ideas.

But I can take those ideas and arrange them into a keyword.

For example, when I was invited to speak at a “Masters of Marketing” event, I arranged my ideas into the acronym F.R.E.E.

• Frequent messaging to a…
• Relevant audience…
• Entertains, Educates and…
• Engages in the direction of a response

I placed that acronym in a simple Memory Palace and talked about what each concept mean for two minutes each.

The great thing about the acronym approach is that you don’t have to practice as much, if at all. The logic of the acronym itself guides you through the parts of your presentation because you’re mentally checking them off by spelling the acronym.

Give this presentation technique a try and you will have no problem committing presentations to memory fast.

Memorize Your Speech in No Time With the Steps Above

Let’s recap:

Presentations are so much easier to remember when you’re clear about who you’re addressing  and  who you’re not.

Once you’ve decided on whether you’ll be speaking verbatim or working from bullet points, the Memory Palace technique is a tried and true technique with thousands of years of success stories .

To make information “stick,” you need a process of elaborating associations. A bit of prep will take you a long way if you complete the exercises I shared on this page.

Finally, it’s worth repeating that reviewing your talk in any way possible is tremendously valuable. Even if you get a last minute invite to speak, you can probably squeeze in a few minutes to record yourself on your phone and tweak a few things.

Even if you don’t have time to change anything, just seeing yourself once will give you ideas about how to make what you’re about to say in front of an audience better.

Just make sure to avoid perfectionism. Relax and if you make a mistake, just call a spade a spade and find your way back to where you got lost.

And if you want more on the memorization process so you always recover quickly when things happen during live presentations (as they inevitably will), check out my FREE Memory Improvement Kit:

So what do you say?

Are you ready to get out there and give the best presentation of your career?

Let me now if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to share with you more granular details from my long career of presenting around the world.

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How To Deliver A Great Speech From Memory

This is the final post in a six-part series focusing on the various methods of delivering a presentation, including talking from a script , using a script with “holes, ” speaking from notes , using a teleprompter , and memorizing your talk . Many decades ago, a popular television commercial touted a recordable audio cassette which, its makers claimed, had such incredible sound quality as to make it impossible to distinguish a live performance from a recorded one. The ad left viewers with a memorable catchphrase: Is it live, or is it Memorex ?

I think of that line when watching a presenter deliver a speech they’ve remembered word-for-word: Is it live, or is it memorized ?

As that question suggests, audiences can often tell when a speaker has memorized their talk. It’s almost as if someone has pressed play on the presenter — but when the speaker forgets a word or loses their place, you can practically see the tape unspooling from their brain’s cassette. If anything interrupts their flow — a technical glitch or an audience member’s question at an unexpected moment — it can throw them into internal chaos and destroy their rhythm.

There’s another challenge when speaking from memory. If a speaker is using a large portion of their mental energy to search for the words that come next, they’re probably not paying enough attention to subtle signs from the audience that might signal confusion, annoyance, or disagreement. It can make them appear disconnected from their audience, as if they weren’t really in the same room with them. As Dale Carnegie noted in The Quick & Easy Way to Effective Speaking , “We will probably deliver [a memorized talk] in a mechanical way. Why? Because it will not come from our hearts, but from our memories.”

Many people want to memorize their talk because they believe it will make them appear more “polished.” That might be true in some cases — but memorizing a talk may have more downsides than upsides, particularly because few audiences punish a speaker who occasionally (and confidently) glances at their notes.

And yet, it’s undeniable that some speakers possess the rare talent of delivering a memorized script while sounding conversational, reacting in the moment to unexpected events, and returning seamlessly to their remembered remarks. Those presenters are indeed impressive, so it’s no surprise that many people endeavor to emulate TED-like speakers who have presented to large international audiences with great success. (It’s worth noting, however, that TED speakers typically practice their talks for many months, a gift of time most presenters don’t have.)

If you’re determined to “memorize” your talk, remember these three words: internalize, don’t memorize .

Memorizing means trying to remember every word. That’s a challenging prospect for even seasoned actors who deliver the same stage show night after night. In contrast, internalizing means that you’ve memorized the sequence of your talk and the main points you intend to address in each section.

Perhaps some of the specific words you use in your talk will be delivered exactly as you rehearsed them — particularly key takeaway points, quotes, or transitions — but internalizing your talk means that you’re so familiar with the material that you’re also able to deviate from your rehearsed script and deliver the same points with different words.

As an analogy, consider jazz music, which is known for its skilled improvisation. If you attend a jazz concert, each musician may improvise a solo at some point. Yet, despite the fact that the piece of music may never have been played that way before, the other musicians on stage will know how to accompany their improvising bandmate because they understand the underlying structure of jazz. The notes may be improvised — but the rules governing their overall choices are known to each player.

In much the same way, internalizing your talk means being able to follow a set structure — but without undue rigidity. Think of it less as “memorizing” a talk and more as delivering a talk without notes.

Memorizing keywords can help you internalize your presentation. If your talk has three parts, for example, you might memorize the keyword trigger for each section: “Pollution, Regulation, Optimistic Future.” To make memorizing those triggers even easier, choose keywords that form a memorable acronym; in this case, the acronym would be “PROF.” If you go blank during your talk, remembering the mnemonic device of speaking like a “prof,” or a prof essor, will help you get back on track quickly.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that talks with clear narratives or chronologies — those with a distinct beginning, middle, and end that build logically upon one another — are often the easiest presentations to deliver without notes.

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Comments (1)

In his heyday, like a jazz soloist, Billy Connolly was a master of deviating from his main theme (to tell a side story, in his case), then picking up his original tack several minutes later as though he’d never left it. (Stories within stories – when done so well – can be very engaging!) I’m a strong advocate of using acronyms to make content memorable and well-organised. In fact, to my mind, acronyms give speakers (and audiences) five benefits, which themselves spell another acronym – MOIST. (See if you can guess what the letters stand for .)

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How to Memorize a Presentation Fast and Deliver It Without Notes

Last Updated: March 7, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been viewed 72,356 times.

Memorizing a presentation can seem overwhelming but with practice and determination it can be done. All you have to do is be confident in your ability to deliver information to your audience, and you can accomplish this by using some proven memory techniques. Using some great techniques will help you to memorize the information quickly and present it to an audience without needing notes.

Organizing Your Information

• Think about your main topic first—what is the main idea that you're trying to get across? Then, break it down into 3 specific ideas—this is a great way to focus your discussion.

Imagining Pictures as Reminders

• If your point is about a particular animal such as a tiger, visualize a tiger for that point. If your sub point to that main idea is about how a tiger finds prey, visualize a tiger running towards its prey in the wild.
• If you main idea is about how education is changing, visualize a caterpillar turning into a butterfly or a person changing their shoes. If your sub point to that main idea is how different classrooms look, visualize a classroom or visualize two contrasting things like oil and water.

• A trigger word for a sub point about how a tiger finds prey could be “yum” to stimulate you to think about food.
• Trigger words should be short and clear.
• Sometimes using unique trigger words works best.
• Your trigger words or phrases only have to make sense to you.
• Choose words or phrases that quickly jog your memory about the point you’re trying to recall.

• You may want to assign main points to larger body parts such as your feet, stomach, arms, hands, and head.
• You may want to assign details or less important points to smaller body parts such as your toes, knees, hips, fingers, and ears.

• Lets say you have 10 points, you can begin at your feet, move to your knees, then your thighs, next to your hips, ribs, shoulders, neck, ears, head, and finally eyes.

• It is vital that you remember how many points to deliver in your speech. Be sure to memorize this number and count as you go so you don’t go over or fall short.

Memorizing the Information

• Consider your learning style, too. For example, if you're an auditory learner, then play an audio recording of your speech. If you're a visual learner, then highlight important passages that you want to emphasize. Or, you might be kinesthetic—if so, rehearse the body language you'll use.

• Besides just recalling how many points to hit, be sure you know the correct order. You must not be reluctant about where to go next when moving from body part to body part or your presentation will lack fluidity.

• Take some time to simply practice the order you plan on moving around your body. Make sure to do this without actually stopping to present the main ideas at these stopping points. You’ll want to be able to move very swiftly and be certain about where to go next.

• Transition sentences are phrases that link one thought to another. It is so very important that you incorporate these into your presentation.
• If you do not shift from one idea to the next in a proper way using transition sentences you run the risk of sounding robotic and rehearsed. Make certain your thoughts flow so that you are not stopping abruptly or jumping suddenly from one point to another.
• Examples of good transition words or phrases between similar ideas include "Similarly," "Likewise," etc.
• Examples of good transition words or phrases between contrasting ideas include "On the contrary," "Contradictory to," etc.

Community Q&A

• Practice makes perfect, so spend a good amount of time reviewing your information and rehearsing. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Use physical gestures to enhance your storytelling! If you're discussing the qualities of a good leader, you might stand up nice and tall; if you're talking about a time you felt nervous, you might physically feel that experience by hunching over, shaking, widening your eyes, and wrinkling your forehead. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Rote memorization is not the best way to retain information but is a good way to quickly remember and deliver information about a particular topic. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about memorizing a presentation, check out our in-depth interview with Patrick Muñoz .

• ↑ https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/business-by-the-book-remembering-presentation-material/
• ↑ https://blog.udemy.com/how-to-memorize-a-speech/
• ↑ http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/powerspeak/lib0208.html
• ↑ http://www.productivity501.com/how-to-memorize-verbatim-text/294/

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Don’t Just Memorize Your Next Presentation — Know It Cold

• Sabina Nawaz

Learn it upside-down and backwards.

Knowing a script or presentation cold means taking the time to craft the words and sequence of what you plan to say, and then rehearsing them until you could recite them backwards if asked. It’s a more effective approach to public speaking than simple memorization or “winging it” because you plan not just the words but the actions and transitions between points, so it becomes one fluid motion for you, all the while allowing time for adjusting or improvising during the speech itself.

To learn your script cold, first, decide how you will craft your script, whether it’s noting key talking points or writing down every line and detail. Next, create natural sections and learn them individually, including transitions. Then, learn your script over time and rehearse. Finally, have a plan for forgetfulness, which can include acknowledging that you need to reference your notes.

The three judges beamed at me. Buoyed by their support, I anticipated winning this college elocution competition. I nailed the first verse of my chosen poem, but might as well have been under general anesthesia when trying to remember a single word of the second verse. Now the judges’ encouraging smiles only roiled my rising panic. Finally, the timer buzzed, ending my turn on stage and initiating a two-decade fear of memorization.

• Sabina Nawaz is a global CEO coach , leadership keynote speaker, and writer working in over 26 countries. She advises C-level executives in Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, non-profits, and academic organizations. Sabina has spoken at hundreds of seminars, events, and conferences including TEDx and has written for FastCompany.com , Inc.com , and Forbes.com , in addition to HBR.org. Follow her on Twitter .

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How To Memorize a Presentation For a Better Flow

Many presentation veterans and TEDxTalkers will tell you that you should dedicate one hour of preparation for every minute of the presentation. That seems like a lot, right? If your presentation is 15 minutes long, that’s 15 hours of preparation. Who has time for that? However, when you actually sit down and consider the brainstorming and story mining, the physical deck design, and practicing the presentation— 15 hours might not seem so astronomical. After all, you don’t want to spend hours creating a deck just to forget everything you’re supposed to say when you step up to the podium. 

