To use notes, or not to use notes? And if you use notes, how can you do so in a way where you don’t totally lose connection with the audience? This is a question that comes up frequently in public speaking, and it’s an important question, because how you use notes is a big deal. In any good presentation, connection with your audience is key. How you use your notes can either make or break that connection. Just reading at them? They’ll be able to tell and start to tune out. But that doesn’t have to be the only way. There’s definitely a way you can use notes to make you both feel more confident and still be able to connect with your audience at the same time.
In this video, I talk about three elements for using notes effectively in public speaking:
- Structuring your notes in a way that allows you to talk instead of read
- Rehearsing with your notes out loud
- Connecting with your audience and building that into your rehearsal
Try these tips out and let me know how it goes. If you find these tips useful, subscribe to my YouTube channel for more useful voice, accent and communication tips.