how to make notes for a speech

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How to Prepare Notes for Public Speaking

Last Updated: May 21, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Deb DiSandro . Deb DiSandro is the Owner of Speak Up On Purpose, an organization dedicated to improving and teaching public speaking. Deb has over 30 years of experience as a national speaker and has presented at the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Conference and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. She was awarded the National Speakers Association Member of the Year 2007 and has been published in Writer's Digest, Daily Herald, Women's Day, and Better Homes & Gardens. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 242,625 times.

You have to give a speech, and you wonder how you can give it without staring at a piece of paper. Rather than memorize the words, you can use notes. Notes are easy to make. First, write and refine your speech. Pick out keywords that represent the main ideas of your speech and write them on notecards. Finish filling out the notecards with important talking points. Good notes make you sound natural as a speaker while having a safety net in case you get lost.

Creating and Breaking Down Your Speech

• This is a draft. Pay attention to word choice and sentence structure. Make it as good as possible, but remember that you'll be able to fix any mistakes before you make your notes.
• Get all of your ideas on paper. It doesn't matter if they're crazy, inspiring, or weird. You have a chance to perfect what doesn't work later on. [2] X Research source

• It's a good idea to time yourself while you do this. That way, you'll know when you need to cut down your speech's length.
• Learn transitional phrases to help your speech flow naturally. [4] X Research source

• Highlight things that worked from your first draft and areas that you want to keep that need to be reworded.

• Record your own speech and listen to the phrases and pacing. Listen for any awkward phrases and try to smooth them out in the next draft.
• If you know someone who's given a public speech before, ask them to listen. They will have more experience and will be less biased.

Making Your Notes

• For example, you are speaking about the life of a politician. You can use the word “Military” to show yourself when it's time to talk about their military experience.
• Images can also help solidify the order of your speech. Visualize uniformed soldiers marching in unison and you won't forget you need to talk about military training.
• Write out the first words of your transition sentences to help keep yourself on track.

• For example, if you need to introduce your second idea at the three minute mark, write three minutes on the card containing that idea.

• Write the words in a pen that's legible to you. Black or blue ink works best.
• If you have bad handwriting, you can type out your notes. Cut and glue them onto your notes or print them directly by using the “Size” option in the “Print Layout” tab.

• For example, write out “award” or “Purple Heart” to remind yourself to mention the awards someone earned in service.

• For instance, write down “75% pass” if you need to inform your audience how many people pass a class.

• Customize the color code to whatever works best for you.
• This works best if you color code while you practice your speech, but it could be distracting or confusing by the time you give the speech.

• You can also bind the cards together. Use a drill or hole punch on the upper left corner of the notes. Loop a string through them. They'll be easy to flip and can't be mixed up.
• However, make sure the flipping of the notecards is not distracting to the audience.

Rehearsing Your Speech

• Memorizing a speech word-for-word is unhelpful because the audience can tell that you're reciting a script. Only use memorization and scripted words if you're painting a picture with your words or you need to tell a joke with comedic timing.

• Because you are using a minimal outline, your speech will sound a little different every time. However, it'll also sound more natural.

• You can time yourself again while giving the speech so you know exactly how long it is rather than making a guess. It can show you when you're going off-script too much. Keep in mind when you give the speech, you're bound to talk faster and the speech will be shorter.

Community Q&A

• Research name pronunciations before writing your speech. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
• Try to have 3 main points in the middle of your speech so the audience remembers it well. You can back these points up with further information or quotes. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
• Look at your card quickly and smoothly. Keep your thumb next to the line on your note card so you don't lose your place. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

• When using visual aids, make them sparse and with few words. Visual aids are supposed to be for the audience. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

Things You'll Need

• Blue or black pen
• Colored highlighters
• Index cards

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://pac.org/content/speechwriting-101-writing-effective-speech
• ↑ https://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/speeches/
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/publicspeaking/chapter/10-2-keeping-your-speech-moving/
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/editing-and-proofreading-techniques
• ↑ http://www.washington.edu/doit/presentation-tips-0
• ↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/keyword-outline-examples.html
• ↑ http://academics.umw.edu/speaking/resources/handouts/preparing-speaking-notes/
• ↑ https://www.ted.com/participate/organize-a-local-tedx-event/tedx-organizer-guide/speakers-program/prepare-your-speaker/rehearsals
• ↑ https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/speaking-audience

About This Article

Public speaking can be scary, but using notes can increase your confidence and make it a little easier. To prepare notes for public speaking, begin by writing your speech. Once you’ve written the first draft, read the speech out loud and make any necessary changes so it sounds smooth. When you’re happy with your speech, translate it into notes by highlighting keywords to mark where each new idea begins. Then, write one keyword per notecard. Make sure your writing is clear so you can read it easily as you speak! If you need to remember specific details or statistics, include these on your notecards. For example, you could write ”75%” in your notes if you need to tell the audience how many people pass a class. When you’ve finished making your notes, number each one to avoid getting them mixed up. For more information from our Public Speaking co-author, like how to practice your speech, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Use Notes When Public Speaking Without Losing Your Audience

Your notes shouldn't become the focus of your presentation..

As a professional speaker and speaking coach, I rarely refer to notes while I'm actually speaking, and that's for three reasons: First, it's my job to know my content inside and out. Second, because my presentations are interactive , I have multiple opportunities to check my notes while my audience is doing an activity or having a discussion. Third, having spent seven years performing improvisational comedy , I can usually "wing it" for a few minutes until I gather my thoughts, without the audience noticing.

But if you're not a professional speaker, an interactive workshop leader, or an improvisational comedian, you may find that you need notes to feel more confident presenting. And if you're not lucky enough to have a "confidence monitor" (that flat screen at the foot of the stage that allows a speaker to see his slides without breaking eye contact with the audience) you may have to rely on old-fashioned paper to bring up with you.

Here are 10 tips for successfully speaking with notes so that you're still connecting with the audience more than you're connecting to that piece of paper.

1. Look polished

Make sure any hand-held notes look crisp and professional from the audience's perspective. Don't bring a stack of crumpled up papers with you. Use clean pieces of white computer paper or index cards, on which the ink isn't visible from the back of the page.

2. Write big

Write your notes in large enough font that you can simply glance at them and access the information you need. You don't want to be squinting and scanning the page for the next thing you're trying to say.

3. Number them

Write large page numbers on each sheet of paper or index card. That way, if they get shuffled or out of order, you can quickly find your place.

4. Practice 

If your presentation requires you to stand at a podium, practice delivering the presentation so that you're referencing your notes as rarely as possible. Your rehearsal should also prepare you for when you move to the next page. Avoid turning pages in the middle of an important idea, a quotation or a story. Look for natural breaks between main points to turn the page.

5. Plan your moves

If you're going to be moving during the presentation (which I highly recommend), put your notes down on a table or a podium when you're not using them, as long as you won't need them frequently. It's more distracting to watch you keep walking over to pick them up from a table then for you to just hold them in one hand. 

6. Choose the right (or left) hand

While you're using notes, hold them in your nondominant hand. Anchor that elbow to your waist and hold your notes firmly, with limited movement. Use your other hand to gesture. Don't gesture with the hand holding your notes--the flapping paper or pile of cards will be a distraction to your audience. 

7. Don't read

Your notes shouldn't serve as a script you're reading verbatim. Look at your notes, scan them quickly, and then turn your eye contact back to the audience and resume speaking. Otherwise you'll look like your audience is your stack of index cards. 

An exception to "don't read your notes" is when you want to make it clear that you're deliberately reading for the sake of accuracy, such as offering an important statistic or a direct quotation. You might even signal this to the audience by saying something like, "I'd like to read our Vision Statement aloud so that we're all clear on where we're going."

8. Distract from the notes

Think of your notes as a bright shiny object. Chances are, your eyes and your audience's eyes will be drawn to those notes are unless you use them carefully, strategically, and infrequently. Make up for the use of notes with powerful body language and vocal variety.

9. Challenge your assumption

Many presenters discover that their notes are like a security blanket--they thought they needed them for comfort and reassurance, but they realized that they never looked at them throughout the presentation. If you don't need them, don't bring them up with you.

10. Don't apologize

You may wish you didn't need notes, but if you do, then use them without apology. Saying, "I'm sorry that I have my notes up here with me" or "there's too much for me to remember" or, worst of all, "I didn't have time to prepare" undermines your credibility, insults your audience, and draws attention to something you'd rather not highlight.

Mark Twain once wrote: "It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech." Make sure you put the time, energy, and effort into looking and sounding comfortable, prepared, and confident-- even if you're using notes.

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How to Use Notes in a Speech: A Guide for Speakers

Only one of the following statements is true. Do you know which one?

• You should never use notes because you will look unprepared.
• You should always use notes because memorization weakens your delivery.
• You should never use slide text as notes.

In this article, we identify scenarios where a full script is warranted or where memorization is advisable. For all your speaking scenarios in the middle, we discuss 21 tips for using notes effectively .

Full Script, Notes, or Nothing at all?

A previous Six Minutes article ( how to read a speech ) identified several speaking scenarios where reading a full script may be required or preferred :

You are speaking at a highly  formal occasion  (e.g. a commencement speech) You are delivering a particularly  emotional speech  (e.g. a wedding speech, a eulogy) You are forced to read word-for-word by  lawyers or campaign managers  (e.g. a corporate statement; a political speech) A  speechwriter  has written your speech. Life  prevented you from preparing  adequately. (Don’t let this happen often… your speech really would go better if you prepare.) You are a brand new speaker, and  you haven’t developed the confidence  yet to go without a script.

Likewise, there are speaking scenarios where it is highly desirable to avoid any notes  and memorize your speech instead:

• You are giving a TED talk  (or speaking at a similar “ballroom” event) where you’ve got twenty minutes or less. These events set a high bar for preparation.
• You are pitching to investors, potential customers, potential employers, or any type of career-shaping presentation . I would include many academic and industry conferences in this group, although some may have a less rigorous culture.
• You are offering a short toast .
• You are completing a course speech assignment, and you are not allowed to have notes.
• Your speech is so short (~ six minutes or less) that you ought to be able to deliver without notes.

If we eliminate those two extremes (full script and no notes at all), we are left with a majority of speaking scenarios where using notes is perfectly acceptable . These include:

• You are teaching a course, which is several hours or days in length.
• You are delivering a keynote address or some other lengthy speech at a conference.
• You are delivering a lunch-time seminar.
• You are addressing a service club or community group.
• You are delivering a webinar.
• You are doing a routine presentation at your workplace.
• Any other scenario where your speech is too long to memorize, but not formal enough to demand a full script .

If you are ever concerned about the culture and expectations for an event at which you are speaking, consult with the organizers. If this isn’t possible, err on the side of caution and be prepared to present either without notes or with absolute minimal notes.

Tips for Using Notes Effectively

If you decide to use notes for your presentation, you still have several choices to make. What medium do you choose? Can you use slide bullets for notes? Does it matter how your notes are formatted? What messages can you pass yourself within the notes? How do you deliver with notes in a way that doesn’t hamper your impact?

Choose the medium that suits your style.

“ The purpose of notes is to jog your memory, not provide lengthy passages to read. ”

• Use a classic: index cards. Many speakers–from elementary school students to career professionals–swear by index cards. If this is what you like, invest in a good hole punch and link all the cards together with a metal ring. This prevents the disastrous “Oh my! My cards are out-of-order” phenomenon.
• Go big (or at least letter-sized). Some people prefer using legal pads or standard letter-sized paper. The main advantage is that you can fit more on a page, so you won’t need to flip pages very often. For many presentations, a single one-sided page is all you’ll need.  [This is my personal preference.]
• Go little: sticky notes. I’ve seen a couple professional trainers work from a large cardboard “palette” covered with many little colored sticky notes, each with a word or phrase. As each topic was covered, the trainer adeptly moved the corresponding note to the “done” pile to keep track of what they had covered. This allows a highly adaptive presentation style where you can cover content in an audience-driven order or not-at-all.
• Go digital with a tablet. There are countless note-taking or outline apps that can do the job for you. Some people love that it’s paper-less; others worry about the device staying charged long enough to be useful. Having to “swipe” your device back on from a black screen every time you need to consult your notes could be annoying, for you and your audience.
• Use presentation software… but do it properly. If you are presenting visuals, then the notes feature of your presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint) can be used in two distinct ways. In the first method, you can print out a set of “notes pages” which combine the slide content with your notes content. In the second method, you can use “Presenter View” to display your slides for the audience and, simultaneously, your slides and notes for you. For a well-rehearsed speaker, this can work very well. (Don’t show up at the event expecting to learn it on the fly!) Finally, do not ever use text on slides themselves as your notes. Audiences universally hate this.

Design your notes for easy consumption.

“ Do not ever use text on slides themselves as your notes. Audiences universally hate this. ”

• Minimize the words. Remember that the purpose of notes is to jog your memory, not provide lengthy passages to read. Don’t use sentences; use keywords or phrases instead. For example, you might distill an entire talk into short notes like “crutch metaphor”, “dentist story”, or “personnel strategy”. Verbose notes leads to two equally bad outcomes: [1] lots of reading, and [2] a high likelihood that you’ll get lost in your notes.
• Maximize scan-ability. Regardless of which medium you choose, be sure to type or print as neatly as possible. The last thing you need to do during your presentation is to decipher a messy or handwritten notes page. Use the largest font you can, and plenty of white space.
• Format wisely to provide clues. Used strategically, formatting such as bold, italics, underline, and color or size variations allows you to convey meaning to your future self.
• Adjust with colored pens or highlighters. Let’s say you’ve got a nicely printed notes page, but while rehearsing you realize that it’s missing a few words or some emphasis. A little touch-up with a colored pen or highlighter will fix it. Avoid using light pencils as it can be hard to read and it is prone to smudge.
• Use meaningful layout. Mirror your speech outline in the notes. Assuming you’ve distilled each point (paragraph), anecdote, or story down to a few words, these can still be displayed in a hierarchy that mirrors your speech outline.
• Organize in whatever style works for you. Don’t be afraid to use any organization scheme that works for you. One of my speaking mentors sometimes uses a single-page mind map as her “notes” page. I don’t think this method would work for me, but it worked wonderfully for her. Experiment!

Use notes for strategic purposes.

