Presentation Skills – Improvisational, Impromptu Speaking

Ever had this happen to you? Last night I spoke in front of our city council on an emotional housing matter. A red light signaled when to start and then flashed repeatedly three minutes later for you to stop. I had prepared and typed out what I was going to say. However, as the four-hour meeting went on, other speakers brought up more significant community issues than mine. One speaker startled me by using an exact quote I planned to use as evidence. New information came to light which negated what I was going to say. Responses, body language and tone of voice from different council members gave me a different take on my audience. One councilman was silent and an audience member whispered that official would oppose me.
Editing and Adapting on the Fly
My presentation became totally fragmented as I scrambled to salvage the points on my paper. I had a split second of nerves. Then I took a couple of deep breaths and focused on the task. I decided to abandon most of my script, welcome improvising, but most importantly know how I was going to end up. (We’ll talk about writing your Finish First another day.) It was important to trust in myself that the right words would come.
The TV camera was rolling…
It was almost 11 p.m. My first chore was to wake up my audience with energy in my voice and body language. I discussed two main points and displayed photos when the unnerving red light started flashing. I skipped to my ending and asked the council for action. I’ll watch the replay today. Next time I’ll let you know the council’s reaction and the results. I welcome your thoughts on a similar experience and lessons learned that added to your presentation skills.