This is Part 7 of a series that I’m writing this week to help you be a better speaker.
She swiped left right up and down and nothing.
The Ipad was restarted, shaken, and even sinked.
Nothing.
Not one saved note.
My wife was panic-stricken. It was about eight minutes before we were to teach about 11 couples in our marriage group. Speaking was second-nature to me, but this was a real courageous step in leadership for her.
And she was devastated. She had no idea where her notes were and she was about to cry when I grabbed her hands, looked deep into her eyes, and said to her, “Sweetie, this is all in your heart. It’s going to be okay. This is going to be the best group you’ve ever taught, and God ordained those notes to go missing.”
With one solitary tear cascading down her cheek, she replied, “You’re right.” Then she kissed me as we embraced.
No, that part didn’t happen at all. She was pretty inconsolable when I told her it would be okay. So I callously said, “Well, we just gotta roll! Notes or no notes. Too bad.”
I’m kind and sympathetic like that.
We rolled.
And surprise. The world didn’t end. We still had a great group, and my wife had a great discussion with the ladies of the group.
This whole situation taught me something about notes that I try to use when it comes to presentations.
I think their usefulness is more psychological than it is educational. I realize that more and more when I prepare my presentations.
I can’t say I am cemented to this idea. I’ve talked to pastors that manuscript their entire talks (meaning, they write them out word-for-word and revise them and everything) and I have met pastors that don’t use notes. I’ve seen pastors take 10 hours to prepare a talk, and some take 30 hours. I’ve also heard one pastor say it took him about 45 minutes to prepare a 90-minute message.
So, I can’t tell you that notes in your talk need to go. But I will tell you a couple things that I do, you can take it or leave it.
I have a consistent system that doesn’t change.
I try to get all my notes for a talk down to one page. I print it in landscape form with .05 margins, and I put it in two columns. At the end, my notes look like a book. I cut them down the center, and tape them into my Bible (unless your a pastor, this wouldn’t really be necessary for you to bring a Bible up to do a talk). I’m really into the one-page part of this. My goal is to not have to turn anything.
I do not write whole sentences unless it is a direct quote. For instance, if I’m using an illustration about the Super Bowl, it may look something like this:
(ILL) Super Bowl – coaching – cooperation – victory
This sentence most likely means nothing to you, but if you know the story I’m telling, it would. It just reminds me of key components of the story.
I don’t write a sentence at all.
You might wonder what that little ILL is at the beginning. Can you guess? Yep, that’s right. It means ILLUSTRATION.
I have labels for each elements I use in a talk.
(Joke) – joke
(P.ill) – personal illustration
(Ex) – exposition of data (or in my case, Biblical text)
(Intro) – introduction
(Quest) – question I am going to ask the audience
(Conc) – Conclusion
(Vid) – video
(Pic) – picture (in powerpoint)
(Rep) – make them repeat this out loud
(BIG) – huge important thing I might want to emphasize
(APP) – application to the audience’s life
Now, if you happen to be a pastor, I don’t label Scripture nor do I label my points, and that’s because of the next part of my system for notes.
I color-code everything, with highlighters. Yes, every line of my talk is highlighted in some color. The highlights provide me a mental signal of the direction I’m going. It really helps.
Purple – main point – need to say it, pic, vid
Pink – Scripture (only applies to sermons)
Blue/Yellow – exposition ( I have two colors for this because often these lines appear one after the other in my notes. I like that I can alternate between blue and yellow so it’s not all blue or all yellow. I also use this for intro.
Orange – joke, illustration
Green – application, BIG, Rep, Conc, Quest
I know, it’s my system, but it works for me. It may seem odd to you. You have to know yourself. You really do.
Also, I should tell you that I don’t use an Ipad or phone to do my notes. I know that may make me seem like a dinosaur. However, hear me out. I find that it may be distracting for me to do that. I use technology more than just about any person in my sphere of influence, but I can’t bring myself to throw the paper away when it comes to notes. Call me Shakespeare, but I am not ready to make that jump.
Another reason is because I am always adding and crossing things out of my talks (I give the same talk four times each weekend and trust me, it’s rare that Talk 1 and Talk 4 sound identical).
Now, let me give you some universals. I don’t care if you use 16 pages of manuscript notes. I don’t care if you have a three-hour speech written on your thumb. These are my non-negotiables.
1) Never read unless it’s a quote. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I don’t let anyone read anything to me. I don’t know why but it makes me nuts. It especially absolutely makes me lose my marbles when I see a public speaker doing it.
Don’t take me wrong, I don’t think it shows a lack of preparation at all. I think it shows a lack of confidence.
I think people would rather watch someone be confidently incompetent than someone who is unconfidently competent.
2) Have at least the main points memorized. I don’t believe in memorizing your talk completely. I think if you get up and regurgitate a memorized talk, you run the risk of mental constipation if you miss a line. Then, you’ll crumble like a house of cards. Plus, this leaves no room for, as pastors say, how the Spirit may move you.
Being in the moment means you have to sometimes let go of the plan, and see where that experience is taking you.
3) Have the intro and the conclusion memorized. You don’t want to come out with your face in your notes immediately. You want that to be down pretty cold.
Likewise, you don’t want to end your talk with your audience being captivated by the view of the top of your head as you look at your notes.
4) If you skip something in your notes, unless it’s a MAIN point, Fahgettaboudit. Just move on. Don’t look down at your notes when you’re on the third point, and say, oh, I should have mentioned this from Point 2 because it’s interesting.
Caruso, the ship has sailed. It’s over. Let it rest. Pastors are famous for this (I’ve done it myself, too, I must admit). When we go to close in prayer, we start to pray parts of the message we didn’t speak about in some redemptive campaign to have our words heard.
It’s over like a fight with Mayweather. Just let it go.
5) Keep your notes in one place. Don’t take them with you. They aren’t a pet or a child that needs nursing. You have to move your body (we talked about that in a previous post). You have to move and if you’re holding onto your word document with white knuckles and sweat dripping off the page, you’re not going to be able to confidently walk over to the center of the stage and describe how BIG the Grand Canyon is.
We will not be convinced.
This is more of a “security blanket fortifying confidence” thing than it is a “necessity to deliver this presentatioin” thing.
Let me close out with this. Notes are more about confidence. And you have to draw your confidence elsewhere. Giving a talk is freaking nerve-racking. You’re going to mess up, but I promise you it’s going to be okay. The world will still spin. I’ve delivered tons of mediocre talks where I’ve done everything from read, to carry the notes, to have next to nothing memorized.
And guess what the common thread is through all of those experiences.
I didn’t die. And neither did anyone in my family, as a result of my bad habits with notes.
I have a feeling that the same will be true for you. Give yourself a break, and use notes as a tool, not as a tether.