• Use notes for other people’s words. You can memorize quotations or a short excerpt of another work (e.g. a poem, story, or news article). However, there’s virtually no down side to reading it from your notes instead. An added bonus is that it signifies the respect you have for the other author.
• Aim for precision. Similarly, facts, statistics, and definitions can be memorized (and definitely should be if they are used in your speech opening), but it’s often safer to just put them in your notes. Reading a statistic from a note (as opposed to memorizing it) signals that you value truth and precision over appearing polished and “smart”.
• Remind yourself to interact with audience. In the past, I was prone to forgetting things like polling the audience, or doing a brainstorm exercise on a flip chart. (I think these items are easy to forget because they are always skipped during rehearsal.) So, I developed a habit of inserting clues like “[POLL AUDIENCE!!!]” or “[FLIP CHART]” in my notes to remind me.
• Remind yourself about timing or logistics. When I teach courses that last several hours, my lesson plan includes a rough timing breakdown which tells me that I should complete the first section in twenty minutes, or complete the group exercise by the ninety minute mark, and so on. I insert these timing reminders right into my notes, and I do the same for other logistical reminders such as “[STRETCH BREAK]” or “[DISTRIBUTE 2nd HANDOUT]”.
• Spell unfamiliar words phonetically to aid pronunciation. In a 1963 speech from Berlin, U.S. President John F. Kennedy uttered the famous phrase “ Ich bin ein Berliner ” (I am a Berliner). President Kennedy desired to pronounce this phrase correctly, so he wrote the words out phonetically: “ Ish bin ein Bearleener ” (his handwriting is shown in the photograph below). Though I don’t recommend handwriting today, I’ve often used this trick as a Master of Ceremonies to avoid pronunciation mistakes when introducing other speakers.

Handwriting of President John F. Kennedy to indicate the correct pronunciation of several speech phrases.

Deliver with confidence.

• Don’t apologize for having notes. It’s okay to have notes. Really! I cringe whenever a speaker apologizes for “needing” notes… not because the apology is so tragic, but rather because it usually signifies a lack of confidence. Prepare and deliver to the best of your ability, and skip the apologies.
• Practice with your notes, and revise as necessary. Just as with visuals, props, or anything else you intend on having with you during your presentation, rehearse with your notes. As you practice, add keywords to your notes if there’s a point, a story, a transition, or anything else you tend to forget. If you’ve never used “Presenter Mode” with slides before, then practice!! I’ve seen dozens of people launch into this mode without any prior preparation, and it usually kills a few minutes pointlessly.
• Glance at your notes at natural breaks. When you are speaking, try to keep your eyes up on your audience. Take advantage of natural pauses to refer briefly to your notes. For example, when I teach courses, I tend to glance down  just after  I change the slide. At that moment, the audience will direct their attention to the new slide, so this is a perfect opportunity. Once you’ve finished, bring your head back up and begin speaking again.
• Avoid glancing at your notes at critical moments. Your opening, closing, and any other “core moment” should be delivered with confidence, and glancing at your notes at this time will detract.
• Put your notes down… if there’s a place to put them. If you carry your notes around, it can be a visual or auditory distraction. Also, if you’ve got anything in your hands for a long period of time, it tends to limit natural gestures. If there’s a lectern, table, or any convenient surface, that will work. But if there is literally no where to put the notes, then just hold your notes in your hand. (Don’t put them on the floor. Bending down repeatedly will lead to awkward moments that are best avoided.)

Put in into Practice

Think about the next presentation you are scheduled to deliver.

• Are notes appropriate for this setting?
• How can you improve the content of your notes?
• Do you have quotations, facts, or other content that can go into notes to lessen your cognitive burden?
• Is today the day you will learn how to use Presenter Mode in your presentation software?

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14.3 Using Notes Effectively

Learning objectives.

• Know how to use notecards to free you from your manuscript.
• Know how to use notecards to stay organized while you make audience contact.
• Understand how to develop effective notecards for a speech.

Dave Gray – Blank index card! – CC BY 2.0.

It’s a great deal of work to prepare a good speech, and you want to present it effectively so that your audience will benefit as much as possible. We’ve already said that extemporaneous speaking provides the best opportunity for speaker-audience contact and that speaking extemporaneously means you do not have your full manuscript or outline with you. Instead, you will use notecards. The cards should have notes, not the full text of your speech. This can also be done with an autocue device—the TelePrompTer does not have to provide a full word-for-word script.

We have developed a system for creating highly effective notecards. Our system has been used effectively both in public speaking courses and in freshman composition courses. Surprisingly, the system consists of only five cards. For many people, this does not sound like nearly enough cards. We would make the case that you can do a good job with five cards, and we have seen many students do just that.

The Purpose of Speaker Notes

Using notes adds to your credibility as a speaker. If you depend on a full manuscript to get through your delivery, your listeners might believe you don’t know the content of your speech. Second, the temptation to read the entire speech directly from a manuscript, even if you’re only carrying it as a safety net, is nearly overwhelming. Third, well-prepared cards are more gracefully handled than sheets of paper, and they don’t rattle if your hands tremble from nervousness. Finally, cards look better than sheets of paper. Five carefully prepared cards, together with practice, will help you more than you might think.

Key Tips for Using Notes

Plan on using just five cards, written on one side only. Get 4 × 6 cards. Use one card for the introduction, one card for each of your three main points, and one card for the conclusion.

Include Only Key Words

Your cards should include key words and phrases, not full sentences. The words and phrases should be arranged in order so that you can stay organized and avoid forgetting important points.

One exception to the key word guideline would be an extended or highly technical quotation from an authoritative source. If it is critically important to present an exact quotation, you may add one additional card that will contain the quotation together with its citation. If you plan to use such a quotation, make sure it has central importance in your speech.

Hold Your Notes Naturally

Notes are a normal part of giving a presentation. You do not need to conceal them from the audience; in fact, trying to hide and use your notes at the same time tends to be very awkward and distracting. Some instructors recommend that you avoid gesturing with your notes on the grounds that nervous shaking is more noticeable if you are holding your notes in your hand. If this is the case for you, practice gesturing with your free hand, or put your cards down if you need to use both hands. Other instructors recommend treating notecards as a natural extension of your hand, as they believe it is distracting to put your notes down and pick them up again. Whichever “rule” you follow, remember that the goal is for your use of notecards to contribute to your overall appearance of confidence and credibility.

Prepare Notecards to Trigger Recall

The “trick” to selecting the words to write on your cards is to identify the keywords that will trigger a recall sequence. For instance, if the word “Fukushima” brings to mind the nuclear power plant meltdown that followed the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011, then that one word on your notecard should propel you through a sizable sequence of points and details. Once you have delivered that material, perhaps you’ll glance at your card again to remind yourself of the key word or phrase that comes next.

You must discover what works for you and then select those words that tend to jog your recall. Having identified what works, make a preliminary set of five cards, written on one side only. Number the cards, and practice with them. Revise and refine them the way you would an outline. If you must, rewrite an entire card to make it work better, and test it the next time you practice.

Always practice with your notecards—and with any visual aids you plan to use. Practicing is also the best way to find out what kinds of things might go wrong with your notes in the presented speech and what steps you should take to make things go smoothly.

Write in Large Letters

You should be able to read something on your card by glancing, not peering at it. A few key words and phrases, written in large, bold print with plenty of white space between them, will help you. If the lighting in your speech location is likely to have glare, be sure to write your notes in ink, as pencil can be hard to read in poor lighting.

Using Notecards Effectively

If you use as much care in developing your five notecards as you do your speech, they should serve you well. If you lose your place or go blank during the speech, you will only need a few seconds to find where you were and get going again. For instance, if you know that you presented the introduction and the first main point, which centers on the Emancipation Proclamation, you can readily go to your second card and remind yourself that your next main point is about the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution.

In addition, the use of your notecards allows you to depart from the exact prepared wordings in your manuscript. In your recovery from losing your place, you can transpose a word or phrase to make your recovery graceful. It allows you to avoid feeling pressured to say every single word in your manuscript.

Under no circumstances should you ever attempt to put your entire speech on cards in little tiny writing. You will end up reading words to your audience instead of telling them your meaning, and the visual aspect of your speech will be spoiled by your need to squint to read your cards.

Key Takeaways

• Good notecards keep you from reading to your audience.
• Good notecards are carefully based on key words and phrases to promote recall.
• Good notecards should enhance your relationship with listeners.
• Using the introduction to your speech, create a 4 × 6 notecard that includes the grabber, the thesis statement, and the preview. Test it by standing as you would during a speech and using it to guide you.
• Answer these questions: Is it absolutely crucial to utter every word on your outline? Are there some words or phrases that are crucially important? How can you use your notecards to focus on the most important ideas?
• Select key terms from your speech that you believe will trigger your recall of the sequence of main ideas in your speech. Use them as the basis of your next four notecards. Test the cards by practicing with them to see whether your selected terms are the ones you should use.

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Your Complete Guide to Making Public Speaking Notes Work for YOU

by Jezra on December 5, 2019

Whether you’re speaking for business or in a community setting, it helps to know the points you want to make in advance .

And once you’ve done that thinking, speaking notes will help you remember what you planned to say.

Lots of people have been sold on the idea that speaking without notes makes you look more professional. But when public speaking notes are “just right” — when they have the exact information you need —  you can speak with calm assuredness.

And there’s nothing more professional than that!

What Are “Just Right” Public Speaking Notes?

IMHO, they’re a mix of four possibilities:

• Exact words , for when you need to say something precisely
• Bullet points, for when you need to include specific details
• Prompts , for when you just need to remember what comes next
• Images , if reading isn’t your strength or you prefer to “read” pictures

The key is to  mix and match   these categories when you’re creating speaking notes, so that you have the right level of notes (the right amount of information) for every point you’re making:

Use Exact Words for Things that Have to Be Said Precisely

Sometimes, every word counts. For example, if I’m speaking to women lawyers, I will make the following point using these exact words:

When the U.S. Supreme Court decided, in 1873, that women should not be allowed to practice law,  the Chief Justice wrote: “The natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the occupations of civil life.”

Why would I say that exactly as I wrote it? Because I want this point to be clear, concise, but hard-hitting — and using pre-determined words (rather than searching for them in real time) let’s me focus on my delivery instead of on  which words I’m going to say.

Use Bullets When You Just Need to Remember the Details

Then there are times when it doesn’t matter what words you use, but it’s important to not leave anything out. In this case, you probably need bullet points . If I want to tell you how to drive from Brooklyn, NY to my brother’s house in Brookline, MA, my speaking notes might look like this:

• Whitestone to Hutch
• 95 to 91 to 84 (Rein’s)
• 90 to 9 to Chestnut Hill Ave.

Why are these notes so terse? Because — even if I end up telling you 15 things about how to drive this route, or go into a long discussion of what to have for lunch when you stop at Rein’s Deli —  these notes contain everything I need to be sure I haven’t left out a crucial step.  (And remember, these are  my  notes. Yours would look totally different, because making notes “just right” means making them  just right for  you !)

Use Prompts When You Only Need to Know What Comes Next

If you’ve read my public speaking workbook, Speak Like Yourself…No, Really! , you might remember a story about how I used the Instant Speech format to persuade my then-16-year-old daughter to never again come home alone on the New York City subways at midnight. (Yes, she was persuaded, at least for a few months.)

What notes do I need to tell this story as part of a keynote speech or workshop?

Well, since I can tell it in my sleep (I’ve told it often!), I don’t need bullets to remind me of what to include, and I definitely don’t need to write the whole thing out . All I need is a  cue word or phrase  to remind me of where the story goes in my talk, like this:

Use Images Instead of Speaking Notes if You’re Primarily Visual

You may be aware that there are many types of intelligence, and one of them is visual. If you prefer to get information from images, try creating a “storyboard” instead of a  script. 

A storyboard is very similar to a scaled-down graphic novel or comic book. A story told in pictures gives you all the benefits discussed above except how to say something word for word. (For the rare times you need to do that, write out your words in a VERY LARGE FONT. Then practice them out loud at least 10 times so you’re not actually reading when you give your talk, just using them as a reminder.)

If You Don’t Know How Much Information You Need, Start with Too Much and Then Cut Back

Often — and particularly when I’ll be presenting new ideas — I start by writing everything out. Then, as I practice (over and over again, out loud) , I gradually cut out the parts of my notes that I don’t need. I’ll probably need most of my speaking notes the first time I practice out loud. But pretty soon, as the ideas start to sink in (that’s called internalizing ), I’ll find that there are whole sections I don’t need to read, where I can just use bullets or a prompt.

Cutting back on excess words doesn’t have to be an elaborate or time-consuming process, because you don’t have to constantly rewrite your notes. For example:

• If you’ve written a few paragraphs, but now just need a few bullets, take a yellow highlighter, and highlight the words you want to “bullet point.” (Now you can ignore all the other words around them.)
• If there’s an idea that you want to be sure to deliver as written, put a big star in the left margin and you’ll remember to  read it. (I use a purple felt-tip pen for this.)
• If you wrote a paragraph of text but now only need to see a prompt, cross out the paragraph  (literally put an X through it) and write your prompt in the left margin . (There’s my purple felt-tip pen again.)

See? Not hard! And for every minute you spend updating your speaking notes, you’ll get a big payoff  in the comfort and confidence you feel while presenting.

There’s Only One Place Where Speaking Notes are “Just Wrong”

As you can see, I’m a big fan of using speaking notes — but there is one place that they just don’t belong, and that’s in your slides.  So…

Never put your speaking notes on the screen!

• Put them in a Word document ( here’s how to format it ).
• Put them on 3 x 5″ cards.
• Put them in a chart, diagram, or series of pictures.
• You can even put them in PowerPoint’s presenter notes, although that’s an awkward solution that keeps you tethered to your computer.

But please don’t put notes that are only intended for you on slides that should benefit your audience .

Get rid of the words. Put up a great picture.

And let your speaking notes truly be “just right” for everyone!

You May Also Want to Read...

• 10 Simple Ways to Make Your Speech Easy to Read (for Presenting AND Practicing!)!
• Public Speaking Tip 88: Three Questions to Ask BEFORE You Memorize Your Speech
• Public Speaking Tip 51: If You're Reading from Notes When You Deliver a Speech, Read with Pride; Don't Hide!

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• Preparing Speaking Notes

Suggestions for Preparing Speaking Notes

While several of these reminders might strike you as obvious, speakers often ignore them when preparing to speak.

USE an outline format for your notes:

An outline helps you visually recall the structure of your talk. Placing numerals and letters by the various points in your talk also helps you distinguish main points from subordinate ones. If you indent supporting points, the outline will be easier to read while you are speaking.

KEEP the outline as brief as possible:

Too much detail on your notes encourages you to read them to your audience. When this happens, you can’t maintain eye contact with your listeners and you’ll lose any sense of conversation with your audience.

PLACE visual cues on the outline if necessary:

A good speaking outline includes the content of the talk as well as reminders about how you wish to proceed. You might mark certain sections of notes where you wish to pause, or to speak more slowly or loudly to achieve emphasis. You might remind yourself about when to use a visual aid. Perhaps you want to pause a particular spot to ask the audience for questions.

MAKE you speaking notes legible:

Under the stress of speaking before a group, you may suddenly be unable to decipher your own writing. You’ll need to be able to read your notes at a distance — they need to be clear and large enough for you to do so easily.

PRACTICE speaking with the notes you have prepared:

That’s the only way to tell for sure if your notes will make sense to you at the time you’ll be giving the final presentation.

