Ditch The Script: How To Write High Level Speaker Notes
Want to deliver a presentation with impact and with confidence?
Then stop scripting your talks.
Why?
Because it’s really impacting you in the moments that matter.
I know why people rely on a script. I do, I get it. I’ve dealt with a lot of anxiety around public speaking myself.
But there IS a way to write ‘high level’ speaker notes, that gives you a structure to fall back on, but still enables you to share it from the heart.
I’ve helped countless clients ditch the script and you know what? Almost all of them have felt a BIG relief afterwards.
So, in this Newsletter I’m sharing why scripting is something you should avoid (plus some interesting studies to back this up), my 3-pronged approach to ditch the script, and a Case Study from one of my clients who did just that and felt SO much better afterwards (and got much better audience feedback too). 🙌
First, let’s unpack why it’s such a bad habit to get into. It’s quite interesting.
Scripting creates doubt, reduces trust & makes it hard to follow (for an audience). Not to mention speakers generally still feel anxious when using one….
Why is this?
Because of these 3 things that happen when you read from a script:
- 👀 You don’t give good eye contact.
- 🗣️ You deliver with unnatural verbal emphasis.
- 📖 Your presentation is optimised forreading.
Let’s look into these aspects individually.
👀 LACK OF EYE CONTACT
When you read from a script, you can’t maintain normal eye contact with an audience. Period.
This gives an audience permission to disengage.
But it gets worse…..
An audience is less likely to believe you when reading from a script.
A study from 2016 found that participants were more likely to believe statements by a speaker who was looking at them directly, compared to a speaker with an averted gaze. (Source: PMC Journals).
🗣️ UNNATURAL VERBAL EMPHASIS
When you read from a script, it comes off as unnatural (or wooden).
It’s much flatter than normal and has a distorted pitch / emphasis.
This reduces comprehension. But worse still, it introduces doubt.
An audience needs words to be spoken with a certain tone for them to make sense(in the context they’re being delivered in).
Whilst you might have noticed this yourself, this is backed up by research too.
A study of 500 listeners from 2019 found that the way words are delivered is a major driver of perceived trustworthiness. (Source: PLOS Journals).
📖 OPTIMISED FOR READING
When we write, we generally use much longer sentences. We’re generally much more formal. Also, we end up writing more densely.
That’s ok in written form, because when people are reading they have an ability to re-read something if it doesn’t make sense.
However, when you’re presenting, it’s the first and only time people will be able to hear what you’re saying.
If they didn’t quite understand something as you’re speaking, there will be bits they cannot follow. Or you’ll lose them completely.
Which means a talk has to be optimised for listening. Not for reading.
Luckily I have never personally found it helpful to work from a script.
However, I know a lot of people do and it’s something I help clients with all the time.
I recently helped one of my amazing clients Deborah Scott (Deb) reduce her detailed script for a 5min talk and she was SO happy to ditch it in the end (plus she got way better feedback from the audience too!)
So when Deb first delivered her talk, she’d read directly from a script.
But because of this, the feedback she got was as follows:
- It didn’t come across as natural
- People noticed the lack of eye contact
- It was a bit hard to follow it all
In Deb’s words:
“Using a script initially provided a sense of structure and confidence, particularly in ensuring my key messages were covered. As my talk progressed, reliance on the script began to introduce anxiety, especially when I lost my place. This shifted my focus from the audience to the page ensuring that I was covering what I wanted to.
While the content was delivered clearly and I (thought I) used appropriate body language and vocal intonation, reading from the script limited my sense of natural flow.
The delivery felt more controlled than conversational. Although the audience response was positive, the experience highlighted a disconnect between technical delivery and authentic engagement. Detailed scripts can be valuable as a preparation tool, but they are less effective as a delivery mechanism and can be distracting.”
So, she asked for my help to reduce her script to high level notes.
When I opened her notes, the first thing I thought was WHOAH……
There was a LOT of text. (2 full A4 pages, 600+ words to be exact).
I would have found it difficult to remember all of that.
So I took her through my “Ditch The Script™” process.
We were able to take her 2-Pages worth of notes (600+ words) and reduce it down to a simple 1-Page structure (with less than 175 words).
When Deb next delivered her presentation, she was able to deliver it from the heart.
The experience she had was completely different. 💜
These are Deb’s words… [shared with her approval]:
“Delivering the talk using high-level notes felt far more comfortable and natural. Because I knew the content well and had practised, the notes acted more like signposts rather than something I had to follow word for word.
That meant I could focus on the audience instead of worrying about what was on the page, which really helped reduce anxiety.
I felt more engaged, present, and connected to what I was saying.This was shown through eye contact, natural pacing, and an overall sense of flow. Instead of thinking about what was coming next, I could stay in the moment and let the talk unfold. The talk was received well, with clear signs of engagement.
The delivery felt authentic and that seemed to resonate because I was speaking with the audience, not at them.The high-level notes gave me enough structure to stay on track without limiting how I expressed myself”.
The feedback she got was completely different too.
People said they:
- Loved the natural, authentic delivery
- Felt like she was having a conversation with them
- Thought it was very engaging and easy to follow
Here’s the process I took Deb through to reduce her detailed notes right down.
Note: You could absolutely follow this process for creating high level notes to begin with (which is definitely what i’d recommend).
HOW TO DITCH THE SCRIPT™
#1 ORGANISE
First we had to organise her information by grouping it into chunks.
That is, we took (30 or so in Deb’s case) discrete sentences and grouped them into categories, always following the Rule of 3s.
Why 3’s? Because contemporary scientists believe 3 is the magic number people can recall with accuracy and confidence.
It’s why slogans like ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’ and ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ are easily recalled. As they’re in 3s.
If you’re speaking for longer than 30-60secs, you can sub-chunk (create 3 more chunks) under those high level chunks too.
Note: This step is mostly about MOVING information into categories.
#2 DISTILL
The next step is to distill down your points.
i.e. Figure out, for each chunk, what is the core point you’re making vs what is supporting information.
If you look at a chunk or paragraph, ask yourself what’s the point you’re trying to make here.
Then condense it down to one sentence.
Underneath it, you can have the supporting information (or how you’re proving that point) E.g. With a stat, story, analogy, etc.
This step is mostly about SPLITTING UP your sentences into clear points vs supporting information.
#3 LABEL
The last step is to reduce the text down – to “jar labels”.
Remember your notes should be HIGH LEVEL.
i.e. An indication of what you will talk about, not WHAT you will talk about!
You just want prompts. i.e. 2-5 words. It doesn’t need to be grammatically correct. Just glanceable.
Something that represent the whole essence or gist of that sentence.
This step is about drastically REDUCING what’s left.
IN SUMMARY
Writing is optimised for reading. But presentations should be optimised for verbal delivery.
If you’d like to ditch the script, try my 3-pronged approach:
Organise > Distil > Label (O.D.L.)
Your talk will be more impactful (and you’ll feel more confident delivering it too!). 💃🏼🕺
Cheers,
Emily
Hey, I’m Emily Edgeley, a Public Speaking Coach for the Tech/Cybersec industry.
Since 2017 I’ve transformed the lives of thousands, by helping them to communicate with more power. I’ve run 300+ group coaching sessions, coached more than 250 people privately, and helped more than 100+ others give their first ever Conf talk.
I’m on a mission to help anyone in Tech/Cybersec communicate with more clarity, impact and confidence. To boost their brand, career and influence.
Group Coaching Programs | Private Coaching Options | Corporate Workshops
Recent Comments