It might not seem important, but how your presentation flows is critical to its overall success. In fact, 90% of people believe that a strong narrative and story in a presentation is critical for engagement. Similarly, 35% of millennials say they will only engage with content they feel has a great story or theme. It just goes to show that presentations are two-fold: the deck, and the delivery. Your presentation could have a great story, but if your flow and delivery misses the mark it’s all for naught. It’s no wonder so many people stress about public speaking, they don’t want to get choked up in front of an audience and embarrass themselves. Practice and memorization are just as important as the physical presentation deck, and vice versa. 

If you’re a last-minute warrior (no judgement), and are wondering how to memorize a presentation in one night, we’ve got you covered. Consider these tips to help you memorize your next presentation for a better flow and overall experience. 

Structure your story in an obvious way

If you structure your story in an obvious way— with a beginning, middle, and end— it will help keep you on track. Become familiar with the character (your product, service, or idea), the villain (the problem you’re solving for), and the narrative. Better yet, think of it as a novel you’ve read again and again, or a funny story you’re sharing with your friends. When you know the flow, positioning, and progression of your story, it will be easier to pick up where you left off if you get lost or distracted mid-thought. 

Beautiful.ai can help you structure your story more effectively with our Smart Slide templates . The guardrails put in place by our design AI force you to format your story more efficiently, but it also allows you to structure it in new, creative ways you might not have thought of otherwise. 

Keep it short and sweet

It’s not rocket science: the shorter your presentation, the easier it is to remember. (The same goes for your audience, too). In order to memorize your presentation, and make sure you’re not leaving out any key points, keep your deck to a minimum. We always recommend Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule, which says no PowerPoint presentation should be more than ten slides, longer than 20 minutes, and use fonts smaller than 30 point size. If you stick to this method, you’ll have less to memorize and more to gain. 

Practice, practice, practice

Obviously, practice makes perfect. The more you practice and rehearse the narrative, in your head or in front of your mirror, the more prepared you will be on game day. Here are some easy ways to practice, and better memorize your presentation.

The 20-20-20 rule

The 20-20-20 rule, which was created by memory experts, encourages you to go over the material (in this case, your presentation) for 20 minutes, and then repeat that twice for another 20 minutes each. According to research, if the information is not repeated or revisited within 30 minutes, it’s not encoded into the long-term memory side of the brain, and therefore would be harder to remember on presentation day. 

Record yourself

When you sit down to practice, you should do at least one dry run in front of the mirror or a friend. And you should record yourself doing it. When you record yourself presenting, you can watch it back to 1) review and memorize the information, and 2) tweak your narrative where necessary. It’s also a great way to manage and tweak your facial expressions and body language. 

There’s just something about hand-written notes that really engrains the information in your brain. No, really. It’s scientifically proven that physically writing down information by hand helps you retain it more effectively. So, take notes. Take notes as you’re story mining, designing your deck, and practicing your speech and refer back to them before your presentation. 

Have a cheat sheet handy

Okay, normally we wouldn’t encourage note cards. Why? Simply because people tend to read directly from the note cards instead of speaking to their audience. But in our new norm of remote work— and virtual conferences, meetings, events, etc.— a cheat sheet can be your friend.

Check out this hot tip. Make a cheat sheet of the absolute highest level key points you need to touch on and tape the note card to the top of your computer near the camera. Even if you need to read from the card (in the case of a mental lapse), it will look like you’re staring into the camera and making eye contact with your virtual audience. You’re welcome. 

Jordan Turner

Jordan is a Bay Area writer, social media manager, and content strategist.

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Module 9: Beyond the Research Paper

Delivering the presentation, learning objectives.

Explain the elements of effective presentation delivery

Methods of Presenting

There are four basic methods for delivering a speech or presentation: manuscript, memorized, impromptu, and extemporaneous. Depending on the task or assignment, you may or may not have a choice of which method to use; even if the method is stipulated, it’s useful to think about the pros and cons of presenting this way.

A manuscript speech is when the presenter writes down every word they will speak during the presentation.

Speaking from a manuscript

The advantage of using a manuscript is that you have access to every word you’ve prepared in advance. There is no guesswork or memorization needed. This method comforts some speakers’ nerves as they don’t have to worry about that moment where they might freeze and forget what they’ve planned to say. When the exact wording of an idea is crucial, speakers often read from a manuscript, for instance in communicating public statements from a company.

However, the disadvantage with a manuscript is that the speakers have MANY words in front of them on the page. This prohibits one of the most important aspects of delivery, eye contact. When many words are on the page, the speakers will find themselves looking down at those words more frequently because they will need the help. If they do look up at the audience, they often cannot find their place when the eye returns to the page. Above all, the speakers should remember to rehearse with the script so that they practice looking up often.

Wedding toasts are often memorized

A memorized presentation is also fully prepared in advance and one in which the speaker does not use any notes. In the case of an occasion speech like a quick toast, a brief dedication, or a short eulogy, word-for-word memorization might make sense. Usually, though, it doesn’t involve committing each and every word to memory, Memorizing a speech isn’t like memorizing a poem where you need to remember every word exactly as written. Don’t memorize a manuscript! Work with your outline instead. Practice with the outline until you can recall the content and order of your main points without effort. Then it’s just a matter of practicing until you’re able to elaborate on your key points in a natural and seamless manner. Ideally, a memorized speech will sound like an off-the-cuff statement by someone who is a really eloquent speaker and an exceptionally organized thinker!

The advantage of a memorized presentation is that the speaker can fully face their audience and make lots of eye contact. The problem with a memorized speech is that speakers may get nervous and forget the parts they’ve memorized. Without any notes to lean on, the speaker may hesitate and leave lots of dead air in the room while trying to recall what was planned. Sometimes, the speaker can’t remember or find his or her place in the speech and are forced to go get the notes or go back to the PowerPoint in some capacity to try to trigger his or her memory. This can be an embarrassing and uncomfortable moment for the speaker and the audience, and is a moment which could be easily avoided by using a different speaking method.

When you speak up in class or in a meeting, it’s usually an impromptu speech.

An impromptu speech is one for which there is little to no preparation. There is often not a warning even that the person may be asked to speak. For example, your boss may ask you to deliver a presentation on a new initiative you’ve been working on. You may or may not be given a few minutes to organize your thoughts. What should you do? DO NOT PANIC. Even under pressure, you can create a basic speech that follows the formula of an introduction, body, and conclusion. If you have a few minutes, jot down some notes that fit into each part of the speech. (In fact, the phrase “speaking off the cuff,” which means speaking without preparation, probably refers to the idea that one would jot a few notes on one’s shirt cuff before speaking impromptu.) [1] While an impromptu speech can be challenging, the advantage is that it can also be thrilling as the speaker thinks off the cuff and says what they’re most passionate about in the moment. A speaker should not be afraid to use notes during an impromptu speech if they were given any time to organize their thoughts. The disadvantage is that there is no time for preparation, so finding research to support claims such as quotes or facts cannot be included. The lack of preparation makes some speakers more nervous and they may struggle to engage the audience due to their nerves.

Extemporaneous

Extemporaneous speaking uses notes to help keep the speaker on track.

The last method of delivery we’ll look at is extemporaneous . When speaking extemporaneously, speakers prepare some notes in advance that help trigger their memory of what they planned to say. These notes are not full sentences, but help the speakers, who turn them into a full sentence when spoken aloud. Note that if a quote is being used, listing that quote verbatim is fine.

The advantage of extemporaneous speaking is that you are able to speak in a more conversational tone by letting your notes guide you, but not dictate every word you say. This method allows you to make more eye contact with the audience. The shorter note forms also prevents you from getting lost in your words. The disadvantage of extemporaneous delivery is that you may forget what you were planning to say in connection to a given note, or lose track of your place in teh overall presentation. This problem can be avoided through rehearsal and double-checking the note order before speaking.

Many speakers consider the extemporaneous method to be the ideal speaking method because it allows them to be prepared, keeps the audience engaged, and encourages a more natural style of delivery. In academic classes, many presentations will probably be delivered extemporaneously.

Rehearsing Your Presentation

The most important element in delivering your presentation as eloquently as possible is practice. The more you rehearse, the smoother your delivery will be and the more you’ll be able to deal with unexpected interruptions or challenges. Ideally, you’ll find time to rehearse in conditions as close to the actual presentation as possible: using the same equipment and even the same space.

As you rehearse, here are some elements of speech delivery to focus on:

• Breath : Strong, sustained speaking begins with breath. Try to breath from the diaphragm, not from your shoulders.
• Articulation : Pronouncing the words so that your audience can follow the nuances of your argument.
• Pitch : Varying your pitch to avoid sounding monotonous.
• Rate : Speaking at the right rate for comprehension; not too fast and not too slow.
• Emphasis : Using emphasis to call attention to key points.
• Volume : Controlling your volume to add variety and call your listeners’ attention to the most important moments in the speech.
• Pauses : Never underestimate the power of the pause. It focuses the audience’s attention and creates anticipation. Not to mention, pauses give you time to think about what you’re going to say.
• Nonverbal aspects of delivery : Controlled body language and gestures help to reinforce your points and help the audience interpret the impact of your words.

Remember: More practice means less nervousness! Building in time to rehearse productively will make the speech far more effective and far less painful.

• As per the Oxford English Dictionary's entry for "Off the Cuff." See an extensive discussion at Mark Liberman's Language Log here: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4130 ↵
• Speaking from Manuscript. Authored by : Laszlo Tuske. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/MrMLBN . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Toast. Authored by : Rona Proudfoot. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/6V5W9L . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Notes. Authored by : Travis Wise. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/rrfva1 . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Town hall. Authored by : Spc. Pollhein, Benjaman and Spc. Adams, Jordan, Pfc. Min, Min Kwon. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/EDN4Ys . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Delivering the presentation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

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In a Hurry? Here’s How to Memorize a Speech in Less than an Hour

This article covers a few great tips about how great speakers make the presentation memorization process easy and stress-free. First, we will cover the big mistakes that most people make when they design a presentation that makes memorizing the presentation much harder. Forgetting what you want to say is a common phobia even among good speakers. So, the first step is to eliminate bad habits that make memorizing a presentation more difficult.

Next, we cover a few memory techniques that are common among professional speakers. (These tips are fantastic, and they work really well.) However, in the third part, I will show you how to actually design your entire presentation where you won’t have to memorize ANYTHING!

If you use this memory technique, your audience will see you as being absolutely brilliant. (Your speech will also be fantastically easy to deliver.)

Big Mistakes When Designing a Presentation that Makes Memorizing a Speech More Difficult.

Before you actually attempt to memorize a speech, the first thing that you want to do is to eliminate the following preparation mistakes. If you do these things, it won’t matter what memory aid you use. Your presentation will likely be difficult to deliver and boring for the audience. (That’s bad.)

1) Starting with the Visual Aid.

Many presenters will often start by designing a PowerPoint slideshow or some other visual aid. When we do this, we will likely end up with a long list of bullet points. As the speaker prepares to deliver the speech, he/she will often need to try to memorize exactly what he/she wants to say for each of the bullets. (This can be hard, and it adds a lot of unneeded pressure.) Instead, start by designing a good presentation. Then, after you have a great speech determine what visual aids will help your audience understand the content.

2) Writing a Presentation Word-for-Word.

Another big mistake is to write out their entire presentation longhand. Many presenters see delivering a presentation like learning lines in a play. We think that we have to create a script first. If you think about the logical “next steps,”, though, you will quickly see the big challenge. Because, after the script is written, you really only have two choices. Choice one is to just read the entire presentation. (Very boring!) Option two is to memorize the entire speech word-for-word (rote memorization.) That adds an extreme level of complexity to the delivery. It also doesn’t fix the initial problem with option number one. (It is still going to be very boring.) To fix this, just create a simple outline of your major points.