• Speaking Intensive Program
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• Body Language
• Formats for Group Presentations
• Handling Speech Anxiety
• Leading Discussion Groups
• Moderating a Group Presentation
• Outline Checklist
• People Ask Me to Repeat Myself
• Planning a Group Presentation
• Preparing Supporting Materials
• Settings for Group Presentations
• Speech Organization
• Toulmin Argument Model
• Transitions
• Using a Script
• Using PowerPoint
• Available Articles
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• Speaking Intensive Committee – Minutes and Reports
• Speaking Intensive Course List – courses approved by the SI committee
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55 Speaking Notes and Practice: Reminders and Additional Tips

Learning Objectives

Use notes wisely and effectively

• Create effective notecards that enhance your speech delivery.
• Rehearse your speech for an extemporaneous delivery.

Preparing for Your Speech Delivery

As we have learned, speech making is a process of sequential steps that will help us to deliver an effective speech. We are now at our final speech preparation steps – again! Below are some reminders as well as additional tips to help you finish your preparation for a successful speech delivery!

Preparing Notes

Once you have created a comprehensive outline and have thought through your speech, you should be able to create your note cards or whatever you might be using (notes or an iPad for instance). Every speaker is a bit different, and different speech topics and organizational patterns may require different notation techniques.

Tips for creating and using your note cards

Your note cards (or cue sheets) must have enough information on them to be able to deliver the speech without missing details; they should be organized in the precise order that you have planned. When you are finalizing your speech making process and putting the finishing touches on your outline, you are ready to make the notecards. DO NOT make note cards before you are done with your speech making process. Your note cards should only contain a few words that will guide your speech. You will read your outline word-for-word if you use an outline; so, it is essential for you to spend time on creating note cards. Once you have created effective note cards, you will want to practice with your visual aid, your note cards, and any other props you have to ensure a strong delivery.

During the delivery:

• You should be able to glance at the cards, get your bearings, and look back at the audience. If you are reading the cards word-for-word, there are too many words on them, unless it is an extended exact quote, or group of statistics that must be delivered precisely.
• Be sure your notes or cards are numbered (e.g., boldly in the upper right hand corner), so you can keep them organized. Color-coding is often done to easily distinguish the cards at a glance. Losing your place can be very stressful to you and distracting to the audience.
• Avoid writing or printing on two sides; flipping a page or card is distracting to the audience. The audience should not be aware of the notes. It is best to simply slide the cards aside to advance to the next card.
• Rehearse your speech using the notes that you will bring to the podium. Be sure you can glance at the notes, get your information, and look up to have eye contact with the audience.

Watch this quick Youtube video to learn how to use notes effectively in a speech. There are great ideas to overcome bad habits and engage in “good” note card use.

Rehearsing the Speech

Students under estimate the amount of time the goes into outlining, creating note cards, and rehearsing their speeches. This “tying up loose ends” is essential for a strong speech delivery. Here are a few tips to remember before you deliver your speech.

Rehearse your speech – aloud and ideally with a colleague or fellow student as an audience

• Rehearse in front of a mirror if needed.
• Think of doing a quick SWOT analysis. What strengths are present? What weaknesses are present? What opportunities for improvement do you have? What threats exist?
• Practice as if you are LIVE. Use the same technology, presentation aids, notecards and/or tangible props.
• Use a timer – consider writing the time on your note cards to keep yourself on track with the pace of your speech.
• Create a practice timeline that will allow plenty of revision time, editing of your outline, and updating your note cards for delivery. Be sure to implement feedback in order to strengthen your argument.

You should also know exactly how your speech will begin and end. Regardless of how dependent on notes the speaker may be, here is one constant word of advice: know exactly how you are going to begin your speech. Not just an idea, but verbatim, with every inflection, every gesture, every eye contact with the audience. The first few sentences should be so ingrained, that you could perform it during an earthquake without batting an eye.

A memorized introduction accomplishes several goals. First, it gives you the opportunity to breathe, and realize it’s not so bad to be up there after all! Second, it lets the audience know you are prepared. Third, it signals to the audience that what you are about to say is important. Finally, it gives you the opportunity for direct eye contact (because you are not reading) and commands the audience’s attention. Eye contact is a signal to the audience that you care about them!

The conclusion of your speech is equally important. In show business parlance, the end of a song or a scene is called a “button.” It is a “TAH-DAH” moment that lets the audience know you are finished, and that it is their turn to applaud. The ending impression your speech leaves with the audience is greatly affected by how effective the ending is. The content and structure notwithstanding, you should also know exactly how you will end (verbatim), so there is no hesitation, no stumbling, no tentative “I guess that’s all” feeling. A confident and decisive beginning will draw the audience to you; a confident logical ending will be very effective in preserving a lasting impression on the audience.

One of the key elements to an effective speech is our delivery method. We are presenting speeches, not reading them . Our goal is to deliver our speeches extemporaneously.

Extemporaneous speaking is one of the most natural methods for delivering a prepared speech. You can use an extemporaneous speech to achieve a more natural tone, flow, and style with the audience. This requires extensive preparation and practice.

To prepare for an extemporaneous speech, you must understand the difference between your preparation outline and speaking notes.

• Your preparation outline helps you to get prepared for your speech by providing the opportunity to organize and write your ideas in a speech format. This is your “formal” outline you use to organize your ideas (it is also the outline you turn in to me).
• Your speaking notes help you achieve a conversational and natural speech delivery.

See these tips for creating speaking notes:

https://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-Notes-for-Public-Speaking

Another Guide to Preparing Speech Notes

Speaking notes have an advantage over preparation outlines. For example, you can easily look at your notes for reference and as a personal reminder of which topics to discuss as you’re speaking.

Speaking notes commonly take two forms: alphanumeric and decimal.

An alphanumeric outline includes a capitalized number or letter at the beginning of each topic. Look at the sample:

Thesis statement: E-mail and internet monitoring is an invasion of employees’ rights

I. The situation: Over 80% of today’s companies monitor their employees.

….A. To prevent fraudulent activities, theft, and other workplace related violations.

….B. To more efficiently monitor employee productivity.

II. What are employees’ privacy rights when it comes to electronic monitoring and surveillance?

….A. American employees have basically no legal protection from mean and snooping bosses.

……..1. There are no federal or State laws protecting employees.

……..2. Employees may assert privacy protection for their own personal effects.

….B. Most managers believe that there is no right to privacy in the workplace.

……..1. Workplace communications should be about work; anything else is a misuse of company equipment and company time.

……..2. Employers have a right to prevent misuse by monitoring employee communication.

Decimal outline

The decimal outline shows how each item at every level relates to the whole sample.

Thesis statement:

1.0 Introduction

….1.1 Brief history of Liz Claiborne

….1.2 Corporate environment

2.0 Career opportunities

….2.1 Operations management

……..2.1.1 Traffic

……..2.1.2 International trade and corporate customs

……..2.1.3 Distribution

….2.2 Product development

You will note that in both examples, only keywords are used. You can handwrite or type your notes on either a sheet of paper or note cards. The important point is that you do not have a word for word speech – you only have reminders on your key points. This seemingly small difference helps you to have a natural and conversational delivery. 

Practice and Rehearsal Guidelines

The following guidelines are best practices on how to practice and rehearse an extemporaneous speech:

• Speak in a conversational style by pretending you are  with  your audience.
• Rehearse with your graphics and coordinate them with your talk.
• Display your graphics  only  when you are talking about them.
• Rehearse in front of others and solicit feedback.
• Record and listen to your timed practice speech.
• Prepare for interruptions and questions at the end.

Extemporaneous speaking is not memorization and manuscript speaking and requires you to organize and prepare your content and notes ahead of time to deliver a speech that will engage your audience.

Key Takeaways

Deliver your persuasive speech with note cards, a visual aid, and strong body language.

• The use of note cards is essential to public speaking.
• Public speaking students overlook the importance of note cards and visual aids to enhance their delivery; when used effectively, note cards can greatly increase a students effectiveness.
• To ensure a smooth delivery, practice with plenty of time to make any changes to your delivery notes and method of audience connection.

Victor Capecce, M.F.A.. Provided by : Millersville University, Millersville, PA.  Located at :  http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html .  Project : The Public Speaking Project.  License :  CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives

Public Speaking Copyright © by Dr. Layne Goodman; Amber Green, M.A.; and Various is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Use Notes in a Speech: 14 valuable tips for a speaker

• Filed under: Featured articles , Public speaking articles , Public speaking tips and tricks , Speech delivery , Speech preparation

While we’ve already explored the topic of speaking without notes here on my site, I’ve figured I should add a piece about speaking with notes. After all, there is nothing wrong with using notes in a speech, and it is the preferred method of many speakers. I know that there are a lot of times when I choose to use notes during a speech.

So, how do you use notes in a speech? Realize that notes are just notes, and shouldn’t be the full manuscript of your speech. Cue cards can be very effective when speaking in public. Make sure you are writing down keywords and phrases to remember. Try not to look down at your cards too much.

There are many benefits and also tricks to using notes during your speech. It’s okay if you aren’t experienced with this skill yet, because everyone has to start somewhere. If you’re really serious about learning to properly utilize this in your presentations, then I am going to show you some of my best tips. Read on!

Meanwhile, if you want to be a better public speaker, I have compiled a great list of the best public speaking books you definitely should read. Check out these books here

Table of Contents

How to Use Notes in a Speech

When you are using notes, remember that how you use them is more important than anything. Almost everyone does notes differently, so it can help you to ask for advice from a trusted friend or mentor.  And you should always remember to let things flow and be natural. If you are awkward and acting less than natural onstage, your audience could feel uncomfortable.

And above all, if you are in the middle of your speech and something is not going as you planned in your notes? That is perfectly okay. Not everything can be planned for, and sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

#1 Identify if You Need Notes or Not

There may be times when it is more or less appropriate to use notes, or not. For the most part, it is your choice. However, there are some other factors you should consider:

Maybe it is required to use notes

Some places where you speak may explicitly require you not to use notes. This also includes certain formats such as TED talks or short toasts. Make sure to find out whether or not using notes or not using notes is preferable at your venue, and for your style of speech.

It is not allowed to use notes

If you are explicitly not allowed to use notes. This may be the case if you are giving a presentation at school, or a speech as part of a verbal essay.

How long is your speech?

Is your speech too short to warrant the need for notes? Most of the time, speakers don’t use notes if their presentation is less than six minutes or so.

Delivering a keynote speech at a major event, teaching an educational course that is multiple days long, or giving a speech that is too long to memorize are good times that it is appropriate for you to use notes.

When you assess whether or not you should use notes, you avoid a lot of confusion when you show up to give your speech. You also avoid a potentially awkward situation. This goes right along with something that I am always telling my colleagues and students: be prepared!

If you are somehow here because you need to know how to give a speech without notes, check out the article that I have done here about that subject. For the rest of this article, we will exclusively be talking about public speaking with the use of notes. It’s important to say, though, that there is nothing inherently wrong with either method.

Creating and Planning Your Speech is a Great Start

Now, let’s talk about creating and planning your speech with the use of cue cards. If you know anything about me, you know I’m a bit fan of planning your presentation out as much as you can. After all, planning and practice both make perfect!

Here are some steps you should take to plan your speech out with notes using cue cards:

Recommended books

How to Deliver a TED Talk: Secrets of the World's Most Inspiring Presentations

Jeremy Donovan

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences

Nancy Duarte

Confessions of a Public Speaker

Scott Berkun

Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds

Carmine Gallo

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

Atul Gawande

The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything... Fast!

Josh Kaufman

#2 What is the purpose of your speech?

Knowing the purpose of your speech is always the first step. What is the reason you are speaking? What cause are you trying to further? Get out a piece of paper, and write the purpose of your speech at the very top in big letters.

This is something you need to keep in mind throughout the entire process so that you don’t lose sight.

#3 Draft and outline

Write a draft with an outline prepared. Make sure to underline or highlight key points of your speech.

#4 Tweak your draft

Go through your draft as many times as possible to add or subtract anything that you need to. Take this time to fix any mistakes you may have made.

#5 Let someone else take a look

Have a friend or mentor look over your draft for you, since they may be able to give you some proofreading tips. If you know someone who is good at writing or is an English major, they may be best able to help you.

#6 Prepare your cards

Then, take your cue cards and write down the key ideas of your outline onto the cards.

Try to select one main idea per card. If you cram too many ideas onto one card, this may end up getting confusing. It could even cause you to lose your place. Also, make sure you are writing legibly at all times.

#7 Prepare for the time limit

If your speech has a time limit, write on each card how much time you should spend on each particular idea.

#8 Number your cards

Number your cards if applicable so you know what order you are going in.

#9 Write Interaction Reminders or Important Facts

As I mentioned before, notes are a better choice than using a scripted speech if you want to maximize the connection with your audience members. That is why it is a good idea to include reminders to interact with your audience on your note cards.

Here are some interaction reminders you could write for yourself:

• “Ask Poll Question”
• “Change Slide”
• “Flip Chart”
• “Give Five Minute Break”
• “Distribute Handout”

And if you have any exact information that you need to remember, such as percentages or names, you should write this down to remember.

When I give this piece of advice, many students have told me that they are worried that writing down interaction reminders with make them look too unnatural or scripted. But interacting with your audience is just as important as what you have to tell them.

With practice, your audience interaction won’t look unnatural even if you have to remind yourself when to do it.

#10 Are You Using PowerPoint Slides?

PowerPoint slides can be very helpful for a lot of things. And while they can be a great visual aid for your audience, you should not use them as a substitution for regular notes.

Why? Well, this will be too much material for your slides. And the PowerPoint is supposed to be used as a visual aid, not as the sole source of information. After all, what do you need to speak for if all of your information is available on your slides?

#11 Practice, practice, practice

When you are completely done writing out your notes, practice reading them during your rehearsal. This will help you identify any possible problems before the day of your presentation.

When you effectively plan out your speech and your note cards, you will be best prepared when the big day comes. And being prepared for your speech is one of the best things you can do.

Notes Aren’t a Manuscript for the Entire Speech

There are times when reading from a full script is appropriate, or required. But in general, notes are considered a better overall way to speak to an audience. Why? Well, that is because notes give you more of an opportunity to be yourself onstage.

Don’t allow your use of notes to reduce how you are able to connect with your audience. What if you are reading from a full script, and someone asks a question that interrupts that script? This is exactly why your notes should only represent a general outline and reminders, not an entire script.

#12 Use bullet points instead of a full script

Here are a few other reasons you should use notes or bullet points instead of a full script:

• Full scripts require you to constantly be looking at a piece of paper, but this looks unnatural . You should be giving some attention to looking at your audience, and focusing on your hand gestures.
• Writing out only specific key phrases can help you remember what you want to talk about , while also giving you some freedom to improvise when needed.
• Not having to look at a full script will give you the freedom to move around the stage.
• You have a guide with notes, but you are not fully committed to the full word-for-word script, which gives you flexibility.

While reading from a full script shouldn’t be completely thought of as bad, I often find that it is easier to talk more freely and connect with the audience better when I am not chained to a script. But the security of having notes or a set of bullet points on hand can help greatly when the time comes.  

#13 Cue Cards Help Tremendously

Should you use regular paper, or note card stock?

