The more a speaker prepares a speech, the easier it is for that speaker to ad-lib. By "ad-lib" I don't mean random thoughts spurting out of your mouth either. "Ad-libbing" can also mean highly structured thought, but not words or ideas that are memorized in a particular order or structure.

The ability to appear to be ad-libbing successfully is a function of a properly-structured speech. Most speeches are poorly structured, i.e., they are nothing but a laundry list of facts and numbers containing no major themes. Speeches like these do not lend themselves to a speaker ad-libbing successfully.

But then there is the well-structured speech. In a good speech, the speaker has a simple structure of no more than five key points. Each point has supporting facts and examples. Most important, each point has a relevant story to flesh out each point. In this case the speaker's notes are neat, simple, and easy to read and sit on a single sheet of paper.

Once a speaker has this outline and has practiced using it, the opportunities to improve the presentation are wide open. With an outline this simple and with good examples and stories that can be explained in a conversational way, the speaker can free up his or her memory. He or she is no longer using every ounce of mental strength to remember all the facts and figures in an arbitrary arrangement.

There is a magical moment for speakers when they are presenting their content in an interesting and engaging manner-they know it and the audience knows it. When this happens, the speaker starts to feel the audience, to read the audience. At that point, the speaker becomes so comfortable, so in the moment, that he or she can then add or subtract relevant material, just as you would if you were having a private one-on-one conversation with a good friend. Then, the magic of "ad-libbing" appears for both speaker and audience. But remember, the ad-lib happened only because of a sound speech structure to begin with followed by proper rehearsal.

So don't even think about "ad-libbing" because you didn't have time to prepare or rehearse your speech. Instead, create your own opportunities to ad-lib by systematically positioning yourself to be thoroughly prepared and rehearsed.

More Insights from TJ Walker & Jess Todtfeld
http://www.tjwalker.com and www.SpeakingInsider.com

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