3) Data Dumping.

The hardest problem to overcome is called “data dumping.” This is where we give too much information in too short a period of time. When we design presentations, we often think that in order to present well, we have to tell the audience EVERYTHING that we know about the topic all at once. In reality, though, a few points covered really well will be better received than a bunch of points covered in a cursory fashion. We suggest that you limit your main points to five or fewer.

The good news is that once you eliminate these challenges, the next step is pretty easy — choose a memory technique based on the structure of our speech.

How to Memorize a Speech in Just a Few Minutes. (Memory Hack)

The human brain is a fantastic hard drive that can store vast amounts of information. However, most people don’t really understand how to efficiently use this fantastic organ effectively. All that you need to know to improve your memory dramatically in just a few minutes is to realize that your mind thinks in pictures.

When presenters make the mistake of writing out their speeches word-for-word, they will next try to memorize the presentation word-for-word as well. We look at the words on the paper, and we get overwhelmed. You see, our minds don’t remember the written words. We remember the images that those words create in our minds.

An Ancient Memory Technique that Assigns Mental Images for Each Part of Your Speech

The Stacking Technique is an ancient technique used to memorize the most important specific points of your presentation. You can actually memorize a whole speech, by focusing on the main ideas of the presentation — not a word-for-word recitation. Start by creating an outline of the speech. Break the speech into component parts. Then, just create a mental image for each point.

Here is a specific example. Let’s say I was giving the following presentation…

Our Plan to Increase Profit Next Quarter. Cut Costs by Buying Materials in Bulk. Decrease Rework by Improving Communication with Our Customers. Reach Out to Our Existing Satisfied Customers for Additional Orders.

All I would have to do to remember the main concepts is to create a mental image for each bullet point. For the first bullet point, I could create the image of a price tag being cut with a pair of scissors. This will help me remember to speak about cutting costs. For point two, I could picture a golfer who slices his shot and then secretly drops a new ball onto the fairway. The Mulligan golfer will help me remember to speak about reducing rework. For the final point, I could picture an employee with arms stretching 20 feet to shake hands with a customer. This will help me remember to speak about reaching out to happy customers.

To improve the chance of memorizing each item, add some type of action going from one image to the next. For instance, I start with the giant scissors cutting the price tag. The pieces of the price tag fall with a thud on either side of the startled golfer in mid-swing. As a result, his shot goes way off course. The disgruntled golfer looks around nervously and drops a new ball where his previous ball had laid. As he swings a second time, the ball slices around one of our employees. She has super-stretchy arms that are over 20 feet long. With her right hand, she reaches out to shake hands with a happy customer.

This technique works well even if you have to deliver a large number of bullet points. Just add a new image for each new bullet point. Practice the list of images with a friend to move the images to long-term memory.

The Best Way to Memorize a Speech: Mind Map it Out in Your Memory Palace

If you have ever seen a professional keynote speaker come on stage and deliver an entire hour-long presentation without any notes, he/she probably used the Mind Palace technique. (Also called the Mind Palace, Palace Technique, or Room Technique.) This technique is similar to the Stacking Technique, but instead of memorizing the images in sequential order, the images are placed within a location that you know extremely well. So, just like in the Stacking Technique, you create an image for each main point in your presentation.

Next, pick a location you can easily remember in great detail. It could be your house, office, or even the meeting room or banquet hall if you want. Then create a logical ‘route,’ based on which room or piece of furniture that you see first. For example, when you open the front door of your home, what is the first room that you enter?

After deciding on a route, imagine taking that route and focusing on the rooms or items AND the order that you see them. Using my home as an example, when I enter through the front door, I’m standing in the formal living room. The first piece of furniture that I see is the sofa to my left. This is where my dog sleepily wags her tail when I first enter. To my right is my wife’s office. Straight ahead is the formal dining area with the big table that is only used when my family visits on a holiday. Next is the smaller living area where the TV and comfy sofas are. Finally is the kitchen with the island in the middle.

Since I know this route and the specific locations really well, I can easily insert the images that we prepared in the Stacking Section. Instead of seeing my dog on the formal sofa, there is an oversize pair of scissors cutting a price tag. On my wife’s desk is the disgruntled golfer. Seated at the head of the formal dining table is my employee with her arms stretched all the way across the table to shake hands with a happy customer. If I had a fourth point, it would be watching TV. The fifth point would be on the kitchen island.

Add Details with Additional Pictures

Once you have the outline memorized, you can add additional images to represent additional content. For instance, for the first point about bulk orders, let’s say that you want to tell a story to reinforce the point. Last week, we ordered three separate supplies on three different orders and paid shipping fees for each delivery. If we had prepared the orders all at once, we would have saved money on shipping. A good image to help you remember this story is three sailing ships. (This represents the three separate shipments.)

In addition, let’s say that you want to underscore this opportunity by ending with an analogy. For instance, if you are going to fly to three different cities where clients are located, and you will only spend a single day with each, you will save a lot of money (and time) by organizing the trips in a single week. If you made the trips separately, in three different weeks, you’d pay more for your airline tickets and spend way more time at airports. It would also take you at least six days for all of the trips (three traveling and three with the clients.) However, if you left on a Tuesday, visited a client on Wednesday, flew to another city on Thursday, and then another on Friday, you’d spend a lot less time and money.

That is what we want to do with our ordering. Instead of having three people place three orders, paying for shipping for each of the orders, and having three people process the intake when the three orders arrive, we do it all at once. A single order, a single shipping cost, and a single intake. To remember this analogy, I could create an image of a Trident. (A single weapon with three points.)

Going back to the image of the Scissors on my formal sofa, well that sofa has three cushions. The left-most cushion has the scissors. The middle cushion has three ships. And, finally, the third cushion has a trident sticking into it. I can do the same for each room that I created using the Palace Technique.

How to Deliver Your Entire Speech without Memorizing ANYTHING!

By the way, we teach both of these memory techniques in our presentation skills classes . However, almost no one who comes through our classes ever uses either of these techniques.

What? Did you say no one ever uses these techniques to memorize a presentation?

Yes. Delivering a memorized speech is actually a terrible way to give a presentation.

If you design a really good presentation in the first place, you won’t really need to memorize anything. The technique that we teach in our classes is to focus on just a few, key concepts related to what your audience wants or needs to know about your topic. Then, create a visual aid with just those key bullet points on it. Since your bullet points are right there on your slideshow or visual aid, you don’t really need to memorize them. Then, for each of you bullets, come up with a compelling story, interesting analogy, or some other type of “attention getter.”

If you prepare and practice a few items like this for each of your main bullet points, then, when you deliver the presentation, just internally ask yourself, “How can I best explain this concept to my audience?” The answer will always be one or more of the items that you prepared.

A presentation like this will be much more spontaneous and interesting than a memorized presentation.

For additional help, make sure to visit our 101 presentation tips for public speaking blog post.

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14.1 Four Methods of Delivery

Learning objectives.

• Differentiate among the four methods of speech delivery.
• Understand when to use each of the four methods of speech delivery.

Maryland GovPics – House of Ruth Luncheon – CC BY 2.0.

The easiest approach to speech delivery is not always the best. Substantial work goes into the careful preparation of an interesting and ethical message, so it is understandable that students may have the impulse to avoid “messing it up” by simply reading it word for word. But students who do this miss out on one of the major reasons for studying public speaking: to learn ways to “connect” with one’s audience and to increase one’s confidence in doing so. You already know how to read, and you already know how to talk. But public speaking is neither reading nor talking.

Speaking in public has more formality than talking. During a speech, you should present yourself professionally. This doesn’t mean you must wear a suit or “dress up” (unless your instructor asks you to), but it does mean making yourself presentable by being well groomed and wearing clean, appropriate clothes. It also means being prepared to use language correctly and appropriately for the audience and the topic, to make eye contact with your audience, and to look like you know your topic very well.

While speaking has more formality than talking, it has less formality than reading. Speaking allows for meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Reading is a more or less exact replication of words on paper without the use of any nonverbal interpretation. Speaking, as you will realize if you think about excellent speakers you have seen and heard, provides a more animated message.

The next sections introduce four methods of delivery that can help you balance between too much and too little formality when giving a public speech.

Impromptu Speaking

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. Impromptu speeches often occur when someone is asked to “say a few words” or give a toast on a special occasion. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m a volunteer with the Homes for the Brave program.” Another example of impromptu speaking occurs when you answer a question such as, “What did you think of the documentary?”

The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme of his or her message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu speech in public.

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point you want to make.
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak.
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking.

As you can see, impromptu speeches are generally most successful when they are brief and focus on a single point.

Extemporaneous Speaking

Extemporaneous speaking is the presentation of a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes. By using notes rather than a full manuscript, the extemporaneous speaker can establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they are understanding the speech as it progresses. The opportunity to assess is also an opportunity to restate more clearly any idea or concept that the audience seems to have trouble grasping.

For instance, suppose you are speaking about workplace safety and you use the term “sleep deprivation.” If you notice your audience’s eyes glazing over, this might not be a result of their own sleep deprivation, but rather an indication of their uncertainty about what you mean. If this happens, you can add a short explanation; for example, “sleep deprivation is sleep loss serious enough to threaten one’s cognition, hand-to-eye coordination, judgment, and emotional health.” You might also (or instead) provide a concrete example to illustrate the idea. Then you can resume your message, having clarified an important concept.

Speaking extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it is engaging both verbally and nonverbally. The disadvantage of extemporaneous speaking is that it requires a great deal of preparation for both the verbal and the nonverbal components of the speech. Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to speak.

Because extemporaneous speaking is the style used in the great majority of public speaking situations, most of the information in this chapter is targeted to this kind of speaking.

Speaking from a Manuscript

Manuscript speaking is the word-for-word iteration of a written message. In a manuscript speech, the speaker maintains his or her attention on the printed page except when using visual aids.

The advantage to reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. As we mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, in some circumstances this can be extremely important. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers may require that the original words be exact. In reading one word at a time, in order, the only errors would typically be mispronunciation of a word or stumbling over complex sentence structure.

However, there are costs involved in manuscript speaking. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the speaker has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures (as poets do in a poetry slam and actors do in a reader’s theater), the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script precludes eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript speech to hold audience attention, the audience must be already interested in the message before the delivery begins.

It is worth noting that professional speakers, actors, news reporters, and politicians often read from an autocue device, such as a TelePrompTer, especially when appearing on television, where eye contact with the camera is crucial. With practice, a speaker can achieve a conversational tone and give the impression of speaking extemporaneously while using an autocue device. However, success in this medium depends on two factors: (1) the speaker is already an accomplished public speaker who has learned to use a conversational tone while delivering a prepared script, and (2) the speech is written in a style that sounds conversational.

Speaking from Memory

Memorized speaking is the rote recitation of a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie scene. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage to memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means that you can move freely around the stage and use your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage. However, there are some real and potential costs. First, unless you also plan and memorize every vocal cue (the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace), gesture, and facial expression, your presentation will be flat and uninteresting, and even the most fascinating topic will suffer. You might end up speaking in a monotone or a sing-song repetitive delivery pattern. You might also present your speech in a rapid “machine-gun” style that fails to emphasize the most important points. Second, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your style of delivery will alert your audience that something is wrong. More frighteningly, if you go completely blank during the presentation, it will be extremely difficult to find your place and keep going.