A regular paper can be great for the planning stages, but you will definitely benefit in the long run from having your notes on smaller cue cards. Cue cards also look more graceful when you are handling them onstage.

Plus, what if you get nervous and your hands start to shake? A larger piece of paper will make the shaking more noticeable to your audience.

Heavy card stock is a good choice. This way, your notes are less likely to blow away if there is a fan, air conditioning, or it is windy and you are outside. However, you should also be prepared to bring a paperweight with you, just in case. You don’t want to end up chasing your notes around instead of giving your speech!

If you are used to giving speeches with a full script, and now you’re looking to switch to note cards, try to give yourself a smooth transition . It might take a little while to get used to doing things differently. This is why rehearsal, asking for help from a mentor and revising your notes many times before the actual speech is good ways to prepare.

#14 Don’t Constantly Look Down at the Notes

Giving eye contact to your audience members is a good way to connect with them during a speech . But constantly looking down at your note cards can have the opposite effect, and make you look more distant.

Throughout your speech, make sure you are putting forth an effort to look out into the audience, make eye contact, and smile. You should also make gestures with your hands, when appropriate. (If you need more tips on what to do with your hands, check this out ).

However, you shouldn’t constantly apologize when you glance down at your notes. Your audience members are forgiving, and they know that sometimes, speakers need to make good use of note cards. Remember, they won’t care that you are using notes , so don’t be self-conscious!

You should not be trying to hide your cards from the audience. If you’re making it look like you have something to hide, you are making yourself look suspicious. Try to treat your note cards like a natural extension of your own hand.

Try recording yourself doing a practice run of your speech. If you notice yourself looking down at the note cards too much, then try making an effort to look out into the audience a bit more.

Is it Professional to Use Notes in My Speech?

After we’ve made it this far, maybe you are still wondering whether or not it is professional for you to use notes when giving a speech. Believe it or not, but I get asked this question all the time from students, friends, and other speakers. It makes me baffled to think that people still believe that using note cards in a speech could be unprofessional.

Listen to me when I say that there is nothing unprofessional about using notes in your speech . In fact, until the rise of the note-less TED talk format, it used to be common for most speakers to use notes during their presentations.

When I speak to students, it seems that they are mostly afraid that using notes indicates a lack of self-confidence. Or worse, they are afraid that they appear uneducated or unprepared. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

What if you were in the middle of your presentation , and you forgot to talk about a key part? It was very important and forgetting it threw you off track for the rest of the speech.

In the end , your audience was confused about the purpose of your speech, and you came off looking very unprepared. Some people just give better speeches if they have notes. And if that describes you, then you absolutely should have notes.

After all, why put yourself at risk of forgetting something important? If you are worried about the opinions of someone else, don’t be. After all, they are not the ones giving your speech for you, and you have to do what will help you give your best speech.

To many, using notes indicates that you took the time to thoroughly prepare. And if you are new to a topic or inexperienced in the subject material, notes can be a lifesaver for you. So use notes without a worry , because it is absolutely not unprofessional.

Conclusion: How to Use Notes in a Speech?

Today, I hope you have learned something valuable about speaking with notes. Giving a speech with proper notes can be a great way to be prepared for an excellent presentation. As long as you are fully prepared, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. And if you have anything else to share about using notes during a speech, make sure to leave it in the comments section!

Are you looking for good tips to end a speech on a powerful note? Check out my article here , for several tips to properly end a speech. There are also many more articles on how to give a good speech on this website.

Related Questions

Is it okay for me to read a speech? It is usually better for you to read notes instead of an entire speech. If you have to read a full manuscript, that is also okay. Make sure you do what feels comfortable. Leave room to be able to connect with your audience.

How do I prepare for a speech? Make sure you know the purpose of your speech from the beginning. Take time to plan and create your notes if you are using them. Practice and rehearse as much as you possibly can. Rehearse in front of a friend or family member who can give you feedback.

How do I use your my effectively in a presentation? Watch your volume, and be mindful of your intonation. Speak clearly at all times when you are giving a speech. Place emphasis on the right words. Make sure you pace yourself accordingly. Pause when appropriate. (full article here)

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I have been teaching and blogging about public speaking since spring 2007. Here, I am sharing the wisdom of how to cope in different public speaking situations.

Send me an e-mail: [email protected]

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Best teleprompters

Best Computer Mice for the Presentations

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Sue Ann Kern

Executive speech coach, 435-201-8610, a speaker’s guide to using notes during a presentation, we are all familiar with the image of a television newscaster, sitting behind a desk, eyes surreptitiously moving back and forth as they read the teleprompter. as a public speaker, this is not you. your job is not to  read  your presentation to your audience. when you are speaking in a professional setting, your job is to  build a connection  with your audience as you share your story and give them information that will transform their lives. this is difficult to do if you are reading your speech from a teleprompter, computer, or notes. if you audience does not feel an emotional connection, your power to inspire and persuade will be dimished., so does this mean that you can’t use notes when giving your speech not necessarily. there are times when notes are appropriate if they are written and used correctly., the downside of using notes:.

• They force you to look down at your words instead of at your audience.
• They may make you seem less spontaneous and enthusiastic about your subject.
• They may make the audience think you aren’t prepared.
• They may give the impression that you aren’t in control of the knowledge; that you’re reading rather than speaking from the heart.
• It’s difficult to read and emote at the same time, so that affects and limits your ability to connect with your audience.

Tips for Writing Notes Before Your Presentation:

• Focus on writing down the key points, words, and phrases rather than your entire speech. Utilize bullet points with key ideas instead of complete sentences. If someone can look at your notes and deliver a speech similar to yours, then there’s too much information.
• It’s OK to write your entire speech, but after you practice it, make your notes and store the written speech away. Be sure to practice with your notes, too.
• Make sure your notes are easily readable. Use a large, 16pt sans serif font like Arial, double spaced. Write your notes in the upper half of the page to enable you to keep your head up, and to avoid having to look far down your notes or losing your place.
• Use different fonts for different speaking points.
• Use different colors for sections that you want to emphasize, or for different character’s lines.
• Use page breaks for different topics in your speech.
• Use italics to remind you to speak softly.
• Use BOLD to remind you to speak loudly.
• Leave spaces or ellipses to represent pauses.
• Different note formats can have benefits and drawbacks. It’s easy to lose your place if you are using a single sheet of paper with too much information written on it. Stacked index cards are distracting when you hold them, are cumbersome to shuffle through, and may get out of order. A computer or laptop can be frustrating if it goes into sleep mode or if you have to be continually clicking on it to move to your next page of notes. I find it most helpful to make notes the old fashioined way: with 8 1/2 x 11 paper. I type my notes in large font on only the top half of one side of the paper (not dobule sided.) When I need multiple sheets, I leave them unstapled. Then, I lay my notes flat on the lectern and slide each sheet to the left, one by one, as I reference it. This is less distracting than flipping pages.
• Choose a notes format you feel most comfortable with and practice with it!

Tips for Using Notes During Your Presentation:

• Don’t worry about memorizing your speech word-for-word; this may have the unintended effect of making you seem inauthentic or unnatural. You are more likely to lose your place and less likely to be flexible if you make a mistake. It’s better to know the “broad strokes” of the speech and how the parts connect rather than memorize each individual sentence. Focus on staying fluid, improvising, and knowing the subject of your speech well enough that you can deal with minor interruptions, hiccups, memory lapses, and distractions.
• During your speech, keep your notes on the lectern or table so you can easily reference them if needed. Don’t store them behind you or in a pocket or bag! If you must hold your notes, do not fling them around or fiddle with the paper.
• Don’t speak into your notes. When you need to reference them, look down, pause, then look up and start speaking. Pauses can be helpful – the audience probably won’t notice the pause, and may benefit from having a moment to digest the information you’ve given them. Pauses are also helpful for emphasis! Notice the spots in your speech where a pause would feel natural or impactful, such as when the audience pauses for laughter! Take advantage of these natural breakpoints to consult your notes.
• Memorize the beginning and end of your speech and any joke you intend to share! You have to be able to walk onto the podium, look your audience in the eye, and deliver an enticing opening to get their attention. Likewise, you have to leave them with a memorable and catchy call-to-action or inspirational message, and that is hard to pull off if you are reading from your notes.

Let’s conclude with an important reminder: your goal as a speaker is to build a connection with your audience. Use your notes as a guide, not as a guard rail. Practice, Practice, Practice. When you are well rehearsed, you are able to trust yourself to know your subject matter, respond to your audience, and improvise rather than memorize. You know your topic; you know your speech; stay loose and have some fun!

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Module 3: Listening and Responding

Learning objectives.

Describe strategies for note-taking.

Taking notes can also advance your ability to be actively engaged in the speaker’s words. You need not write down everything the speaker is saying. First, this is quite likely to be impossible. Second, once you are caught up in recording a speaker’s every word, you are no longer listening. Use a tape recorder instead—having asked the speaker’s permission first—if you feel you really must capture every word the speaker utters. You want to focus your efforts on really listening with an active mind. Learning to focus your attention on main points and key concepts, and gaining the overall gist of the speaker’s talk are other skills to develop. You might endeavor to develop these skills by jotting down a few notes or even drawing visuals that help you to recall the main ideas. The manner in which you take the notes is up to you; what is important is the fact that you are listening and working to process what is being said. Writing down questions that come to mind and asking questions of the speaker when possible are two more ways to guarantee effective listening as you have found an internal motivation to listen attentively.

Note-Taking Systems

The following is a chart with a brief explanation of the main note-taking systems.

Cornell Notes

Cornell notes are often used to keep track of the structure and main points of a speech or lecture. You begin by creating two columns on your paper—draw a vertical line about 1/3 of the way across the paper. On the right-hand side, you write down notes as you listen or read. In the left-side column, you add in questions and elaborate on the things you wrote on the other side. It follows this general structure:

• Record : write down notes from the reading or lecture on the right side of the paper.
• Question : write down questions or keywords on the left side of the paper that connect to the notes on the other side.
• Recite : Cover the detailed notes on the right side of the paper and ask yourself the questions from the left side, or use the keywords to see how much you can recite from the reading or notes.
• Reflect : Think deeply about the notes and try to make connections between what you already know and what you learned.
• Review : Review your notes frequently—before class, after class, before an exam, etc. [1]

You can view the transcript for “How to use the Cornell note-taking method” here (opens in new window) .

• The Cornell Note-taking System. The Learning Strategies Center. Cornell University. http://lsc.cornell.edu/study-skills/cornell-note-taking-system/ ↵
• Take notes. Authored by : Jenn Q Goddu, adapted by Lumen Learning. Located at : http://publicspeakingproject.org/PDF%20Files/listening%20web%201.pdf . Project : Public Speaking Project. License : CC BY: Attribution . License Terms : Used with Permission
• How to use the Cornell note-taking method. Authored by : The Learning Portal / Le Portail du2019Apprentissage. Located at : https://youtu.be/FrKfZ5VYWCQ . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Note-Taking Strategies. Authored by : Heather Syrett, adapted by Lumen Learning. Provided by : Austin Community College. Located at : https://courses.lumenlearning.com/austincc-learningframeworks/chapter/chapter-11-note-taking-strategies/ . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright
• Cornell Notes. Authored by : Lumen Learning. Located at : https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/annotating/ . License : CC BY: Attribution

Best Practices for Using Speaker Notes in a Presentation

"The way something is presented will define the way you react to it." - Deville Brody

Delivering presentations in front of an audience is one of the most common fears shared across the world. Whether you’re presenting a proposal to a single client, a project to your peers, or you are a keynote speaker for a massive conference, the reality is that public speaking can be nerve-wracking. The good news is that there are several strategies to mitigate this fear, boost your confidence, and increase your chances of delivering an engaging presentation, guaranteed to captivate your audience.

One strategy to deliver effective presentations is utilizing the power of speaker notes. We’ve built hundreds of decks and understand just how much work goes into the preparation process. After putting in the hours to craft the narrative, build the deck, and rehearse the presentation, the audience must reap the benefit of all those efforts. Using speaker notes in your presentation is an excellent way to come prepared, engage with your audience, deliver a compelling message, and ensure that your hard work translates to value.

In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of speaker notes and outline some best practices for you to apply when building your decks.

What are Speaker Notes? ‍

Speaker notes are quite simply what their name suggests. They’re notes to help presenters recall important speaking points when giving a presentation. Think index cards but in digital form.

Speaking notes are only visible to speakers and not the audience and are typically located beneath or to the side of the core presentation content. The notes are tied to specific slides, so as you flip through your presentation, the notes will change accordingly. Some examples of content typically included in speaker notes include key statistics, prompts for stories, clues for transitions or co-presenters, and additional context to help convey important points.

Good speaker notes provide guidance, support, and structure to ensure that the speaker can stay on track and cover all relevant information. Good speaker notes should contain a clear structure, use succinct language, and be detailed enough for the speaker to recall them easily without being overwhelmingly long.

Long notes (where you're writing out every spoken word) have the opposite effect. They detract from the speaker’s focus. They can ruin the cadence of the speaker and their connection to the audience. They should be bullet points for familiarity and really nothing more.

Some examples of speaker notes that have been effectively utilized in presentations include:

- Providing a list of key statistics or key points that need to be covered during the presentation

- Including prompts for stories , anecdotes, and other examples to illustrate your main points

- Offering cues or reminders for transitions between different parts of the presentation

- Providing additional context or background information for important points

If you are looking to deliver effective presentations, speaker notes can be an invaluable tool. By taking the time to carefully craft your speaker notes and using them as a guide during your presentation, you will be able to engage with your audience,

What are the Benefits of Using Speaker Notes? ‍

"You are not being judged, the value of what you are bringing to the audience is being judged." - Seth Godin

Your audience will either listen to you or read your slides. The goal is to get them to listen to you. This is accomplished by limiting the content on slides to only essential information.

Using speaker notes to capture the additional information helps your audience to focus on listening to you and for you to avoid coming off as inauthentic, like reading a script. ‍

Better Engage Your Audience

One of the best ways to engage your audience is through maximizing eye contact. Eye contact helps lock in listeners’ attention and helps the speaker read visual cues. By using speaking notes to capture the main ideas to touch on, speakers can avoid reading slides word for word. This frees up their attention to connect with the audience, read visual cues, and most importantly, allows the audience to focus on listening to what they have to say. ‍

Deliver a More Compelling Message

Speaking notes serve as a powerful tool to add additional value to your narrative. Graphics, metrics, videos, and other content cannot and should not convey all of the information that is important to understanding the story. By placing extra contextual information in speaking notes, you can shed more light on the real story behind the content and again, force the audience to listen to you vs. reading slides.

Stories are also a proven way to grab your audience’s attention and help them relate to your message. Speaking notes are a perfect tool to place notes for yourself on when to insert a reminder for a powerful story.

Perhaps the most obvious way to use speaking notes to deliver a great presentation is to use them to keep your place and train of thought. Too often, presenters get nervous, lose their train of thought, and go blank during the presentation. This damage to confidence and credibility can be easily avoided by having speaker notes available to fall back on.

