Support
cards
When you
speak in public, if you simply read the speech it will appear very
boring (lack of spontaneity and improvisation).
It is a
good idea to improvise, although doing this you run the risk of your
mind going black (situation feared by any speaker).
This can
be avoided by taking with you support cards.
On the
one hand, you have an outline of the points that you want to talk
about, reducing the possibility that you forget something. They
give the speaker confidence and help him to calm his nerves.
On
the other hand, they allow him to develop the speech as he goes
(improvising). This allows him to introduce new ideas and this looks
spontaneous.
The use
of support notes are especially advisable for speeches which have
a certain duration (more than 40 minutes).
Trusting
only your memory implies that you run the risk of your mind going
blank, losing the line of your argument, forgetting to deal with
some of the main points, etc.
When you
are preparing the support cards you need to bear in mind:
Use big
and clear writing, which is easy to read the first time.
They
should be very plain, gathering key words, basic ideas, etc which
help guide the speaker. You need to avoid notes which are overloaded
as they are difficult to read when you are simply quickly consulting
them.
Only
write on one side, so that you don't have to turn them around (makes
their use more discrete).
You
should use thick paper, quarter the size of an A4 piece of paper
or even smaller, as this size is easier to manage and being this
thick they don't crease so easily.
The
notes should be prepared tidily and they should be numbered to avoid
confusion and to avoid the speaker not knowing which one is next.
When you
are rehearsing you should use the support cards that you are going
to use in the speech (this allows you to get used to using them).
Don't try
and hide the support cards, pretending that you are not using them.
The audience
understands perfectly that it is natural that the speaker uses a
small outline to develop the speech.
Once you
have finished with each card put them away discreetly pilling them
up on one side (without turning them over).
Although
you prepare support cards for the introduction and the conclsuion,
you will have to try not to turn to them.
They
are the two most important parts of the speech and it is a good
idea to learn them from memory, so that you can put all of your
emphasise into the speech (looking at the notes, although it might
just be a second, takes away spontaneity).