Key Takeaways

• There are four main kinds of speech delivery: impromptu, extemporaneous, manuscript, and memorized.
• Impromptu speaking involves delivering a message on the spur of the moment, as when someone is asked to “say a few words.”
• Extemporaneous speaking consists of delivering a speech in a conversational fashion using notes. This is the style most speeches call for.
• Manuscript speaking consists of reading a fully scripted speech. It is useful when a message needs to be delivered in precise words.
• Memorized speaking consists of reciting a scripted speech from memory. Memorization allows the speaker to be free of notes.
• Find a short newspaper story. Read it out loud to a classroom partner. Then, using only one notecard, tell the classroom partner in your own words what the story said. Listen to your partner’s observations about the differences in your delivery.
• In a group of four or five students, ask each student to give a one-minute impromptu speech answering the question, “What is the most important personal quality for academic success?”
• Watch the evening news. Observe the differences between news anchors using a TelePrompTer and interviewees who are using no notes of any kind. What differences do you observe?

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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4 modes of speech delivery | an overview 

Which speech delivery technique is best.

By:  Susan Dugdale  

There are 4 modes (methods) or ways to deliver a speech: to read it from a manuscript word by word, to completely memorize it, as an impromptu, and to give it extemporaneously.

How do you know which mode will be most effective?

The answer depends on how much time you have available, the type of speech you’re giving and, your audience.

Let’s briefly outline each method and their advantages and disadvantages.

What's on this page

An overview of the 4 modes of speech delivery, the pros (advantages) and cons (disadvantages) of each, plus links to examples and further resources.

• extemporaneous

1. Manuscript

One of the most common ways to deliver a speech is to use a manuscript: a word by word document of everything you plan to say from beginning to end. This ensures, when you read it out loud, what you say is exactly what you intend, without deviation.

What is the best way to write a manuscript speech?

As with any type of speech, the best way to start is not with the words but with considering your topic, your audience, how much time you have to speak and the purpose of your speech.

Once you have those clear, then you are ready to begin planning a speech outline: an overview of all the material you want to cover. 

When the outline is completed you’ll use that to write your manuscript.

Click the link for more about the process of preparing a speech outline , with examples. (The page also has a free printable blank speech outline for you to download and use)

And for more about writing a speech, in particular writing oral language, words to be spoken aloud, please see how to write a speech . You’ll find a useful guide covering the principal characteristics of spoken speech. (It is very different from writing an essay!) 

Who regularly delivers a manuscript speech?

Newsreaders, TV personalities, politicians, business leaders and the President! Anybody whose speech is going to be closely scrutinized will use either a manuscript or its electronic equivalent, a teleprompter. These are speeches where the content is significant, perhaps life changing, where facts and figures must be 100% accurate, and where the tone of the language used is important.

What distinguishes a good delivery of a manuscript speech from a poor one, is practice. Some of the greatest public speakers in the world ‘read’ their speeches with so much skill they sound as if they are making up what they’re saying on the spot. The speech comes across as being completely spontaneous and is delivered flawlessly. 

Great public speakers who 'read' their speeches

A famous example is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Winston Churchill. Throughout World War Two (1939-1945) his extraordinary speeches inspired the people he led to persevere in their fight to keep the Nazis out of England in spite of the odds being stacked against them.

To find out more read Winston Churchill's Way With Words - an excellent NPR article, with audio, on how he crafted his speeches. 

And another more recent example is America’s ex-President Barack Obama. 

American Rhetoric has audio and text (pdf) links to his speeches spanning 2002 - 2014. Four are included in a list of 49 of the most important speeches in 21st century America . These are:

• 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address
• Commencement Address at Knox College (2005)
• A More Perfect Union (2008)
• Speech at the 'Together We Thrive: Tucson and America' Memorial (2011)

How to deliver a manuscript speech

Print your speech out single sided. Make sure each page is numbered clearly. Use an easily read font like Arial, black ink, and size the font and space the lines so that the text may be read at a glance.

Use a lectern  adjusted for your height  to put your manuscript on. As you finish reading each page turn it over face down and move it to your left. That will help stop you from getting muddled.

Aim for at least one read through aloud before you deliver it.

The more you can practice the better your delivery will be. 

How to read aloud well

Reading aloud well is a skill. Some people are very good at it, and some are ghastly, largely because they’ve had no practice. (And sadly, many who regularly read their speech scripts don’t realize how bad they are to listen to because nobody has told them. Their presentations have been endured, rather than enjoyed for years!)

If you have to regularly read your speeches here’s how to read a speech effectively: 4 good ways to improve how you read aloud . It will help a great deal!

The pros (advantages) for a manuscript speech

The major advantage of using a script is that it ensures the speaker will deliver the right message, the one that’s been prepared, without errors. This is particularly important when presenting complex subject matter.  

Another is that when there's not enough time to rehearse or prepare thoroughly, reading may be the only real option available. Without the safety of a script you may forget large chunks of information, or misremember important material. The script keeps you on track.

A third reason could be that the mere presence of the script is reassuring for nervous or anxious speakers. Even if they do not actually need it, because they’ve prepared well, the script is calming. If they suddenly blank out, they’ll be alright, as they have the script to refer to.

And a fourth is that you can easily back track, return to a point you made several pages earlier, if you need to.

The cons (disadvantages) of manuscript speeches

The main disadvantages of using a manuscript are:

• being anchored to one place . If you are using a full script you need to remain in front of the lectern, or teleprompter in order to read it. You can not move freely as you deliver your speech.
• lack of eye contact with your audience because you need to keep your eyes on your words. When there is very little or no eye contact between a speaker and their audience, the audience switches off because they feel ignored, shut out.  The ability to look at the audience while using notes or a teleprompter helps your audience to listen better, retain more of what they hear, and feel as if they’ve gained more value from your speech. Click the link for more about the importance of using eye contact [including 5 fun activities to teach students how to use eye contact well]
• Using language that doesn’t flow easily when you say it aloud . There are major differences between writing intended for oral language - something to be spoken aloud, and writing something that is intended to be read, like a newspaper article or an essay. For more please see how to write a speech . You’ll find an infographic on the characteristics of spoken language.   Whenever possible, always read your manuscript aloud before you deliver it. It’s much nicer to find typos, missing words, vital information omissions and other glitches (such as words you are not sure how to pronounce correctly), by yourself rather than in public. Another useful thing to do is to run your manuscript through a grammar checker . It may pick up errors you've overlooked.

2. Memorized speech

A memorized speech is one delivered completely from memory. That means: no notes at all. There is just you: the speaker, the speech you recall, word for word, and your audience.

Why choose to memorize a speech?

There are three likely reasons. 

• You want the illusion of a ‘natural’ conversation between yourself and your audience. The presence of a lectern with your manuscript on it, a teleprompter, or a set of cue cards in your hand makes that impossible.
• You want to be able to ‘play’ freely with your delivery: to be able to move, to gesture, as you see fit rather than be tethered to notes.
• You want to make completely sure the words you have written are faithfully delivered to the audience, without any changes at all. That can be vital in comedy.

What type of speech is enhanced through memorization?

A personal speech, for example one sharing childhood stories, a very carefully scripted humorous speech where you absolutely must get the words in the right order for them to work, or an inspirational one prepared especially to move and motivate a particular audience. All of these can be more effective delivered without notes.

There are also declamation speeches . These are in a special category of their own. They are memorized recitations of known speeches: a task set by teachers to have their pupil's fully experience the power of carefully crafted, well delivered oratorical language.    

What type of speeches are NOT suited to memorization?

• Any presentation or speech covering critical information that people will use to make important, and often life-altering, decisions. For instance, a detailed weather report cannot be inaccurate. The information outlining the state government’s strategy for combating poverty, declining employment rates, and climate change needs to be presented in a way the audience can easily follow and be factually correct. Missing bits out or getting them wrong creates confusion.
• Presentations which include large amounts of data : for example, a roundup of a company’s annual performance figures would be very difficult to accurately memorize, as well as being very difficult for an audience to listen to and retain.   
• Lengthy presentations - speeches running over 10 or more minutes in time.     

How to memorize a speech

If you decide to memorize your entire speech, the very first thing you’ll need is lots of time to practice. This is critical. Do not be tempted to minimize how much is required.

To safely commit it to memory you have to go over and over your speech until you can easily say it out loud without hesitation, deviation or repetition. This can take weeks of regular daily practice, particularly if you’ve not done it before. If you haven’t got that time available to you, opt for an extemporized delivery. (See the notes on extemporaneous speeches below.)

Review your speech outline

Having made the decision to memorize, the next thing you need to do is carefully review your speech outline. 

These are questions you’ll want to consider: 

• Are the major points in the right order? Do you have supporting examples for each of them? Are the transitions between each of the points clear? Is there a memorable conclusion? Does the opening or introduction work as a hook to pull the audience in?
• Does the speech have a clear purpose? Does it meet it? Has it been tailored for its intended audience? 

(Click the link for more about preparing a useful speech outline . You’ll find step by step guidelines, examples, and a free printable blank outline template to use.) 

Repeat your speech out loud, a lot!

Once you are satisfied with your outline, it’s time to begin the process of committing it to memory.

This starts with saying your speech out loud multiple times while using your outline. As you do you’ll be listening for bits you need to change in some way. Perhaps the words you’re using aren’t quite right for your audience. Maybe it doesn’t flow as well as you thought it did and you’ll want to swap pieces around. Or it’s too long and needs pruning. 

It’s a repetitive process: make a change. Try it out. If it’s good, keep it and move on to the next section. Repeat until you’ve worked through the entire speech.

An additional tip is for every significant change you make, make a new document, (eg. myspeech v1, myspeech v2, myspeech v3…) or at least track the changes. That way if you decide you want to revert to an earlier version you can. I’ve got at least 10 versions of some of the speeches I’ve written!

The next step is to begin working without the outline. 

The 'see, walk, and talk' method

The method I use is the same one I use as an actor to learn play lines. 

I call it ‘see, walk and talk’. It's a 3 part approach. Each is essential. 

The seeing part is visualization: seeing the words on the page. Seeing the order they come in, and anything else that distinguishes them from the rest. Is it a heading? Is it a number? Is it highlighted? 

The second part is walking. Walking helps a great deal and is an ancient  technique for  memorizing   now backed by science. *

If it’s fine, I walk outside and as I walk, I talk (the third part), repeating out loud  the section I'm trying to recall over and over until I get it right.

If the weather is bad, then I walk inside, around and around a room, or on a treadmill which works just as well.

*   Schmidt-Kassow M, Zink N, Mock J, et al. Treadmill walking during vocabulary encoding improves verbal long-term memory. Behav Brain Funct. 2014;10:24. Published 2014 Jul 12. doi:10.1186/1744-9081-10-24 ) 

'See, walk, talk' in action

Start with the body of your speech, the main points. Your goal is to remember each one, in their correct order.

There are three steps in this process.

• Look at your outline. If it helps highlight the main points, and number them. Take a mental photograph of it.
• Put the outline behind your back. Walk and say out loud as many of the main points you can in their correct order.
• When you find yourself struggling to recall, stop. Look at your outline. Take another mental photo. Put the outline behind your back, and start over again. Walk and talk. 

Repeat until you can run through the entire sequence of main points, and the transitions between them, without hesitation.

Add the subpoints to the main points

The next step is to add the fine points - the subpoints (additional material) and examples to your main points.