Be Prepared

Presentations often lead to the need for questions or leave behind materials. Speaking notes can serve as an excellent reference to help answer questions that inevitably get asked about information that wasn’t visible on the slide. Coming prepared with notes to help answer these questions can help to maintain your credibility even after the presentation.

The notes can also be incredibly helpful in producing a leave-behind version of your deck. The extra information and context will go a long way in helping readers remember the narrative that was discussed that can’t be inferred from the slide content.

In more complex presentations, such as when you’re co-presenting with others, speaker notes can be an effective tool to include slide directions. You can prepare by leaving clues for yourself and others on how to transition between slides, what is coming up next, and who is speaking on what points. ‍

Best Practices for Using Speaker Notes

‍ "Grasp the subject, the words will follow." - Cato the Elder

We’ve discussed the benefits of speaker notes, but the real power is understanding how to apply them. Here are a few of our helpful tips that you can reference when creating speaker notes for your presentations. ‍

The space to view your notes will be limited so you need to use the space wisely. It’s best practice to capture no more than 1 to 2 main ideas per slide and then you can add a few supporting notes per idea. Focus on writing down keywords and phrases and avoid including full sentences. Bullet points tend to be far more effective than writing details out word for word.

Being brief forces speakers to craft the narrative in their minds and use the notes for supporting details and context. Don’t forget to practice your speech and focus your attention on the audience, not your notes.

Add Clues and Key Stats

In addition to helping outline your speaking points, speaking notes can serve as a helpful reference for key stats, transitions, instructions, and other reminders. You can best equip yourself by adding in clues such as who’s speaking next, who’s touching on which points, what’s coming on the next slide, what key stats may help in answering questions, and so on. Do your best to anticipate what questions may get asked and what challenges can be offset with information placed in the notes. ‍

Be Brief, Be Prepared, Be Remembered

The idea of speaker notes may seem overwhelmingly simple, but they’re often overlooked and misused. If used improperly, they can negatively impact your presentation. But if used correctly, you will be prepared to deliver a confident, engaging presentation to remember.

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How to Use Notes Effectively

by Allison Shapira | Apr 27, 2021 | Writing Tips , International , Women , Leadership , Reflections , Newsletter | 0 comments

For their final speech of the semester at the Harvard Kennedy School, I asked my students to reduce their reliance on notes.

Why? Because when we rely on notes, it affects so much of our presentation.

• It affects our authenticity,  because we are reading from notes instead of speaking to our audience.
• If affects our engagement, because when we read from a script, our flat intonation makes the audience tune out. 
• It affects our persuasiveness, because it looks like we don’t know our material.

Having said that, I acknowledge that notes can be helpful. In fact, I have used notes for most of my speeches or presentations, with the exception of my TEDx talk in 2013. The goal is to make notes available for easy reference and not to make them the main focus of your presentation.

Here are 3 ways to use notes effectively

• Use your own words. Our content drives our delivery, so if you are simply memorizing the talking points of your organization, it will be harder to remember those points. When you write using your own words, and include personal anecdotes, you make your presentation easier to remember.
• Write your speech first, then reduce it to an outline. For unfamiliar or high-stakes topics, or if you are giving a speech in a foreign language, I normally recommend people write everything out word-for-word. Read that speech out loud and make sure it feels natural; time it to make sure you are keeping to your allotted time. Then, you can reduce it to an outline, and you’ll feel more comfortable using that outline during the presentation.
• Put your notes somewhere you can easily see them: If you are presenting on camera, keep your notes as close to the camera lens as possible so you can unobtrusively refer to them. Make the outline in a large font with plenty of white space so you can easily find your place. Write out your transitions if necessary so you can easily move on to the next topic.

These are a few of the strategies my students and I discussed as they prepared for their final speeches – which, by the way, have been incredible! 

Regardless of your industry, the goal of a speech or presentation is to build trust and connection with your audience. By using notes effectively, you keep your focus on your audience and on your impact.

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How to Make Speech Notes and Talking Points for Your Next Meeting or Presentation

Updated: Jul 9, 2023

Are you preparing for an upcoming meeting or presentation and feeling overwhelmed with organizing your thoughts? We've got you covered. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps of creating effective speech notes and talking points that will captivate your audience and deliver your message flawlessly.

One of the crucial aspects of a successful speech or presentation is understanding its purpose and goal. Whether you aim to persuade, inform, or inspire, having a clear understanding of what you want to achieve will help you tailor your messaging to resonate with your audience.

An often overlooked yet incredibly important factor in delivering a compelling speech is the structure and organization of your notes. Well-structured speech notes and talking points allow you to seamlessly guide your audience through your key ideas and main points, ensuring they remain engaged and focused.

Clear and concise messaging is the key to capturing and holding your audience's attention. By using concise language and avoiding unnecessary jargon, you can effectively communicate your ideas and keep your audience interested. The benefits are numerous, from increased retention of information to effective audience engagement.

Ready to make a lasting impression at your next meeting or presentation? Let's dive into the step-by-step method of crafting impactful speech notes and talking points that will elevate your communication skills to new heights.

Preparing for Your Speech/Presentation

Before you step onto the stage or into the meeting room, it's crucial to adequately prepare for your speech or presentation. Taking the time to gather information, understand your audience, and determine your key message will ensure a successful and impactful delivery.

Conducting thorough research on the topic to gather information and data

Begin by delving deep into your chosen topic. Conduct thorough research to gather relevant information and data that will support and strengthen your speech or presentation. Explore reputable sources such as books, articles, research papers, and industry reports to ensure you have a solid understanding of the subject matter.

Identifying and analyzing the target audience and their interests

It's crucial to identify your target audience and understand their interests, needs, and preferences. Analyzing your audience will enable you to tailor your speech or presentation to resonate with them better. Consider demographics, such as age, gender, education level, and professional background, and also try to uncover their potential concerns or questions related to the topic.

Understanding the level of knowledge and familiarity the audience may have with the subject matter

While analyzing your audience, it's equally important to gauge their level of knowledge and familiarity with the subject matter. Are they beginners, intermediates, or experts in the field? This understanding will help you adjust your speech or presentation's complexity and depth, ensuring you strike the right balance to engage and educate your audience effectively.

Determining the key points and messages you want to convey

Before crafting your speech or presentation, determine the key points and messages you want to convey. These are the core ideas and takeaways that you want your audience to remember and act upon. Start with a clear objective and identify the main supporting points that will help you communicate your message effectively.

Organizing Your Speech/Presentation

In order to deliver an effective speech or presentation, it is crucial to organize your content in a structured and coherent manner. Here are some key strategies to help you organize your speech/presentation:

Structuring your speech/presentation with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion

A well-structured speech or presentation starts with a strong introduction that grabs the audience's attention and provides an overview of what will be covered. The body should include the main points or arguments, supported by evidence and examples. Finally, a clear and concise conclusion should summarize the key takeaways and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Developing a compelling opening and closing statement to capture audience attention

The opening statement sets the tone for your speech or presentation. It can be a thought-provoking question, a surprising statistic, or a powerful anecdote. Similarly, the closing statement should create a memorable ending by summarizing the main points and leaving the audience with a call to action or a thought-provoking idea.

Creating an outline or storyboard to organize the flow of your speech/presentation

Before diving into the content, it is helpful to create an outline or storyboard to ensure a logical flow of ideas. This will help you stay organized and prevent you from jumping from one topic to another. Start by listing the main points you want to cover and arrange them in a logical order.

Developing concise and impactful talking points to stay focused and coherent during the presentation

To keep your speech or presentation focused and coherent, develop concise and impactful talking points for each main idea or argument. Use bullet points or short sentences to outline the key information you want to convey. This will help you stay on track and avoid rambling or going off-topic.

Managing time effectively to ensure you cover all key points within the allocated timeframe

Time management is crucial when delivering a speech or presentation. Plan your content carefully and allocate sufficient time for each section. Remember to practice your speech or presentation beforehand to get a sense of the timing. Consider using visual cues or a timer to keep yourself on track during the actual presentation.

Enhancing Your Speech/Presentation

Using visual aids and multimedia to support key points and enhance comprehension.

Visual aids and multimedia elements can significantly enhance the impact and comprehension of your speech or presentation. They provide a visual representation that helps your audience understand and remember your key points. Here are some tips for effectively using visual aids:

Choose relevant visuals that align with your topic and message.

Use graphs, charts, and images to illustrate data or complex concepts.

Include videos or audio clips that provide additional information or reinforce your points.

Ensure the visual aids are clear, concise, and easy to understand.

Avoid overcrowding your slides or presentation with too much information.

Incorporating storytelling techniques to make your speech/presentation engaging

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can captivate your audience and make your speech or presentation more engaging. Here are some techniques to incorporate storytelling:

Start with an attention-grabbing anecdote or personal story related to your topic.

Use narrative structures such as a beginning, middle, and end to organize your content.

Include vivid descriptions and sensory details to make your stories come alive.

Show the emotional impact of your story to create a connection with your audience.

Keep your stories concise and relevant to maintain audience interest.

Incorporating personal anecdotes or experiences to add authenticity and relatability

Sharing personal anecdotes or experiences can add authenticity and relatability to your speech or presentation. It allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level. Here are some tips for incorporating personal anecdotes:

Choose anecdotes that directly relate to your topic and support your key points.

Share personal experiences that highlight your expertise or unique perspective.

Be genuine and sincere when sharing your anecdotes to create an emotional connection.

Use anecdotes strategically throughout your speech or presentation to maintain interest.

Ensure that your anecdotes are concise and directly contribute to your overall message.

Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to convey your message

Verbal and non-verbal communication techniques play a crucial role in conveying your message effectively. Here are some techniques to consider:

Use clear and concise language to articulate your thoughts and ideas.

Vary your tone, pitch, and volume to emphasize key points and maintain audience engagement.

Make eye contact with your audience to establish a connection and build trust.

Use gestures and body language to enhance your message and convey confidence.

Ensure that your facial expressions align with the emotions you want to convey.

Practicing and rehearsing your speech/presentation multiple times for better delivery and confidence

Practicing and rehearsing your speech or presentation multiple times is crucial for better delivery and building confidence. Here are some tips for effective practice:

Prepare a script or outline to guide your practice sessions.

Practice in front of a mirror or record yourself to observe and improve your delivery.

Time yourself to ensure that your speech or presentation fits within the allocated timeframe.

Practice with a focus on clarity, pace, and emphasis on key points.

Solicit feedback from friends, colleagues, or mentors to gain different perspectives and make improvements.

Mastering Your Speech/Presentation Skills

Seeking feedback from trusted individuals to further improve your speech/presentation skills.

Feedback plays a crucial role in honing your speech and presentation skills. It allows you to identify areas of improvement and understand how others perceive your delivery. Seek feedback from trusted individuals who can provide constructive criticism and valuable insights.

When asking for feedback, be specific about what you would like to improve or aspects you want them to focus on. This could include your body language, tone of voice, slide design, or overall structure of your presentation. Actively listen to their feedback and take notes for future reference.

Applying learnings from feedback to enhance future presentations

The feedback you receive is only valuable if you apply it to enhance your future presentations. Take the time to analyze the feedback and identify actionable steps you can take to improve. For example, if someone suggests that you speak too fast, practice speaking slower and enunciate your words clearly.

Experiment with different techniques and strategies based on the feedback you've received. Continuously refine your delivery and adapt your presentation style to ensure maximum impact on your audience.

Developing mastery in speech/presentation delivery through practice and continuous improvement

Mastery in speech and presentation delivery is achieved through consistent practice and continuous improvement. Practice your speeches or presentations multiple times, either in front of a mirror or with a trusted audience, to build confidence and refine your delivery.

Focus on aspects such as body language, vocal variety, and overall engagement. Pay attention to your gestures, maintain eye contact, and vary your tone to keep your audience engaged throughout.

Additionally, seek opportunities to further develop your skills. Attend public speaking workshops, join Toastmasters clubs, or engage in other activities that allow you to speak in front of an audience and receive feedback from seasoned speakers.

Remember, mastering your speech and presentation skills is an ongoing process. Embrace the journey and continuously strive for improvement.

Handling Challenges During Your Speech/Presentation

Delivering a speech or presentation can be a daunting task, especially when faced with unexpected challenges. Here are some strategies to help you handle these challenges with ease:

Managing potential questions and challenges with prepared responses or counter-arguments

Anticipating potential questions or challenges from your audience is a crucial step in preparing for your speech or presentation. To effectively handle these situations, make sure to:

Research: Thoroughly research your topic to ensure you have a deep understanding of the subject matter. This will help you provide thoughtful and well-informed responses to any questions or challenges.

Prepare: Create a list of potential questions or challenges that you may encounter during your speech or presentation. Develop well-crafted responses or counter-arguments in advance to ensure you are ready to address them confidently.

Practice: Rehearse your prepared responses or counter-arguments to ensure they sound natural and coherent. Practicing will also help you build confidence in handling any potential challenges.

Adapting to unexpected situations during the speech/presentation

No matter how well you prepare, unexpected situations may arise during your speech or presentation. Here's how you can adapt effectively:

Stay calm: Take a deep breath and remain composed. Panicking will only make the situation more challenging. Remember that you've prepared well and trust in your abilities.

Think on your feet: Quickly assess the situation and adapt accordingly. If technical difficulties occur, have a backup plan ready. If you lose your train of thought, pause, and regather your focus. Trust yourself to navigate through the unexpected with confidence.

Engage with the audience: Involve your audience in overcoming unexpected situations. This could be by asking for their input, encouraging questions, or seeking their assistance. In doing so, you can turn challenges into opportunities for engagement and collaboration.

Remaining composed and confident in delivering your message

Maintaining composure and confidence throughout your speech or presentation is crucial. Here are some techniques to help you deliver your message with poise:

Breathe: Take deep breaths before and during your speech or presentation. Deep breathing helps relax your body and mind, enabling you to project confidence and clarity.

Use positive affirmations: Repeat positive affirmations to yourself before and during your speech or presentation. Remind yourself of your expertise and the value your message brings to your audience.

Visualize success: Visualize yourself delivering a successful speech or presentation, captivating your audience, and receiving positive feedback. This mental imagery will boost your confidence and help you focus on delivering your message effectively.

By following the content plan outlined above, individuals can learn how to create effective speech notes and talking points for their next meeting or presentation. Incorporating these strategies will improve their presentation skills and allow them to deliver impactful messages efficiently and with confidence.

When it comes to preparing for a speech or presentation, having well-prepared speech notes and talking points is crucial. It helps you stay organized, ensures that you cover all the necessary information, and allows you to deliver your message effectively.

Throughout this guide, we have discussed various strategies and techniques to enhance your speech and presentation skills. From preparing beforehand to organizing your content, enhancing your delivery, and mastering your presentation skills, each step plays a vital role in creating a successful presentation.

Remember to reiterate the importance of having well-prepared speech notes and talking points. These serve as a guide to keep you on track and ensure you cover all the key points you want to convey.