Go back to the first main point. Take a mental snapshot of the subpoints and examples. Note carefully the order they come in, and any specialist vocabulary or phrase you wanted to use.

Now walk and talk. Repeat the sequence until you have it as you want it. Then go back to the beginning and repeat the first main point, its supporting material and then the subsequent main points.

Your next part to memorize is the second main point's supporting material. Once you have that down, you go back to the beginning to run the first main point, its sub points, then the second point and its sub points.  Then you are ready to do the third main point in exactly the same way.

Add the conclusion and the beginning

Once you have completed memorizing the body of your speech, add the conclusion and the beginning.   

The pattern is simple. You add a piece, then go back and repeat it all through from the beginning. Each repetition etches it more deeply into your memory.

Please note : you are not working on delivery as you say it out loud. This is purely routine repetition. There is no need for pausing, emphasis, or changes in volume and pace. Think of it as a vanilla performance - plain.  At this stage the bulk of your energy needs to go into remembering, not expression. 

Sort out and memorize the delivery

Delivery is how you say your speech, not what you say.

Once you have the content (what you are saying) reliably remembered, you are free to work on your vocal delivery: how you are going to say it.

Which parts need to be said more slowly? Which parts need to be highlighted through strategic pausing? What can be spoken quickly? Are there bits that need to be treated as asides? Are there ‘voices’ to take on? Perhaps an angry voice? Or a wheedling, whining voice?

How you say your speech directly affects how your audience receives it. If you deliver it like a monotone robot - one speed, one tone, one pitch, one volume, people’s ears will switch off even if the content is interesting to them. Delivery can make all the difference between listening and not listening.

To be effective, your delivery needs to fit both the content and the audience’s needs.

As with memorizing the content, getting the delivery how you want it requires experimentation and then repetition to ensure you’ve got it safely embedded.

Working with a recorder is useful to actually hear what your voice is doing, rather what you think it’s doing. There’s often a very big difference. You’ll hear if you’re going too quickly, pausing too long, not pausing long enough, mispronouncing words, gabbling, or using the same inflection pattern over and over again.

Find out more about the vocal aspects of speech delivery . 

Use a mirror, a video and a test audience

It’s also useful to either work in front of a mirror or video yourself. That will show you where you need to modify your body language. Do you stand straight? Do you gesture appropriately? 

Rinse, and repeat until you feel happy with what you’re doing. And then practice in front of a select test audience, whom you know will give you honest useful feedback. Incorporate what you want from the suggestions you’re given and practice again. And now you should be ready to deliver your speech!

Pros of memorizing your speech

A memorized speech is generally more engaging. If delivered well it creates the illusion of having a conversation with your audience because you are speaking directly to them and you are able to make eye contact freely, as well as move how, and where you want. This creates a more intimate and personal connection.

Cons of memorizing your speech

There are three major disadvantages to memorizing a speech. The biggest is the risk of forgetting something, especially with a longer speech. This can lead to panic which leads to scrabbling around trying to pick up the threads to start again. That can rapidly become a downward spiral which compromises the whole presentation.

Secondly, using a memorized speech can constrain or limit the ideas you express because everything is prepared in advance. It leaves little room for spontaneity: content adjustments and additions made in response to a particular audience’s needs.

And thirdly, a memorized speech can be incredibly boring if the speaker has not worked on delivery. It has a canned quality, lacking immediacy and vitality. It sounds like a switch got flicked on and out it comes: blah, blah, blah … irrespective of the audience.

3. Impromptu

An impromptu speech is, as its name suggests, a speech made without prior planning, organization or rehearsal.

Although it may be based on a brief outline or written prompt, the speaker will often have little or no opportunity for detailed or extensive preparation.

While making an impromptu speech involves little immediate preparation it require significant amounts of prior practice to give one well.

An effective impromptu speech is structured, (beginning, middle, end), and meets the needs of those listening to it. To give a good one requires versatility and flexibility: the ability to adapt and respond easily and appropriately to the unexpected.

The speaker needs to understand how to quickly choose the best format, how to decide on the main points to cover, how to order them, and how to open and close the speech.

And lastly, impromptu speaking requires confidence, and trust in oneself.  

When should an impromptu speech be delivered?

There are many social or work settings where making an impromptu speech is expected, and if done well, very much appreciated.

At a family get together the person who is asked to say a few words to welcome everyone, or make the toast is giving an impromptu speech. At a meeting to discuss current work issues, a sales manager may be asked to outline areas of challenge without prior warning. The response they give is an impromptu speech.

The ability to summon up succinct, structured remarks is highly valued in all areas of life. 

How do you prepare for an impromptu speech?

The essential preparation for impromptu speaking begins out of the spotlight, long before being asked to speak.

For comprehensive step by step guidelines covering how to gain the necessary skills please see:  strategies and templates to succeed at impromptu speaking .

You’ll find tips to get you started, 7 different structural templates to use, suggestions for keeping any nervousness under control, and links to 100s of impromptu speaking topics to use for practice.

Pros of impromptu speeches

The advantages definitely outweigh any disadvantages. 

Although some people have a natural gift for being able to talk freely and spontaneously, it can be learned. It’s a skill, like riding a bike. (But better!) When you’re beginning you fall off a few times, and graze your knees. If you get back on and keep pedaling eventually you stay upright.

Get better at impromptu speaking and you’ll find it will open many doors, leading to a richer and fuller life.  

Don’t settle for silence when you can learn to speak up for yourself, and others.

If you're reluctant to attempt it and put yourself out there, please read this article:  Speaking in business may be your most important skill .

The cons of impromptu speaking

In some contexts and on some subjects it would be unwise to attempt delivering an impromptu speech.

For instance, when asked for an evaluation of business risks associated with Covid-19, or to comment on possible correlations between socio-economic status and educational achievement in the USA, speaking without consulting a broad cross-section of informed specialists would be ill-advised. 

Each situation needs careful consideration. Are you able to talk knowledgeably on the topic you’ve been given? Are you entitled to talk about it?

If you can not speak on the subject being asked of you, say so politely. You can offer to come back with a full response at a later date. Or you can hand the question on to someone who can answer it. Knowing your limits is very useful for maintaining credibility!

Another possible downside is succumbing to fear. It could be fear of finding yourself with nothing to say, of drying up under pressure, or of muddling material in some way. The only really useful antidote to nervousness/fear is practice. Lots, and lots of it. It does get better! 

4. Extemporaneous speaking

An extemporaneous speech is one where the speaker combines the use of notes or cue cards with improvisation. It’s a mix of carefully scripted and sequenced material and impromptu speaking.  

How do you deliver an extemporaneous speech?

An extemporaneous delivery is naturally flowing and conversational. The points to be made will have been carefully outlined. They will be in the correct order, along with their supporting ideas and examples but the exact wording is made up as you go along.

If you give the same speech to different audiences, the words you use may change because every audience responds differently. The result is a speech that is fresh each time it is delivered, because while you are speaking, you are in the moment, speaking off-the-cuff and from the heart. The text is neither memorized, or being read word for word.

Like the first three modes of delivery, this too needs practice, in order to become good at it. 

You’ll need to practice:

• speaking to time to avoid either going on too long or being too brief
• making effective transitions - finding the bridging words to link one main point to the next, or to link one segment of your speech to the following one. For instance the introduction to the body of the speech,  or the body of the speech to the conclusion.
• openings and conclusions.

For more information here's a very useful 'how to' article from The Dept. of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh on oral discourse and extemporaneous delivery .  

The advantages of extemporaneous speeches

An extemporaneous speech is more spontaneous and therefore natural compared to either a manuscript or memorized speech.  The speaker is free to tailor the presentation to the audience, rather than sticking to a set speech. That could include responding to any questions or objections he receives. 

Disadvantages of extemporaneous speeches

There are three main drawbacks to extemporaneous speaking.

The first is becoming stranded; tongue tied and silent because you don't know how to get from one point on your outline or cue cards to the next.  When that happens, the delivery becomes stilted, a stop-start presentation, which in turn can make the speaker feel anxious, which makes recovering the flow more difficult.

A second drawback is misreading the audience, and delivering the speech using either language, (word choices), or humor they find hard to understand or accept.

As an example, a speech littered with ‘corporate speak’ is not going to win me over. I don’t want to hear about ‘core competencies’, ‘going forwards’ , ‘ducks in a row’ or anything ‘scalable’ at all!

And a third is exceeding the time allowance you’d been given. Because you are fleshing it out from your cue cards or outline as you go along it is easy to lose track of time. The cumulative effect of an additional example or two and further comments, quickly soaks it up, leaving you scrambling to finish properly.  

If you are a first time presenter, probably the safer option is to learn how to read a manuscript speech well and gradually build the skills required to give an extemporaneous speech.

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• Presentation Science

5 Ways to Memorize Your Presentation

• By: Amy Boone

Research? Check. Writing? Check. Presentation media development? Check. Now it’s time to start memorizing. Gulp.

Memorization is one of the more daunting parts of speech preparation. But it’s important. When you memorize large portions of your presentation, great things can happen. You can choose and use the best words consistently. Your speech flows smoothly, allowing you to sound credible and prepared. And you are able to maintain great eye contact with your audience because you aren’t having to constantly look down at your notes.

Following are 5 scientifically backed techniques for committing a presentation to memory. Use one or more of these to make that last daunting step so much easier.

1. Break the presentation down into smaller parts.

“Chunking” is a practice for learning and memorizing information. Studies show that we learn more effectively if we can take larger things and break them into smaller bits of information. For example, phone numbers aren’t learned as a long string of numbers. Instead, we break them into sequences of three or four numbers to make them easier to remember. You could chunk your presentation into the introduction, each main point, and the conclusion. It’s easier to face a few smaller foes instead of one looming and formidable giant.

2. Write it down.

Studies have proven that the act of writing something down can help you remember it better than if you simply typed it out. If you seem to be stuck in a practice rut and can’t seem to break through a memory block, grab a pen and some paper. The thought of writing out your whole presentation might seem cumbersome. But you don’t have to do this for the whole presentation. However, it’s a good technique for those parts that are more difficult to remember.

3. Give yourself breaks.

Research shows that once you’ve been interrupted, it will take around 25 minutes to get your focus back. That means that if you are having trouble focusing, it might be better to take a break for a while. Pay attention to the natural surges and lulls in your ability to concentrate, and memorize your presentation when you feel the most focused and attentive.

4. Set aside time to practice.

Modern neuroscience has made huge advancements in understanding the plasticity of the human brain . We know that when we encounter something new—as we do during learning or memorizing—our brain literally changes to form new pathways and connections. The more often we practice a presentation, the stronger those connections become. Unfortunately, there’s no magical potion for memorization. Most often, it’s simply a matter of setting time aside to do the intensive work of committing what you’ve so carefully prepared to memory.

5. Record yourself.

If you are having trouble finding the time to practice, you can record yourself practicing. Then listen to that audio while you drive, mow the lawn, or exercise. First, make sure that the recording is of your best run-through. You are building the pathway we talked about in number 4, so it needs to be a stellar one. Use a program like voice memo or the video camera on your phone, and then play this back, listening to the presentation in moments when you can’t rehearse it fully. Wondering if listening actually helps? A 2014 study published in the Journal of Music Education proved that listening to an audio recording will not only help improve future practice sessions by nearly 20%, but that it will improve overnight retention of the material as well.

All in all, memorization is tough work. But these well-researched tips can help make it easier. When it gets tough, keep your end goal in mind. At the end of the memorization process, you’ll be able to confidently deliver ideas that are important to you, without your head in your notes.

The methods we use to teach presentation skills at Ethos3 are backed by science and are used by experts in the field. Ready to become a master presenter?

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How to Create Your Ultimate Sales Presentation (with examples)

The Presentation is Step 4 of your Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation.

So, you are a dedicated sales professional who has been following my Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation formula! Thus far, you have completed your sales prospecting, so you know the customer is a qualified prospect. You have also spent time developing a strategic presentation plan. Plus, you have even planned your all-important approach to begin your presentation.

Now. At last. It is time to plan a killer presentation; a presentation sure to bring success and well-deserved hearty congratulations from coworkers and bosses!

So, no more delays, let’s get started!

In this article on creating your ultimate sales presentation, we will cover:

• Types of Common Selling Situations

4 Sales Presentation Methods

Basics of a group presentation, win-win negotiating, which presentation method is best, types of selling situations.

When I first started as a sales representative, I only had to master one selling situation. It was me selling to a single buyer. However, as I gained sales experience, I found that I had to present in a variety of selling situations.

As a professional salesperson, you need to be aware of the types of selling situations that you might encounter over the course of your career. Here are five of the most common selling situations.

• Salesperson to the buyer. A single salesperson presenting to a single buyer. This is how most of us start in our selling careers.
• Salesperson to the buyer group. A single salesperson presenting to a buying group or committee. You may present to a buying group when the information is technically complex or when the dollar value of the product is above a single buyer’s authorized level.
• Sales team to the buyer group. A selling team presents to a buying group or committee. The selling team and buying committee is often made up of people from different departments with different skillsets. For example, I led selling teams comprising myself as a sales manager, along with people from sales, finance, product supply, operations, and logistics. We presented to customer buying teams comprising people with the same areas of expertise.
• Consultant selling. A lead salesperson assembles company personnel to deal with specific opportunities or solve specific problems for a customer. For example, when I was a sales manager for Procter& Gamble’s Foodservice division, I was frequently called on to work with customers as a consultant to solve a specific problem. “Why don’t our pie crusts bake evenly?” “Why are the scallops cooked at lunch lighter than the scallops cooked for dinner?” I brought in teams of experts to work specifically on these problems.
• Seminar selling. Seminar selling is often educational in nature. In the “old days,” seminar selling was often held in a hotel meeting room. For example, attorneys put on an educational seminar about wills and trusts. When they were done with the seminar, they sold their services. These days a lot of seminar selling is done via “webinars.” A salesperson presents educational material via a live stream over the internet, and when they are done, they sell their services.

Now that we have a handle on the most common selling situations, we must determine which sales presentation methods we will use for our presentation.

Your sales presentation is a combination of persuasive verbal and visual communications of your business proposition that will solve a customer’s problem. Although to deliver a compelling presentation, you also need to match the presentation method to the specific buying situation.

There are four basic presentation methods most salespeople need to master. They are the

• persuasive selling,
• needs-satisfaction, and
• problem-solution method.

The primary difference between the methods is the percentage of time the salesperson is speaking. In the memorized and persuasive selling methods, the salesperson dominates the conversation. In the needs-satisfaction and problem-solution methods, both the salesperson and buyer share in the conversation.

You can think of these methods as being on a continuum from highly structured to completely customized.

The memorized sales presentation method is the most highly structured method. The salesperson does 80-90% of the talking. The buyer’s participation is generally limited to responding to questions posed by the salesperson.

The memorized presentation is a “canned” presentation; delivering the same basic presentation to every prospective buyer. The salesperson discusses the same features and benefits hoping they will stimulate the buyer’s interest.

The most common use of memorized presentations today is door-to-door and telephone sales.

The memorized presentation method has several advantages.

• It increases the confidence of inexperienced salespeople.
• It ensures that a salesperson or entire salesforce delivers the same features and benefits to prospective buyers.
• It is most efficient when selling time is short.

Drawbacks of the memorized presentation include:

• It is impersonal.
• It may present features and benefits that mean nothing to the buyer.
• It has limited participation with the buyer and, therefore, may be perceived as a high-pressure sales presentation.
• It is not effective for complicated selling situations or technical products.

Persuasive Selling

The persuasive selling presentation method is a powerful tool for both new and experienced salespeople. It is less structured than the memorized presentation. The salesperson typically controls the approach and beginning of the presentation but then engages the buyer more and more as the presentation continues.

The persuasive selling method has several advantages.

• It provides an opportunity for more buyer/seller interaction.
• It provides a logical framework and flow of information.
• It allows the salesperson to handle anticipated questions and objections.

The primary drawback of the persuasive selling model is that the structure is less flexible than the need-satisfaction or problem solution methods. Its more formal structure makes it less suitable for complex selling situations.

With the persuasive selling method, the presentation follows a formula or outline. A typical outline for a persuasive selling presentation includes five steps.

Summarize the Situation

State your idea, explain how it works.

• Reinforce the Key Benefits

Suggest an Easy Next Step

Summarize the situation that leads to the purpose of your presentation.

For example , “Last time we met, you mentioned needing to increase sales by 5%. Is that still the case?”

State your idea regarding a solution in clear, simple terms.

For example , “My idea is for you to feature Product X in your advertising and support the feature with a display.”

Share the details of your proposal. Include information about the product, pricing, timing, and etc., so the buyer understands how your proposal will solve his/her problem.

For example , “We know features and displays on Product X increase sales volume by 5x. I suggest you feature Product Super Duper Extra Large Size in your feature on (date). I will come in the week before the ad and build a display for you.”

Reinforce Key Benefits

Reinforce the key benefits by restating why your proposal solves the buyer’s problem. Focus on the key benefit(s) that are most important to the buyer.

For example , “As I said, a feature and display of Product Super Duper usually has a significant impact on sales. I estimate your sales will increase to (estimate) during the week of the feature and display.

Close the sale by suggesting the next steps, which are needed so you can successfully follow through in your proposal.

For example , “If you submit Product Super Duper for a feature on (date), I will order X number of cases of Super Duper to arrive the week before the feature. Then, on the day before the ad breaks, I will come in and build a display for you.”

Need-Satisfaction

The need-satisfaction presentation method is the most difficult to master. The entire presentation is often a back and forth conversation between buyer and seller. For this reason, the salesperson needs to be able to adapt their style and the information they convey to the seller throughout the presentation.

The need-satisfaction method has several advantages.

• It is highly flexible and customizable.
• It is particularly well-suited for the sale of complex, highly technical products.
• It is most effective at uncovering and prioritizing buyer needs.

The primary drawback of the needs-satisfaction method is the open-ended conversational nature of the presentation process. This makes it a difficult method for less experienced salespeople to master.

As the name suggests, the salesperson begins by discussing the buyer’s needs, then clarifies and summarizes the buyer’s greatest need, and finally, demonstrates how their product will meet the buyer’s needs.

Need Development

The presentation begins with the salesperson, asking a probing question to begin the process of ascertaining buyer needs. The salesperson asks a series of these probing questions to understand as much as possible about all the buyer’s specific needs and problems.

It is not uncommon for half or even more of the presentation time to be spent in the need development phase.

For example , a probing question for a computer salesperson is, “What tasks do your employees use your computers for? Or, “What software do the people in your company use the most?”

Need Awareness

Once the salesperson understands the buyer’s needs and problems, it is time to narrow down the needs/problem to the most important one to solve. The salesperson should then restate the need/problem and confirm with the buyer.

For example , “From what you’ve told me, the biggest problem your accounting staff has is they need to be able to see what people in other departments are spending. They use the Super Deluxe Accounting software package, but they are not on the same network, so they cannot see what various departments are spending. Is that correct?”

Need Fulfillment

The need fulfillment stage is the final phase of the needs-satisfaction presentation method. In this stage, the salesperson demonstrates how their product will meet the buyer’s needs or solve their problem.

For example , “I can certainly understand the importance of having your accounting staff computers networked with common software so they can see what each department is spending. My company makes an internet hub specifically designed to link seamlessly all the computers in the accounting department. It is fast, reliable, and is expandable so it can grow as your company grows. I suggest our training team come in and train your accounting department the week before the technical crew installs the new system Is next week good for the training or would the following week be better?”

I’ve used the needs-satisfaction method numerous times throughout my career.

Often, with complicated situations, I’ve had to spend an entire appointment on just needs development and needs awareness phases. When this happens, I will take the time between appointments to think through all the buyer’s needs/problems and select the best features, advantages, and benefits. Then in my next meeting with the buyer, I will use the persuasive selling method to present my solution because I already know the problem I need to solve for the buyer!

Problem-Solution

The problem-solution presentation method is a completely flexible, customized presentation that requires full engagement between buyer and seller. It is like the need satisfaction method because it is designed to uncover specific buyer needs or problems and then provide the appropriate solution. The primary difference is the problem-solution method is designed to handle a situation where the buyer may not even understand the problem or know how to solve it.

The problem-solution presentation method has several advantages.

• It is highly flexible and completely customizable.
• It is best suited for highly complex technical situations.
• It provides an in-depth analysis of specific needs or problems.

The problem-solution presentation method also has several disadvantages.

• Its complexity makes it difficult for inexperienced salespeople to manage the entire process.
• It is time-intensive, often taking several appointments involving multiple disciplines, over a period of weeks or even months.

Multiple Steps are Needed

The problem-solution presentation method consists of multiple steps. Here are eight steps I follow using the problem-solution presentation method.

• Agreement between buyer and seller to complete the analysis.
• Assemble the seller team and identify the customer’s mirror team.
• Agree on a timeline and the scope of the analysis.
• Conduct the actual analysis.
• Form conclusions and recommended courses of action based on the analysis.
• Develop the sale presentation based on the analysis, conclusions, and recommended course of action.
• The sales team delivers the sales presentation to the customer mirror team.
• Implement the agreed-upon actions.

I can’t give you a verbatim example of a problem-solution presentation, or this article would likely run several hundred more pages than you would want to read! However, I can give you an example of a situation where I used the problem-solution method.

I was in a role where I led teams of salespeople, finance, and product supply experts to analyze entire departments of a grocery store. The goal was to maximize department profits by optimizing the product assortment and layout of the department.

The analysis required the retailer to provide months’ worth of detailed financial and volume information for every product carried in the department. We combined their information with complicated psychographic information to determine the mix of products that would maximize profits and customer satisfaction. Then, with the optimized assortment, we designed shelf layouts that incorporated each product in its most logical and efficient location.

Once the analysis, conclusions, and recommendations were developed, we assembled all the information in presentation notebooks. With all the data these presentations typically ran over 100-pages!

Finally, when everything was printed, our selling team comprising of salespeople, finance, and product supply folks, presented to the customer’s mirror team. Often these presentations ran over two hours.

Once all the agreements were made, we established implementation teams responsible for making the changes in every store.

All-in-all it was not uncommon for this process to take 2-3 months for every retailer we worked with. However, we only committed to this kind of work when there was a significant long-term upside for our company! Given all the time, energy, and expertise to do the analysis and make the presentation.

Both the need-satisfaction and problem-solution presentation methods may involve presenting to a group of people. So next, let’s look at some of the nuances of presenting to groups.

There are two types of group presentations I participated in or delivered over the years. One type is what I call the one-to-many, where I present to a customer’s group. The other type and the one I liked the most is the many-to-many, where a group from the seller company presents to a group from the buyer company.

Delivering successful group presentations is complicated because many people are involved, you cover a lot of material, and the material itself is usually complicated.