As we conclude, it's essential to encourage ongoing practice and learning to continuously refine your abilities in public speaking. The more you practice, the better you become at delivering your message confidently and with impact. Seek opportunities to speak in front of others, whether it's through presentations, meetings, or even joining public speaking clubs or courses.

Incorporate feedback and continuously learn from your experiences to sharpen your skills. Remember, even the most seasoned speakers started somewhere and had to practice and refine their abilities.

So, start implementing the strategies and techniques mentioned in this guide, practice regularly, and never stop learning. With dedication and perseverance, you can become a confident and skilled public speaker, leaving a lasting impression on your audience.

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Five Tips on How to Use Speaking Notes Effectively

by Dorothea Hendriks | Presentation Skills

Speaking notes are an important tool when making a speech or presentation; they organize the flow of the topic, keep you on track and serve as cheat sheets for salient points such as statistics.  But what to do with those cumbersome notes?

Whether you are a newly minted speaker standing in front of an audience for the first time, or a seasoned presenter, there will be times when you will need speaking notes. The challenge is not in having speaking notes but in how to use those notes. Ineffective use of notes can erode a speaker’s ability to connect with the audience and inhibit the speaker from delivering his or her message with precision, passion and power.

When speaking to an audience your goal is to demonstrate that you are a polished presenter and a professional in an area of expertise.  In order to do that there are plenty of TO DO things when making the delivery, but what about the NOT TO DO?  Often speakers are are literally at sixes and sevens when it comes to speaking notes.  Here are the top five common pitfalls to avoid when using speaking notes.

1. Don’t write your speech word for word . Writing word for word, often results in us reading word for word, and we end up sounding stilted and insincere, instead of conversational and authentic. When we have our head bent down to read, we miss making eye contact with our audience which is vital if we want to connect and build a relationship with our listeners. Avoid long sentences. Keep wording short. Use only key words and phrases. We want people to remember our main ideas, not every word.

2. Eliminate the small. Bring in the big . … 14pt or 16pt font; words and phrases should be well spaced, easy and comfortable to read. Group thoughts. Have lots of white space. Colour-code pauses or where you want to place emphasis.

3. Avoid holding a page (or sheets) of paper . If you are nervous, you won’t be able to hold the paper steady. And, unless the paper has substantial weight, it can flop over or bend, looking untidy and unprofessional. Write only on one side and never fold, and unfold your speaking notes so they look crumpled. This gives the impression of unpreparedness and uncaring.  Instead, consider using a file folder in a dark colour or clip board to provide a backing for your speaking notes. Or write key ideas on small 4×6 inch or 5×8 inch cards.

4. Avoid flipping your note pages. This is a common error  when pages are stapled together, or turning pages over when you have finished the first page and need to move to the next. Both actions can be distracting, especially if you are near a microphone. When you find yourself in the position of having to hold your speaking notes, it is better to slide the pages one under the other, or if at a lectern, slide the finished pages off to the side.

5. Do not read the opening or closing . This is a major pitfall for any speaker. At the start of your presentation, you want people to focus on you, on your message. To capture their attention, build their interest, and get their support with your first words, eye contact with your audience is critical. This applies to the closing as well. If you are buried deep in your speaking notes, it means that you are communicating with your notes and not with the people sitting in front.

As speakers, whether seasoned or just beginners, our job is to give life and meaning to our words and our message. When used well, speaking notes are an amazing tool to help us do just that.

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Cue cards for public speaking 

How to make cue cards & use them effectively.

By:  Susan Dugdale  

Making good cue cards from standard office supply index or note cards to help you confidently deliver an extemporaneous  speech is relatively easy.  And using them well will lift the quality of your presentation immeasurably. (Truly! I promise you that's not hyperbole. ☺)

What's on this page

Step-by-step guidelines on how to make cue cards and use them well:

• what are cue cards ?
• the benefits of using cue cards
• the materials required to make cue cards
• the 10 features of an effective cue card
• how to write up cue cards - the 3-step process to get from a speech outline to cue cards that work the way you want them to  
• how to rehearse with cue cards
• the difference between cue cards and flash cards

What are cue cards?

Cue * or note cards, used by speakers when making an extemporaneous speech * , are typically handheld. They are about 4 inches by 6 inches in size, with carefully selected and ordered words and phrases written on them. These act as prompt to help speakers remember what they have to say.

* A  cue is a signal or a prompt to say or do something. * extemporaneous speech -a well-prepared speech that relies on research, clear organization, and practiced delivery, but is neither read nor completely memorized.

The benefits of using cue cards

People who do not use cue cards to help them deliver a prepared speech either read it from a word-for-word printout or rely entirely on their memory.

However, both these delivery methods have potential traps for the unwary.

• Reading a speech well is a skill and like any skill it needs work to become proficient at it. Someone who hasn't practiced reading aloud is very likely to be difficult to listen to and to watch.
• Opting to deliver a speech entirely from memory is only effective if you've done enough practice. A blank-out and trying to chase down lost words in front of an audience can be hard to recover from. (There is no safety-net!)

Enter cue cards!

The benefits of using cue cards well are:

• Not being anchored to a podium reading the entire text of your speech. This enables you to freely interact with your audience: -to make eye contact, -to observe and readily respond, for instance to clarify a   point you can see has not been understood, to leave out   bits you can tell are not wanted or needed..., -to gesture and move easily.
• Not being left stranded and floundering because you have forgotten important details, or the sequence of your material. Cue cards are reassuring.  

A well-prepared set of cue cards will give you confidence. You will sound, look and feel more present, and your entire delivery will have more life, more energy! 

For those of you who are nervous about making the transition from the safety of a complete sentence by sentence script to note cards, don't be. Take it slowly. Give yourself time to thoroughly prepare and rehearse with them, and you'll be delighted with the result.

The materials needed

You'll need a packet of standard index cards, similar to the one in the illustration below, a selection of highlighters, (for example, yellow, pink, blue and green), and an easily-read pen. I suggest using one with either blue or black ink.

The 10 features of good cue cards 

The information you put on your cards and how you lay it out is critically important. You need to be able to read and understand them at a glance. (See the illustration below)

The most user-friendly cue cards:

• have ONE main subject heading or idea per card
• have a heading showing which part of the speech the card belongs to  
• are written or printed clearly using larger than usual font   - so you can read them easily
• have plenty of white space around each word or phrase to help them stand out
• use bullet points or numbers to itemize the supporting ideas under the main heading
• are written on ONE side of the card only
• are clearly numbered so that you know the order they come in and it can be a good idea to tie them together .   Use a hole punch to make a hole through the left corner of your cards and tie with a loop of string long enough to allow them to be flipped. The advantage of that is if you drop or somehow get them out of sequence, you're not scrabbling around trying to get them back into the right order and find where you'd got up to while being watched. That can be tough with dozens of pairs of eyes on you!  
• are color-coded to show your main idea, supporting ideas, examples and transitions or links.
• have where props are to be shown . For example: Main Idea One - Supporting Idea - Example - Show slide 1
• have approximate timings marked so you can track yourself through your allotted time. If you find you're going over you can adjust by leaving out an extra example or conversely if you're under time, you can add one in.

Preparing your speech for cue cards

Before starting the cue cards you need to make sure your speech is fully prepared.

The next 3 steps are an essential part of the preparation process.

1. Reviewing your speech outline

Using your speech outline go through from the beginning checking the sequence of ideas, supporting material and  transitions to ensure all your information is in an effective and logical sequence.  (And if you haven't made an outline yet  download and use the blank one available from the link below.)

Have you outlined your speech?

If you haven't got a speech outline already prepared ...

Use the printable blank speech outline template you'll find on this page: sample speech outline . It will make preparing your cue cards a breeze. 

2. Try your speech out loud

Use your outline to try your speech out loud. Say it through as if you were actually giving it and time yourself.

Remember to allow for pausing, waiting for the audience to finish laughing before you begin talking again, and so on.

You may need to edit if it's too long and it's a lot easier to do that at this stage. 

3. Feedback

Once you have the length right for your time allowance, ask a few people whose judgment you trust to listen to you give your speech. Have them give you feedback on its content, structure and delivery, paying particular attention to the introduction and the close.

(For more information see speech evaluation| giving and receiving meaningful feedback .) 

Use the feedback you've been given to rework your speech if you need to.

When you're satisfied you have it the best it can possibly be, you're ready to prepare it for cue cards.

Getting from outline to writing up your cue cards

Identifying good keywords and phrases.

Each segment or part of your speech, from its introduction to conclusion, should be reducible to a key word or phrase.  The phrase or keyword will act as a prompt, or trigger, making you immediately remember what it was you wanted to say.

Before you can write your cue cards you need to go through your speech outline and choose a word or phrase that best represents what each part is about.  

Once you've finished, you're ready to write up your cards using the  1-10 guidelines  above.

Test your cards as you make them

Double check the effectiveness of each card as you write them to make sure you are using keywords or phrases that actually do trigger your memory.

This is also particularly important for links or transitions. Forgetting how you got from one piece of information to the next not only leaves you stranded but your audience as well.

NB.  Be sure to note the names of important people, facts or processes too.

A word of warning

Do not be tempted to print or write the whole of your speech out, then cut it into bits and stick those bits onto cue card sized pieces of cardboard. * It will defeat your purpose entirely.

You'll finish with ridiculously cramped notes that, as well as being difficult to read, stop you from freely interacting with your audience. You'll be head down trying to decipher what you wrote!

* (I've seen it in action! Occasionally one of my student's would try it and the result was never, ever good.)

Rehearsing with your cue cards

You'll find a full page here on ' how to rehearse ' .

It includes notes specifically on rehearsing using your cue cards as well as other valuable tips for delivering your speech successfully.

Now that you've completed your set of cards, please don't shortchange yourself by assuming you are fully prepared and ready for delivery.

To use them well you really do need to practice with them. Before you give your speech aim for at least three concentrated rehearsal sessions and do more if possible.

Cue cards and flash cards. What's the difference? 

The principal difference between them is their purpose.

Flash cards are used to help memorize information for example, vocabulary lists for a new language you're learning, the sequence of events leading to the outbreak of WW2, or the names and placement of all the bones in the human body.

They frequently have diagrams and pictures as well as words on them to make the information easier to remember. 

The goal or purpose of them is instant recall. They are extensively used by students, particularly as part of their exam preparation.

In comparison, cue cards are generally larger than flash cards and have less information on them - just an ordered sequence of a speech's key words and phrases.

Whereas flash cards are used prior to an examination or test, cue cards are used during a presentation. Their purpose is to prompt or remind the speaker to say what they wanted to.

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10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

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2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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What do you think about having notes when you present.

We’ve published a few articles on presentation preparation , but we’ve never addressed the use of notes when presenting. It’s exactly the kind of issue that the Guru was set up to tackle. Should a presenter use notes? What will the audience think? What is the best kind of note? How should we use them? So many unanswered questions about such a small, but important element of the presenter’s life, especially for the less experienced speaker. Here, Amy gives us five simple but effective tips for using notes effectively, while maintaining a solid engagement with our audience. 

“What do you think about having notes?”

We get this question a lot.

Can I have notes? Where do I put them? What should I put on them? Are there do’s and don’ts?

These questions trigger flashbacks of high school when we got proficient in writing as tiny and as clear as possible because of the ‘one notecard’ policy for tests or speeches. Better yet, blowing on your hand for the ink to dry before go-time. Pretty early on in our presentation experiences we learned to rely on notes. Our sacred safety net.

There are a few reasons we did this then and we still do this now.

First, if you don’t know your content well, you will desperately want/need notes. That’s a lose-lose situation. Very few people feel comfortable winging content (disclaimer: if you do¸ don’t be so sure you’re good at it). When you feel unsure of your content, you will be nose in your notes – which is audience’s number one pet peeve of presenters. You’re uncomfortable. They’re annoyed. Lose-lose.

Secondly, maybe you’ve worked hard on your content but feel immense pressure to get it just right. Maybe it’s a demanding executive with genius curve ball questions or the haunting memory of bombing the last (unpracticed) presentation. Regardless, the mounting pressure to perform can be paralyzing. This inevitably leads to dependency on notes, or better yet, a slide deck that reads like a teleprompter.

Once you become familiar with your content, try these tips for using notes appropriately.

1) Skip note cards

Note cards don’t work for two simple reasons: your text will be too small to glance at quickly (keyword quickly ) and you have to hold them in your hands. If you’re feeling extra nervous, your hands will likely shake, waving those notecards around like a white surrender flag. Even if there’s no visible shaking, most people exhibit nervous behavior with their hands which may mean you start curling the card, moving it back and forth between hands etc. Pretty simple solution: print notes out on standard paper.

2) Put them to the side

Your notes should be placed where you can easily read or see them within a glance but not sitting on a podium in front of you. Podiums or speaking stands are bulky and keep you distant (literally) from your audience. Although many of us may find comfort hiding behind this blocking mechanism, there’s too much temptation to read your notes verbatim when they’re under your nose. Find a thin stand or pull over a small table to your left or right for your notes.

3) Make it an outline

Ditch your script. I know… some of you want to get the words just right. But when you script it word-for-word you put way too much pressure on yourself. It’s extremely difficult to be present, authentic and engaging as a presenter when you’re concerned about staying to the script. The minute you get off by a word or two, or God-forbid a sentence or paragraph, you feel the panic. Your heart rate spikes. You stumble over your words. And any perception of confidence and competency is lost. Stick to the essence of your ideas. Don’t be concerned about specific wording (unless it’s legal jargon and you might get sued!).  Instead, make your notes in outline form: concise opening, clear main points, supportive points, story cues, transitions, succinct summary but keep your notes simple.

4) Make them bigger

Now that you haven’t scripted your talk, and they’re not below your nose or in your hands, you’ll need to make the font slightly larger. Now you can glance over, spot where you are, see what’s next, and truck along without those long awkward ‘oh no the speaker looks like they lost their spot’ moments. Increase the font!

5) Trust what you know

Ultimately, if you’ve prepared and own your content, you need to trust what you know. Lengthy notes, verbatim scripts, and strategically-placed teleprompters can make us doubt ourselves. I’ll never forget coaching a TEDx speaker who was glued to the teleprompter in her dry run. After a short pep talk about trusting what she knew, she did it again, unsure at first, but finding a confident stride as she realized she didn’t need her safety net much at all. It was liberating for her.

Let’s say you’re ready for your presentation, you know your stuff, but as soon as you hit your stride, you suddenly lose your train of thought.

How do you use your notes in these moments without looking like you’re desperate for them?

• Stop talking. Once you sense you’re on that rabbit trail to nowhere, find the control to stop at the end of a sentence.
• Grab for a water bottle strategically placed by your notes. Take a second to sip, glance down at your outline and identify what talking point you’re moving on to.
• As soon as you set your bottle down, shift away from your notes, re-engage with long eye contact and move on.

People won’t think twice about a presenter stopping a few seconds for water as long as you re-engage with confidence. The beauty of long eye contact is that it builds the perception of confidence even if you don’t feel it yet! Once you move on, don’t look back. Don’t relive those moments. Don’t dwell on them afterwards. Have grace with yourself and let it go.