I can’t possibly cover everything about running a successful group meeting in this article. Nonetheless, there are a few basics you must understand to conduct successful group presentations.

Get plenty of space

These group presentations are often conducted in a large meeting or board room. There’s nothing worse than stuffing 15 people into a room that holds ten.

Arrange for more time than you think you’ll need

If you need 90 minutes, ask for two-hours. No executive will complain if you finish 30 minutes early, but you stand the risk of losing people if you go over your allotted time.

The more people, the more structured the presentation method. Controlling the attention of any large group requires a presentation that is highly structured and organized.

Start with introductions

Chances are individuals who know each other, but not everyone else in the room, so start with simple introductions of name and role.

Publish an agenda

Let the people know what will be covered and in what order. This is also a perfect time to let people know what to expect for the rest of the meeting.

Have a designated question and answer time

Open questions and answers throughout a presentation with large groups are too distracting. If there are major sections to your presentation you can have a question and answer session for each section. Otherwise, you may elect to have one question and answer section at the end of the presentation.

Assign a timekeeper

For very complicated, long presentations, have someone on your team serve as a timekeeper to help keep you on track and from going over your time limit.

Appoint a designated note-taker on your team

The note taker needs to capture key comments, questions, and agreements for reference later.

Get engagement and agreement as you go

I know I said not to have open questions and answers throughout the presentation, but that doesn’t mean you make the presentation like a robot from the front of the room. If you see head nods, ask if they agree. If you see someone with a concerned or quizzical look on their face, ask if they have a question. If the issue is simple, handle it. Otherwise, say you’ll answer their question in just a moment (or in the Q&A at the end).

Focus on benefits

Talk about and reinforce the key benefits of your solution throughout your presentation. If there is a product supply person in the room, mention the benefits that accrue to that department. If there is a finance person talk to them about financial benefits. And so on! Make sure every person in the room hears the benefit of the proposal as it pertains to them!

Summarize the benefits

Just as you’re getting ready to close, summarize, or restate the key benefits you mentioned throughout your presentation. Again, make sure everyone hears the benefit that your solution brings to them in their work!

These tips are just the basics of running a successful group presentation. I can’t guarantee your success by following them, but I can just about guarantee failure if you ignore any of them!

As you approach the close, you will almost certainly have points the buyer wants to question or negotiate. So next, let’s talk a little bit about how to set yourself and your team up for successful negotiations.

I knew a few salespeople over the years who had a “take it or leave” attitude. They had one proposal, and one way of doing business and they were prepared to walk away from business if the buyer didn’t meet all their demands.

On the other hand, I also ran across a few customers who had a “take it or leave it” attitude. They made whatever demands they felt they could get away with pressuring suppliers to meet their demands. They figured if one supplier didn’t meet their demands the next supplier probably would.

I didn’t like working with either sellers or buyers who took that hardline approach.

In my opinion, a relational salesperson should be prepared to negotiate whether you are talking to a single buyer or a buying group. Over the years, I found the trick is to plan your points of negotiation ahead of time. By planning ahead of time you’ll know where you can compromise and where you cannot.

For example , you should know:

• What extra services can you provide that competitors do not?
• Is your price firm, or is there some flexibility?
• Are there payment terms or a payment plan?
• Can you provide any free services (like training) or equipment upgrades?
• Can you offer flexible delivery dates?

At Procter & Gamble (and most other large companies), our prices and terms were fixed, so I had to create negotiating flexibility in other ways. I could easily offer different shipping dates, different quantities and product assortment, and in some cases, product training.

The point is that I was clear about the things I could not negotiate. Likewise, I clarified that I was happy to negotiate where I had flexibility.

So far, we have covered the five most common selling situations and the four presentation methods. Now, it is time to determine which presentation method is best for you and your situation.

Your selling objective is the starting point in deciding which presentation method to use. If you are making a sales presentation, you will take a different approach than if your objective is to gather the information you can use later to develop a sales presentation.

Generally speaking, if you are making a sales presentation, the memorized or persuasive selling method is best. However, if you need to understand buyer priorities or uncover buyer needs or problems then the needs-satisfaction or problem-solution methods are best.

Yet, there is no single best method. When selecting your presentation method you must consider

• the experience of the salesperson,
• your objective,
• the nature of the product,
• the information about the buyer’s need or problem,
• and a host of other variables.

We’re Not Done with our Sales Presentation!

Although we’ve made a lot of progress, we’re still not ready to see the buyer yet!

Sure, we’ve done our prospecting, some approach planning, and we’ve decided on a presentation method. However, we still need to create that all-important presentation! In the next article, we’ll take a hard look at the important elements we must include in our presentation.

The Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation Series

Step4: The Presentation is the fifth in a series of articles, which have been created to teach you how to craft and deliver the Ultimate Sales Presentation in 10-Steps.

If you missed a prior article in this series or you want to review one again, you’ll find them here:

Kick-Off: The Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation

Step 1: Customer Prospecting

Step 2: Pre-Approach Planning

Step 3: The Approach

Step 4: The Presentation – Part 1 (you’re here)

Steps 5-10: Coming soon. A new article releases every two weeks.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss one of these articles, you can sign up to receive the series here .

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. What questions do you have about the Approach step of the Ultimate 10-Step Presentation model?

I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because of people like you who share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?

Category: Salespeople

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Your Complete Guide to Customer Retention: Service and Follow-Up (with Examples)

Your Complete Guide to Closing the Sale (with Examples)

Your Complete Guide to Flushing Out Buyer Objections

How to Leverage the Trial Close in Your Ultimate Sales Presentation

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Perfecting Your Pitch: Navigating Types of Sales Presentations

Imagine walking into a room filled with potential customers, armed with nothing but your product and a memorized pitch. How do you engage your audience, stand out from the competition, and close the deal? It all starts with understanding the types of sales presentations and using the right one to your advantage.

Sales is often compared to an art form, and like any artist, a good salesperson needs an array of tools in their repertoire. One of the most critical tools is the sales presentation, the bridge that connects your product to the customer. But did you know there are several types of sales presentations, each with their unique strengths and ideal scenarios? Let’s take a deep dive into these presentation styles and explore how they can bring you closer to your next successful sale.

The Essential Trio: Types of Sales Presentations

Sales presentations typically fall into three primary categories: the standard memorized presentation, the formulated sales presentation, and the need-satisfaction presentation. Each has its unique characteristics, making them suitable for different sales scenarios.

1. The Scripted Path: Standard Memorized Presentation

Standard Memorized Presentations, often dubbed as ‘canned presentations,’ bank on the precision of a meticulously prepared script. By covering every nook and cranny of a product or service, they ensure not a single crucial detail slips through the cracks. They allow the salesperson to deliver a well-rehearsed, seamless presentation, leaving no room for potential inaccuracies or misinterpretations.

Pros of a Standard Memorized Presentation

A major advantage of Standard Memorized Presentations is the uniformity they bring. They ensure that every salesperson delivers a consistent message, thereby maintaining the integrity of the product or service description. This type of presentation is extremely detail-oriented, reducing the risk of accidentally overlooking critical points about the product or service.

Cons of a Standard Memorized Presentation

However, Standard Memorized Presentations also have their drawbacks. Given their scripted nature, they may come off as robotic or impersonal, lacking the genuine warmth that can be critical in establishing rapport with the customer. Furthermore, their rigid format offers little flexibility, limiting the salesperson’s ability to react spontaneously to unexpected situations or queries from the customer.

2. The Flexible Approach: Formulated Sales Presentation

A Formulated Sales Presentation is akin to a guided improv performance. While it rests on a structured outline, it offers room for salespeople to tweak and adjust their presentation in real time based on the customer’s reactions. This flexibility means the sales presentation is not set in stone but evolves to cater to the client’s preferences and queries.

Pros of a Formulated Sales Presentation

The Formulated Sales Presentation’s standout feature is the balance it strikes between rigidity and flexibility. While it ensures the salesperson stays on track, it allows them to tailor the pitch to resonate with the specific needs, interests, and pain points of the customer. This approach fosters personalized selling, making the customer feel valued and understood.

Cons of a Formulated Sales Presentation

However, this improvisational aspect can also be a double-edged sword. It requires the salesperson to think on their feet and adapt quickly to changing situations. This can lead to potential inconsistencies if not carefully managed, which may confuse the customer or dilute the primary selling points of the product or service.

3. The Customer-Centric Style: Need-Satisfaction Presentation

The Need-Satisfaction Presentation pivots toward a customer-centric approach. In this style of presentation, the salesperson concentrates on understanding and satisfying the customer’s specific needs. The emphasis here is on creating a dialogue rather than delivering a monologue, inviting the customer into an interactive exchange that revolves around their unique requirements.

Pros of a Need-Satisfaction Presentation

The Need-Satisfaction Presentation stands out for its highly personalized nature. The salesperson focuses on meeting the customer’s unique needs, making the customer feel heard and understood. This interaction fosters a sense of connection, enhancing engagement and satisfaction. By encouraging two-way communication, this approach not only uncovers the customer’s needs but also builds a rapport, vital for long-term customer relationships.

Cons of a Need-Satisfaction Presentation

Despite its benefits, the Need-Satisfaction Presentation does present some challenges. It requires exceptional listening and empathy skills from the salesperson to truly understand the customer’s needs. Moreover, its highly interactive and tailored nature makes it potentially more time-consuming than traditional, streamlined sales presentations. For sales teams dealing with high volumes of customers, this could prove a logistical challenge.

Choosing the Right Presentation: When and How?

The success of a sales presentation largely depends on choosing the appropriate style based on your customer’s needs and your selling environment.

When to Use a Standard Memorized Presentation?

Standard memorized presentations are particularly effective when uniformity and precision are paramount. They are excellent for scenarios such as trade shows or product launches, where consistency is key, or when the product has complex technical details that need accurate communication.

When to Use a Formulated Sales Presentation?

Formulated sales presentations thrive in situations where products or services are customizable. This type of presentation gives experienced salespeople the flexibility to adjust their pitch according to the customer’s responses and preferences, creating a personalized selling experience.

When to Use a Need-Satisfaction Presentation?

Need-satisfaction presentations are the perfect choice when a customer has unique or specific needs. This style of presentation is particularly successful in B2B sales or when selling high-value products or services, as it can be customized to address the unique requirements of the customer.

Amplifying Your Sales Presentation Skills

Mastering the types of sales presentations is crucial, but the delivery of your presentation plays a significant role in its success. From body language and tone of voice to visuals and design elements, every aspect can influence the effectiveness of your presentation. This is where Fully Decked Up, India’s leading presentation design agency, can step in and help you take your sales presentations to the next level.

Fully Decked Up: Upping Your Presentation Game

Fully Decked Up is not just another presentation design agency. It specializes in creating engaging, professional, and highly effective presentation designs. Here’s what sets us apart:

Expertise: Our team of seasoned designers and presentation experts completely understand the art of effective selling through compelling visuals.

Custom Designs: Every presentation is unique, and Fully Decked Up understands this. We customize every design to suit your presentation style, your product or service, and your target audience.

Wide Range of Services: From infographics to slide designs and everything in between, Fully Decked Up has you covered.

Boost Your Sales with the Right Presentation Style

Understanding the different types of sales presentations is just the beginning. To truly excel in sales, you need to master the art of delivering each type effectively. This means choosing the right presentation style for the right situation, understanding your audience, and leveraging powerful visuals to convey your message effectively.

But why stop there? Boost your sales presentations with Fully Decked Up. With their custom designs and wide range of services , they can help you make a lasting impression and close more deals.