Getting away from our safety net, one that we’ve learned to rely on since middle school, can feel terrifying. The next time you practice your presentation, try using your slides (that don’t look like a verbatim teleprompter!) as quick visual cues and see how much you can actually remember. If you need notes the first few tries that’s fine but rehearse a few more times. Develop trust in yourself.

Once you realize you really do know your stuff, your notes will become nice-to-haves and not must-haves.

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• What Do You Think About Having Notes When You Present? - 10th November 2016

John Zimmer

13th November 2016 at 7:45 pm

A good post about an issue that is relevant for many speakers, especially novice speakers. Many of the points that Amy raises dovetail with the points that I raised in a post on the same topic several years ago: https://mannerofspeaking.org/2009/08/05/a-noteworthy-idea/

I particularly appreciated her final point that speakers need to trust what they know. We see the same phenomenon with people who have cluttered PowerPoint slides. They get pulled into them. But if you turn the screen black, speakers will almost always be able to speak about the subject perfectly well without the slides.

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A guide to formatting speaking notes

by Rob Cottingham | Sep 8, 2015 | Speechwriting | 2 comments

You’ve written the speech, and it has everything: moving anecdotes, a few telling facts, a gripping narrative, a rousing call to action and a conclusion that will have your speaker’s audience on their feet. (Clapping, not leaving. Important distinction there.) Best of all, it’s the final draft, all approved and ready to send to the client.

Time to call it a day?

Maybe not. Before you shut down Word (or whatever hipster Markdown -based text editor you kids are using these days), your speaker may want you to format the speech for delivery. And depending on who you’re writing for, that may involve some significant time.

Unlike, say, screenwriting, there’s no standard for formatting speaking notes; just about everything depends on the preferences and needs of whoever will be delivering it. But there are a few conventions and good practices to keep in mind — things that will make your speech look crisp and professional, but more important, will help ensure if gets the best possible delivery.

(By the way, if you’re formatting for a Tele-Prompter or something similar, ignore everything here and ask the operator what they need.)

A title page serves many purposes: it helps ensure your speaker has the right text with her when she heads to the podium; it gives you the critical information about the speech at a glance years from now when you’re sifting through your files; and it keeps any nosey parkers from getting a sneak peak of the speech if they happen to catch a glimpse of the speaking notes.

About the only convention for a title page is that it should have the words “Check against delivery” displayed prominently. That reminds anyone reading the document that these are speaking notes, not a transcript; there’s every likelihood that what the speaker actually said differs from the text at least a little. (Sometimes a lot. Don’t take it personally.)

I like to include the name of the speaker; the title (if any) of the speech; the name, date and location of the event; and of course “Check against delivery.” For example,

Notes for an address by Olivia Moore, M.D.

“Combatting the Real Brain Drain”

Annual Convention of the Living-Impaired Seattle, Washington October 6, 2015

Check against delivery

The type-space continuum

Welcome to a world of tradeoffs. Bigger margins at the bottom of the page can keep your speaker from having to look too far down the page. Bigger type means the words are easier to read at a glance.

But those also mean fewer words on each page, and more pages overall. Which in turn means more distracting page turning, and more chances for something to go wrong (like two pages sticking together, resulting in an abrupt transition from the middle of a heart-rending story to the punchline of a fart joke).

I like to start with 14-point Helvetica type and a three-inch bottom margin as my default; many speakers (especially older ones) will ask me to go to 18-point and four inches. And I give the lines a little room to breathe, setting the line spacing at 1.5 or 2.0, so the speaker will have room to mark up the text however they like.

A quick note about type: some people have it in their heads that a speech is only a speech if it’s in all caps or small caps. (I blame IBM for calling that particular Selectric typeface “Orator.”) But study after study confirms that for passages of text longer than a few words, mixed-case type (like the sentence you’re reading right now) is vastly easier to read.

Line breaks, paragraphs and pages

While few speakers like to be stage-managed from the page, you can still provide helpful, unobtrusive cues for delivery with your choice of line, paragraph and page breaks.

The simplest technique is to break lines at the end of natural phrases, not in the middle of them. For example,

Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you enough clairvoyance to find the rebels’ hidden fortress.

Put your paragraph breaks at a point where a pause — short or long — would make sense. And as much as possible, break pages at a point where a long-ish pause wouldn’t be out of place.

Page numbers

For the love of god, number your pages.

Speakers often shuffle pages as they mark them up, flipping from section to section, and it’s easy to wind up with out-of-order speaking notes. (Not to mention the worst-case scenario where they slide off the podium.)

Position the number according to the speaker’s preferences (I prefer the upper right corner). It doesn’t have to be the same size as the speaking text, but make it big enough to be legible at a glance.

The most direction I usually add to a speech is an ellipsis (“…”) to indicate a long pause. From time to time, I might include “(ask for questions)” or, where the speaker has an anecdote they know well, “(your Stanford escaped-duck story)”.

If you absolutely must include directions (“pause”, “wave”, “brandish sword”) in the text, then make it very distinct — for example, with italics or boldface.

But avoid including direction like “Applause”, “Laughter” or “Deafening ovation”. Apart from seeming presumptuous if anyone looks over the speaker’s shoulder, it can be disconcerting if the applause, laughter or ovation fails to materialize.

Distribution copies

If copies of the speaking text are going to be available, then bring the type size back down (typically to 12 point), restore normal margins and, if you’ve included any direction, remove it. Keep the cover sheet on.

The final word

What I’ve described here has worked for nearly all of the people I’ve written for.

But there are exceptions. There was the speaker who wanted “just bullet points,” which turned out to mean not a bare-bones outline, but a complete speaking text with bullets at the beginning of every paragraph. Another speaker who insisted on Small Caps throughout the speech .

Were they right? Objectively, it’s arguable… but ultimately, they’re the ones who have to deliver the speech, and they’re the ones who will be accountable for how it goes.

Which means that you can offer advice, suggest alternatives and make your case… but the correct formatting is whatever works best for your speaker.

Original photo by Lee LeFever: “ Common Craft: Tools of the Trade .” Used under a Creative Commons license. By the way, check out Common Craft’s amazing tools for explainer videos !

Grotesk typefaces, including Helvetica, have too many confusable characters (Il1′”) for this usage.

Centring so many lines is also not a good idea.

Thanks for this, Joe. Is the centering you refer to the title page, or is something else rendering as centred?

On fonts, I’ll always defer to you on questions of readability. The issues I face as a speechwriter are 1) wanting the typeface to be very familiar to the speaker, and 2) needing to use a very common typeface, so my client’s system doesn’t substitute Wingdings or something. Helvetica has hit the sweet spot for me there, but I’m certainly open to alternatives. (I should probably change that to Arial anyway for compatibility with Windows, since even a little difference in metrics can change the line breaks. But it makes my inner font snob cry.)

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Video edited to make it appear Biden tried to sit down when there wasn’t a chair

A video shows President Joe Biden trying to sit in a chair that wasn’t there during a ceremony in Normandy, France. However, full footage of the ceremony shows the president looking over his shoulder for his chair and pausing before taking a seat.

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CLAIM: A video shows President Joe Biden trying to sit in a chair that wasn’t there during a ceremony in Normandy, France, commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The video, in which Biden’s chair is for the most part clearly visible, is cut before the president sits down. Full footage of the ceremony shows the president looking over his shoulder for his chair and pausing before taking a seat.

THE FACTS: As World War II veterans and world leaders gathered to honor the famed Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France, social media users shared the short clip to further an ongoing narrative that Biden is infirm.

In the video, Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands while standing between their wives, first ladies Jill Biden and Brigitte Macron. The president then briefly looks over his left shoulder, bends over and hovers in that position as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is announced as the event’s next speaker.

“This is disturbing,” reads one X post. “Pres. Biden is literally trying to find the invisible chair to sit in. It’s just all so sad, and disgraceful to those in attendance who desire to honor the brave men who died to protect our nation from tyrannical governments.”

Another X post states: “Biden is trying to sit in a chair that doesn’t exist. The problem is that he intends to continue running for the presidential elections.”

But the video spreading online cuts off right before Biden takes a seat. In footage of the ceremony in its entirety , the president glances at his chair, bends over, pauses as Austin’s introduction begins and then sits down at the same time as Macron, their wives and the people sitting behind them. Biden’s chair is visible throughout the video although it is obscured in some sections.

Biden spoke later in the event , pledging “we will not walk away” from Ukraine, drawing a direct line from the fight to liberate Europe from Nazi domination to today’s war against Russian aggression. He called D-Day a “powerful illustration of how alliances, real alliances make us stronger.”

The June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion was unprecedented in its scale and audacity, using the largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles to punch a hole in Adolf Hitler’s defenses in western Europe and change the course of World War II.

Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy that day, most from the U.S., Britain and Canada. They faced around 50,000 German troops. ___ This is part of the AP’s effort to address widely shared false and misleading information that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP .

• Biden Administration

Fact-Checking What President Joe Biden Said in His 2024 Interview With TIME

Read our full cover story on President Joe Biden here . You can also read the transcript of the interview here and buy a copy of the issue here

President Joe Biden sat down for an interview with TIME about America’s role in the world and his foreign policy agenda.

Below is a review of Biden’s statements from the interview. TIME has also published the transcript of the conversation.

What Biden Said : “The Russian military has been decimated. You don’t write about that. It’s been freaking decimated.”

The Facts: This is a fair assessment, according to a Reuters report on a declassified U.S. intelligence assessment provided to Congress. The intelligence determined that Russia had 360,000 active military personnel when it invaded Ukraine in February of 2022. By December of last year, 315,000 Russian troops had been either killed or injured in the war—a reduction in troop strength by 87%.

What Biden Said: "We spent a lot of money in Ukraine, but Europe has spent more money than the United States has, collectively."

The Facts : The European Union has provided over $107 billion dollars in financial, military, humanitarian, and refugee assistance since the war in Ukraine began, as of April 24. Comparatively, Congress has authorized the United States to provide up to $175 billion to support Ukraine, and has provided the country approximately $81 billion since the Russian invasion, according to the White House.

What Biden Said : I spent a month in Ukraine when I was a Senator and Vice President.

The Facts : Biden’s trips to Ukraine include six he made as Vice President—more than any previous President or Vice President. He was also involved in Ukraine during his 36 years as a US Senator. He sponsored or co-sponsored 39 pieces of legislation in support of Ukraine, and worked on issues involving Ukraine as a longtime member of the Foreign Relations Committee, including 12 years as chairman or ranking member.

What Biden Said : "Japan [is] devoting 3% of its GDP to defense..."

The Facts : Japan aims to spend 2% of its GDP on defense by 2027, according to a statement by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio . From 1960 to 2022 , Japan’s defense spending was 1% of GDP or lower.

What Biden Said : "I put together a Quad that never existed before."

The Facts : The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as the Quad, is a partnership between the US, Japan, Australia and India that began in 2004, following the Indian ocean tsunami. The group was formalized by then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007, but was inactive until reforming in 2017. The Quad’s first in-person summit was held at the White House in Sept. 2021, during Biden’s first year as President.

What Biden Said : “Wage increases have exceeded what the cost of inflation…”

The Facts : New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows hourly wage growth topping inflation for the past 12 months. In April, nominal hourly earnings were up 3.9% from a year ago; inflation held at 3.4%. But cumulative inflation has outpaced wage growth for most of the Biden presidency.

What Biden Said : “I remember when I was heading to Taiwan, excuse me, to South Korea, to reclaim the chips industry that we had gotten $865 billion in private-sector investment, private-sector investments since I’ve been in. Name me a president who’s done that.”

The Facts: The White House announced an $866 billion private-sector investment in May, not when Biden went to South Korea in 2022. The funding was also meant for initiatives across clean energy and manufacturing industries, and is not limited to just the chips industry.

What Biden Said: “There are going to be a billion people in Africa in the next several years.”

The Facts : Africa’s total population already exceeds one billion people—an estimated 1.4 billion people live on the continent. That number is expected to reach nearly 2.5 billion by 2050, according to the United Nations .

What Biden Said: “I mean, that line that Macron used, and it says that…I was making notes for this. It said, Macron, they know the experience of brain death unlike anytime. Because lack of US leadership, we should reassess the reality of NATO in light of the lack of US leadership.”

The Facts: Biden appears to be referencing what French President Emmanuel Macron said in a October 2019 interview with The Economist , in which he warned that European countries could no longer rely on the United States to come to the defense of NATO allies. “What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO,” he said, adding that the alliance “only works if the guarantor of last resort functions as such. I’d argue that we should reassess the reality of what NATO is in the light of the commitment of the United States.”

Correction, June 4

The original version of this story incorrectly described one definition of “decimate” as being “reduce to one-tenth.” It means to reduce by one-tenth. The relevant sentence has been removed.

Correction, June 5

The original version of this story misstated the assistance the U.S. has provided to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. It has provided approximately $81 billion, according to the White House, not $175 billion, which is how much Congress has authorized in aid to Ukraine and allied nations.

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18 Examples of End-of-Year Letters to Students and Their Families (Plus Free Templates)

Tips and examples to craft letters for your students.

Saying goodbye to students can be so hard. After spending a whole year working together, it’s impossible to imagine our classrooms without them! One of the best ways to show them how much they mean to you is to write end-of-year letters to students. Take a look at some terrific examples from other teachers, and learn how to write your own. Plus be sure to fill out the form on this landing page to get a bundle of three printable end-of-year letters you can customize for your students.

How To Write End-of-Year Student Letters

Keep it short.

We make a lot of memories with our kids, but trying to create a highlight reel for everyone would be tough. It’s better to keep your end-of-year letters to students short and sweet. Even if it’s brief, it can be heartfelt.

Personalize

Even if you use a template, there are ways to customize your letters. Of course, you’ll want to address your notes to each student by name. Along with your signature at the bottom, though, you can mention one special thing you’ll remember about them so that it feels more personal.

Use a template

A template makes it easy to quickly customize letters for each of your students. Fill out the form on this page to get our free downloadable end-of-year letter templates!

End-of-Year Letter Examples and Ideas

Take a look at what other teachers have written to find more ideas for your own end-of-year letters to students and families.

FEATURED PICK

1. Personalized Heartfelt Letter

Use our free Google Docs template to easily customize letters for each of your students. You can personalize as much or as little as you’d like. Just fill out the form on this landing page to grab it along with two others featured below.

2. Goodbye Poem

Sometimes a poem can capture our feelings better than any letter ever could. This sweet letter is perfect for letting your students know how much they mean to you, while also reinforcing language skills. It’s a win-win!

Get it: Goodbye Letter

3. Letter With Picture

Including a photo of your student is an easy way to personalize your letter, plus it gives families a cute keepsake they’ll love to pull out and share years from now.

Get it: Easy End of Year Student Letter

4. ABC Farewell

This is an incredibly clever idea, and perfect for the early elementary grades. You could even personalize this by including the student’s name for the letter it starts with!

Get it: Clip Art and ABC Farewell

5. Poem With Colorable Picture

Pass these out on the last day of school and let kids color their pictures. The final result is a little bit of you and a little bit of them, all in one!

Get it: End of Year Poem

6. Personal Card

Choose some note cards you love and spend a few hours writing personal messages. This takes a little more time, but you only need a few short sentences to make students and their families feel really special.

Get it: Sending Letters Home

7. Great Expectations Poem

Here’s another sweet poem, with wonderful wishes for a student’s future. Jot a personal memory on the back to make it even more special.

8. Handwritten Note

You can use the same message over and over again, but handwriting it out makes it feel more personal. We love that these letters feature the students’ names in beautiful calligraphy at the top too.

Get it: Handwritten Letters

9. A Note for Older Kids

This end-of-year letter template has a design that works well for older students. Just fill out the form on this page to grab your free customizable Google Docs template.

10. Gold in Every Piece of Your Story

This collaborative letter is such a cool idea! Gather quotes, stories, and words of wisdom from various people who’ve interacted with your students over the last year, and gather them together into one sweet document they’ll cherish.

Get it: There Is Gold Letter

11. Mailbox Activity

Pair your end-of-year letters to students with this cute activity. Each student turns a paper bag into their own mailbox. Then, they write letters to each other to slip into the boxes, along with your own special deliveries.

Get it: Mailbox Activity

12. Family Letter

Parents and guardians will appreciate a letter at the end of the year too. Use it to sum up some of the great things that happened, and invite them to keep in touch in the future.

Get it: Good-Bye Letter

13. It’s Time To Say Goodbye Poem

Poems are popular for end-of-year letters, and this one by Debbie Clement is truly sweet. It’s perfect for preschool and early elementary, especially when you add your own short note to personalize it.

14. Preschool Days

Here’s another clever rhyme for young students, this one specific to preschool activities and learning. Personalize it with teacher names, and parents can tuck this into their child’s memory book as a keepsake.

Get it: Preschool Days Poem

15. AI Customized Letters or Poems

This is one of the ways ChatGPT can be a real time-saver for teachers! With just a few simple prompts, the program can write individualized letters for your students. One teacher even used it to write custom poems!

16. End-of-Year Bookmarks

When you turn your end-of-year letters into bookmarks, students can keep them close at hand for years to come.

Get it: Bookmarks

17. Free Printable Notes

Print simple notes on colorful paper, then flip them over and write a line or two on the back that’s customized for your student. Simple and so thoughtful!

Get it: Printable Notes

18. Short and Sweet Note

This end-of-year letter template’s design is perfect for a short and sweet message to elementary students. Get the free Google Doc template for this letter and two others when you fill out the form on this landing page.

Be sure to fill out the form on this page to get your free End-of-Year Student Letter templates!

Plus, 50 Free Printable End-of-Year Awards for Students .

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This Teacher Asked ChatGPT to Write a Personalized End-of-Year Poem for Each of His Students, and the Results Are Pretty Great

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• Artificial Intelligence /

Truecaller and Microsoft will let users make an AI voice to answer calls

Truecaller partnered with microsoft’s azure ai speech for users of its ai assistant..

By Emilia David , a reporter who covers AI. Prior to joining The Verge, she covered the intersection between technology, finance, and the economy.

Share this story

Caller ID company Truecaller will let users create an AI version of their voice to answer calls.

Truecaller is an app that identifies and blocks spam calls that some people prefer over their phone’s default system. Now the service will let users with access to its AI Assistant to record their voice. The company partnered with Microsoft’s Azure AI Speech, which will learn from the recorded clip to generate an AI version of the user’s voice.  

“This groundbreaking capability not only adds a touch of familiarity and comfort for the users but also showcases the power of AI in transforming the way we interact with our digital assistants,” says Truecaller product director and general manager Raphael Mimoun in the blog post. 

Truecaller’s AI Assistant screens incoming calls and lets users know why they are calling. Customers can see the reason for the call and can choose how to respond, either by picking up the phone or having the assistant answer for them. The Assistant, only available in select countries, was first introduced on the Truecaller app in 2022.

Users have always been able to choose from a preset number of voices to represent them, and the company says letting users record their own voices is a step in personalizing the service even more. 

Azure AI Speech, showcased during the Build conference , added a personal voice feature that lets people record and replicate voices. Microsoft says in a blog post , however, that personal voice is available on a limited basis and only for specific use cases like voice assistants. 

Microsoft says it automatically adds watermarks to voices generated by Azure AI Speech’s personal voice. It also released a code of conduct requiring users to get the full consent of people being recorded and prohibit impersonation.

It remains to be seen how well personal voice will perform against your own voicemail message.

Xbox Games Showcase 2024: all the news, trailers, and announcements

Microsoft announces a disc-less xbox series x console in white, apple needs to show us the other half of the ipad pro, here’s your first look at starfield’s big expansion, microsoft flight simulator 2024 launches on november 19th.

More from this stream Microsoft Build 2024: news and announcements from the developer conference

This microsoft-approved website tracks how windows games play on arm, microsoft build 2024: everything announced, windows now has ai-powered copy and paste, here’s what microsoft edge’s real-time video translation might look like..

COVID Select Subcommittee Releases Dr. Fauci’s Transcript, Highlights Key Takeaways in New Memo

WASHINGTON — Today, Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) released the transcript from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s transcribed interview. Dr. Fauci served as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and was the face of America’s public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic. His closed door, 14-hour, two-day testimony in January 2024 has served as a critical component of the Select Subcommittee’s investigations into the origins of COVID-19, pandemic-era domestic policy failures, and improvements to the United States’ public health system. In conjunction with the transcript, the Select Subcommittee also released a new staff memo that highlights the key takeaways from Dr. Fauci’s transcribed interview. The memo can be found here .

The Select Subcommittee also released four additional transcripts from senior public health officials. These transcripts, as well as Dr. Fauci’s transcript, can be found below:

• Dr. Anthony Fauci Part 1
• Dr. Anthony Fauci Part 2
• Dr. Hugh Auchincloss
• Dr. Cliff Lane
• Greg Folkers
• Gray Handley

Below are important exchanges from Dr. Fauci’s transcribed interview:

SOCIAL DISTANCING : The “6 feet apart” social distancing recommendation forced on Americans by federal health officials was arbitrary and not based on science. Dr. Fauci testified that this guidance — which shut down schools and small businesses nationwide — “sort of just appeared” and was not based on any scientific studies.

Majority Counsel: “ Do you recall when discussions regarding, kind of, the at least a 6 foot threshold began? ”

Dr. Fauci: “The 6 foot in the school?”

Majority Counsel: “Six foot overall.  I mean, 6-foot was applied at businesse s—”

Dr. Fauci: “Yeah.”

Majority Counsel: “ —it was applied in schools, it was applied here.  At least how the messaging was applied was that 6-foot distancing was the distance that needed to be— “

Dr. Fauci: “ You know, I don’t recall.  It sort of just appeared.  I don’t recall, like, a discussion of whether it should be 5 or 6 or whatever.  It was just that 6 foot is— ”   

Majority Counsel: “ Did you see any studies that supported 6 feet? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ I was not aware of studies that in fact, that would be a very difficult study to do. ”

MASKING : Dr. Fauci testified that he did not recall any supporting evidence for masking children. Concerningly, mask-wearing has been associated with learning loss and severe speech development issues in America’s children.

Majority Counsel: “ Do you recall reviewing any studies or data supporting masking for children? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ You know, I might have, Mitch, but I don’t recall specifically that I did. I might have. ”

Majority Counsel: “ Since the — there’s been a lot of studies that have come out since the pandemic started, but specifically on this there have been significant on kind of like the learning loss and speech and development issues that have been associated with particularly young children wearing masks while they’re growing up. They can’t see their teacher talk and can’t learn how to form words. Have you followed any of those studies? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ No. But I believe that there are a lot of conflicting studies too, that there are those that say, yes, there is an impact, and there are those that say there’s not. I still think that’s up in the air. ”

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS : Dr. Fauci unequivocally agreed with EVERY travel restriction issued by the Trump Administration at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This testimony runs counter to the public narrative that the Trump Administration’s travel restrictions were xenophobic. During his transcribed interview, the Biden Administration’s counsel curiously prohibited Dr. Fauci from answering questions on whether he recommended the travel restrictions.

Majority Counsel: “ Did you agree with President Trump’s decision to restrict travel from China? ”                             

Dr. Fauci: “ I did , and I said there were caveats to restrictions. I agreed with it, but I said we have to be careful because sometimes when you do restrictions they have negative consequences in that you don’t have open access to help or even information. But fundamentally, I agreed at that time, since we had almost no infections that we knew of in our country, that at least a temporary restriction would be important. ”

Majority Counsel: “ Did you also agree with the EU travel restriction? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ I agreed with the suggestion that that be done, yes. ”

Majority Counsel: “ Did you agree with the U.K. travel restriction? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ Yes, I did. ”

Majority Counsel: “ Did you recommend instituting travel restrictions in response to the pandemic? ”

Biden Administration Official: “ I’m going to step in here .”

VACCINE MANDATES: Dr. Fauci admitted that vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic could increase vaccine hesitancy in the future. He also claimed that these mandates were not sufficiently studied ahead of the pandemic. Previously, Dr. Fauci advocated “that when you make it difficult for people in their lives, they lose their ideological bullshit, and they get vaccinated.”

Majority Counsel: “ Do you think mandating vaccines can result in some hesitancy? ” 

Dr. Fauci: “ I think one of the things that we really need to do after the fact, now, to — you know, after-the-game, after-the-event  evaluation of things that need to be done, we really need to take a look at the psyche of  the country, have maybe some social-type studies to figure out, does the mandating of vaccines in the way the country’s mental framework is right now, does that actually cause more people to not want to get vaccinated, or not? I don’t know. But I think that’s something we need to know. ”

LAB LEAK THEORY : Dr. Fauci acknowledged that the lab leak hypothesis is not a conspiracy theory. This comes nearly four years after prompting the publication of the now infamous “Proximal Origin” paper that attempted to vilify and disprove the lab leak hypothesis.

Majority Counsel: “ Just you sitting here today, do you think the possibility or the hypothesis that the coronavirus emerged from a laboratory accident is a conspiracy theory? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ Well, it’s a possibility. I think people have made conspiracy aspects from it.  And I think you have to separate the two when you keep an open mind, that it could be a lab leak or it could be a natural occurrence. I’ve mentioned in this committee that I believe the evidence that I’ve seen weighs my opinion towards one, which is a natural occurrence, but I still leave an open mind. So I think that in and of itself isn’t inherently a conspiracy theory, but some people spin off things from that that are kind of crazy .”

GAIN-OF-FUNCTION RESEARCH : Dr. Fauci repeatedly played semantics with the definition of “gain-of-function” research in an effort to avoid conceding that the NIH’s funded this dangerous research in China . As the head of NIAID and the face of America’s response to the pandemic, Dr. Fauci certainly understood the common definition of “gain-of-function.” Yet, he repeatedly refused — both behind closed doors and to Sen. Rand Paul during a 2021 hearing — to clarify a general understanding of the term and instead only referred to his own “operative definition.

Dr. Fauci: “ So, when I, to repeat, when I’m asked is something gain of function, I’m referring to the operative definition of gain of function according to the framework of the 3PCO…That’s my definition. That is the regulatory operational definition. And as we were talking about before, other people use the word “gain of function” this, “gain of function” that, and everybody’s got their own interpretation of it.  But when you’re deciding whether a grant should be funded, this is the operational definition. And when I was asked anywhere by the Congress, by the Senate, by Senator Paul this is what I was referring to .” 

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST : Dr. Fauci claimed that his staff had no conflicts of interest regarding the origins of COVID-19, yet his Senior Advisor — Dr. David Morens — was “best-friends” with disgraced and soon-to-be debarred EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak . Considering Dr. Morens worked under Dr. Fauci’s leadership for more than 20 years, it seems highly unlikely that Dr. Fauci was genuinely unaware of this relationship.

Majority Counsel: “ I was wondering if you had thoughts on whether Dr. Daszak should have filed competing interest statements when he was weighing in on these issues, whether through the National Academies or other venues. ”

Dr. Fauci: “ You know, I hesitate to speculate about what someone else should do. The only people that I am involved with is my own staff, who we’ve mentioned many times in this discussion, who don’t have a conflict of interest. ”

GRANT APPROVAL : Dr. Fauci testified that he signed off on every foreign and domestic NIAID grant without reviewing the proposals. He was also unable to confirm if NIAID has ANY mechanisms to conduct oversight of the foreign laboratories they fund . NIAID’s flawed grant process — which relies heavily on trusting its grantees without verifying — leaves opportunities  for adversaries to exploit.

Majority Counsel: “ Who gives the final approval? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ You know, technically, I sign off on each council, but I don’t see the grants and what they are.  I never look at what grants are there.  It’s just somebody at the end of the council where they’re all finished and they go, ‘Here,’ and you sign it .”  

Majority Counsel: “ Okay. So to your knowledge, NIAID wouldn’t kind of independently verify the biosafety of a foreign lab? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ Again, I’d have to say I’m not sure.  To my knowledge, I wouldn’t be able to make a statement that I would be confident it would be. ”

Majority Counsel: “ Do you know if NIAID grants go through any type of national security review as part of the process? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ National security review? ”

Majority Counsel: “ So, like, through the National Security Council or— “

Dr. Fauci: “ No. ”

Majority Counsel: “ —or anyone in the [intelligence community]— “

Dr. Fauci: “ Not to my knowledge .”

Majority Counsel: “ I guess what we’re trying to learn going forward is, obviously, U.S. labs are vetted, certified, and there’s a standard of how U.S. labs operate. Are foreign labs held to the same standard as U.S. labs when they receive U.S. money, or are they the standards of the country in which they operate? ” 

Dr. Fauci: “ I am not certain. I have heard again, I think it was subsequent to of course, that was never brought up. ”

Majority Counsel: “ Uh huh. ”

Dr. Fauci: “ When I was the director, no one ever asked me, you know, who determines, you know, what the standards of a foreign lab are. But so the answer to your question is I don’t know, okay? ”

FEIGNED IGNORANCE : Dr. Fauci claimed he “did not recall” numerous issues and events surrounding the pandemic more than 100 times . Specifically, Dr. Fauci testified that despite the fact EcoHealth Alliance was conducting risky gain-of-function research in China, he did not know any details about the grant, nor did he maintain a relationship with its President, Dr. Peter Daszak.

Majority Counsel: “ Do you recall when you first found out that the year 5 progress report was missing from the EcoHealth grant? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ I don’t recall precisely.  It was somewhere on a briefing that the staff gave to me.  I don’t know exactly when that was.  It could have been later.  I don’t know. ”

Majority Counsel: “ Okay.  Do you think, just to the best of your recollection, whether it was before you were aware that the year 5 progress report was late before May 2021 or it would have been after? ”

Dr. Fauci: “ I don’t recall. ”