Ready to amplify your sales presentation skills? Contact Fully Decked Up today, and discover how their services can transform your sales presentations into compelling selling tools.

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15 Sales Presentation Examples to Drive Sales

By Danesh Ramuthi , Oct 31, 2023

A sales presentation is not merely a brief introduction to a product or service. It’s a meticulously constructed sales pitch tailored to showcase the unique features and key elements of what’s being offered and to resonate deeply with the prospective customers. 

But what stands out in the best sales presentation is their ability to weave an engaging story, integrating customer testimonials, success stories and sales performances to maintain the audience’s attention span and to persuade them to take action. 

The right tools, like those provided by Venngage presentation Maker and its sales presentation templates , can greatly aid in this endeavor. The aim is to have a presentation memorable enough that it lingers in the minds of potential clients long after the pitch. 

Its ultimate aim is not just to inform but to persuasively secure the audience’s commitment.

Click to jump ahead:

6 Sales presentation examples

What to include and how to create a sales presentation, sales presentation vs pitch deck.

• Final thoughts

A sales presentation can be the differentiating factor that turns a potential client into a loyal customer. The manner in which a brand or individual presents their value proposition, product, or service can significantly impact the buying decisions of their audience.

Hence, drawing inspiration from various sales presentation examples can be an instrumental step in crafting the perfect pitch.

Let’s explore a few examples of sales presentations that cater to different needs and can be highly effective when used in the right context.

Clean sales presentation examples

The concept of a “clean” sales presentation reflects more than just its visual aesthetic; it captures an ethos of straightforward, concise and effective communication. A clean presentation offers a professional and efficient way to present your sales pitch, making it especially favorable for brands or individuals looking to be perceived as trustworthy and reliable.

Every slide in such a presentation is meticulously designed to be aesthetically pleasing, balancing visuals and text in a manner that complements rather than competes.

Its visual appeal is undeniably a draw, but the real power of a clean sales presentation lies in its ability to be engaging enough to hold your audience’s attention. By minimizing distractions, the message you’re trying to convey becomes the focal point. This ensures that your audience remains engaged, absorbing the key points without being overwhelmed.

A clean design also lends itself well to integrating various elements such as graphs, charts and images, ensuring they’re presented in a clear and cohesive manner. In a business environment where attention spans are continually challenged, a clean presentation stands as an oasis of clarity, ensuring that your audience walks away with a clear understanding of what you offer and why it matters to them.

Minimalist sales presentation examples

Minimalism, as a design and communication philosophy, revolves around the principle of ‘less is more’. It’s a bold statement in restraint and purpose. In the context of sales presentations, a minimalist approach can be incredibly powerful.

It ensures that your content, stripped of any unnecessary embellishments, remains at the forefront. The primary objective is to let the core message shine, ensuring that every slide, every graphic and every word serves a precise purpose.

This design aesthetic brings with it a sense of sophistication and crispness that can be a potent tool in capturing your audience’s attention. There’s an inherent elegance in simplicity which can elevate your presentation, making it memorable.

But beyond just the visual appeal, the minimalist design is strategic. With fewer elements on a slide, the audience can focus more intently on the message, leading to better retention and engagement. It’s a brilliant way to ensure that your message doesn’t just reach your audience, but truly resonates with them.

Every slide is crafted to ensure that the audience’s focus never wavers from the central narrative, making it an excellent choice for brands or individuals seeking to create a profound impact with their pitches.

Simple sales presentation examples

A simple sales presentation provides a clear and unobstructed pathway to your main message, ensuring that the audience’s focus remains undivided. Perfect for highlighting key information, it ensures that your products or services are front and center, unobscured by excessive design elements or verbose content.

But the beauty of a simple design is in its flexibility. With platforms like Venngage , you have the freedom to customize it according to your brand voice and identity. Whether it’s adjusting text sizes, incorporating vibrant colors or selecting standout photos or icons from expansive free stock libraries, the power to enhance and personalize your presentation lies at your fingertips.

Creating your ideal design becomes a seamless process, ensuring that while the presentation remains simple, it is every bit as effective and captivating.

Professional sales presentation example

A professional sales presentation is meticulously crafted, reflecting the brand’s guidelines, voice and core values. It goes beyond just key features or product benefits; it encapsulates the brand’s ethos, presenting a cohesive narrative that resonates deeply with its target audience.

For sales professionals, it’s more than just a slide deck; it’s an embodiment of the brand’s identity, from the great cover image to the clear call to action at its conclusion.

These presentations are tailored to address potential pain points, include sales performances, and present solutions in a compelling and engaging story format. 

Integrating elements like customer success stories and key insights, ensuring that the presentation is not just good, but memorable.

Sales performance sales presentation example

A company’s sales performance presentation is vital to evaluate, refine and boost their sales process. It’s more than just numbers on a slide deck; it’s a comprehensive look into the effectiveness of sales campaigns, strategies and the sales team as a whole.

This type of sales presentation provides key insights into what’s working, what isn’t and where there’s potential for growth.

It’s an invaluable tool for sales professionals, often serving as a roadmap guiding future sales pitches and marketing campaigns.

An effective sales performance presentation might begin with a compelling cover slide, reflecting the brand’s identity, followed by a brief introduction to set the context. From there, it delves into specifics: from the sales metrics, customer feedback and more.

Ultimately, this presentation is a call to action for the sales team, ensuring they are equipped with the best tools, strategies and knowledge to convert prospective customers into paying ones, driving more deals and growing the business.

Testimonial-based sales presentation examples

Leveraging the voices of satisfied customers, a testimonial-based sales presentation seamlessly blends social proof with the brand’s value proposition. It’s a testament to the real-world impact of a product or service, often making it one of the most effective sales presentation examples. 

By centering on customer testimonials, it taps into the compelling stories of those who have experienced firsthand the benefits of what’s being offered.

As the presentation unfolds, the audience is introduced to various customer’s stories, each underscoring the product’s unique features or addressing potential pain points.

These success stories serve dual purposes: they not only captivate the audience’s attention but also preemptively handle sales objections by showcasing how other customers overcame similar challenges.

Sales professionals can further augment the presentation with key insights derived from these testimonials, tailoring their sales pitch to resonate deeply with their potential clients.

Creating a good sales presentation is like putting together a puzzle. Each piece needs to fit just right for the whole picture to make sense. 

So, what are these pieces and how do you put them together? 

Here, I’ll break down the must-have parts of a sales presentation and give you simple steps to build one. 

What to include in a sales presentation?

With so much information to convey and a limited time to engage your audience in your sales presentation, where do you start?

Here, we’re going to explore the essential components of a successful sales presentation, ensuring you craft a compelling narrative that resonates with your prospects.

• A captivating opening slide: First impressions matter. Start with a great cover image or slide that grabs your audience’s attention instantly. Your opening should set the tone, making prospects curious about what’s to come.
• Data-driven slides: Incorporate key points using charts, graphs, infographics and quotes. Instead of flooding your slides with redundant information, use them as a tool to visually represent data. Metrics from your sales dashboard or third-party sources can be particularly illuminating.
• Social proof through testimonials: Weave in testimonials and case studies from satisfied customers. These success stories, especially from those in the same industry as your prospects, act as powerful endorsements, bolstering the credibility of your claims.
• Competitive context: Being proactive is the hallmark of savvy sales professionals. Address how your product or service fares against competitors, presenting a comparative analysis. 
• Customized content: While using a foundational slide deck can be helpful, personalizing your presentation for each meeting can make all the difference. Whether it’s integrating the prospect’s brand colors, industry-specific data or referencing a past interaction, tailored content makes your audience feel acknowledged.
• Clear path to the future: End by offering a glimpse into the next steps. This can include a direct call to action or an overview of the onboarding process. Highlight the unique value your company brings post-sale, such as exceptional training or standout customer support.
• Keep it simple: Remember, simplicity is key. Avoid overcrowding your slides with excessive text. Visual data should take center stage, aiding in comprehension and retention. 

Related: 120+ Presentation Ideas, Topics & Example

How to create a sales presentation? 

Crafting a good sales presentation is an art that blends structure, content and design. 

A successful sales presentation not only tells but also sells, capturing the audience’s attention while conveying the main message effectively. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure that your sales deck becomes a winning sales presentation.

1. Find out your ideal audience

The first step to any effective sales pitch is understanding your audience. Are you presenting to prospective customers, potential clients or an internet marketing agency? Recognize their pain points, buying process and interests to craft a message that resonates. This understanding ensures that your presentation is memorable and speaks directly to their unique needs.

2. Pick a platform to Use

Depending on your target audience and the complexity of your sales literature, you might opt for Venngage presentation maker, PowerPoint templates, Google Slides or any tools that you are comfortable with. Choose a tool that complements your brand identity and aids in keeping your audience’s attention span engaged.

3. Write the ‘About Us’ section

Here’s where you build trust. Give a brief introduction about your organization, its values and achievements. Highlight key elements that set you apart, be it a compelling story of your brand’s inception, a lucrative deal you managed to seal, or an instance where an internet marketing agency hired you for their needs.

4. Present facts and data

Dive deep into sales performance metrics, client satisfaction scores and feedback. Use charts, graphs and infographics to visually represent these facts. Testimonials and customer success stories provide that added layer of social proof. By showcasing concrete examples, like a customer’s story or feedback, you give your audience solid reasons to trust your product or service.

5. Finish with a memorable conclusion & CTA

Now that you’ve laid out all the information, conclude with a bang. Reiterate the value proposition and key insights you want your audience to remember. Perhaps share a compelling marketing campaign or a unique feature of your offering.

End with a clear call to action, directing your prospects on what to do next, whether it’s downloading further assistance material, getting in touch for more deals or moving further down the sales funnel .

Related: 8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips]

Sales presentation and the pitch deck may seem similar at first glance but their goals, focuses, and best-use scenarios differ considerably. Here’s a succinct breakdown of the two:

Sales Presentation:

• What is it? An in-depth dialogue designed to persuade potential clients to make a purchase.
• Focuses on: Brand identity, social proof, detailed product features, addressing customer pain points, and guiding to the buying process.
• Best for: Detailed interactions, longer meetings and thorough discussions with potential customers.
• Example: A sales rep detailing a marketing campaign to a potential client.

Pitch Deck:

• What is it? Pitch deck is a presentation to help potential investors learn more about your business. The main goal isn’t to secure funding but to pique interest for a follow-up meeting.
• Focuses on: Brand voice, key features, growth potential and an intriguing idea that captures the investor’s interest.
• Best for: Initial investor meetings, quick pitches, showcasing company potential.
• Example: A startup introducing its unique value proposition and growth trajectory to prospective investors.

Shared traits: Both aim to create interest and engagement with the audience. The primary difference lies in the intent and the audience: one is for selling a product/service and the other is for igniting investor interest.

Related: How to Create an Effective Pitch Deck Design [+Examples]

Final thoughts 

Sales presentations are the heart and soul of many businesses. They are the bridge between a potential customer’s needs and the solution your product or service offers. The examples provided—from clean, minimalist to professional styles—offer a spectrum of how you can approach your next sales presentation.

Remember, it’s not just about the aesthetics or the data; it’s about the narrative, the story you tell, and the connection you establish. And while sales presentations and pitch decks have their distinct purposes, the objective remains consistent: to engage, persuade and drive action.

If you’re gearing up for your next sales presentation, don’t start from scratch. Utilize Venngage presentation Maker and explore our comprehensive collection of sales presentation templates .