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Delivering Your Talk Like a Pro

As a published author, you may well find yourself delivering lectures and speeches. Volumes have been written on how to deliver an effective speech. The most effective speakers are those who operate without a net -- they don't read from a script or use notes. These are pros who speak for a living, have delivered their speech over and over and know exactly when to pause, when to get a laugh, and when to come on strong. Since most professionals don't speak for a living, it is advisable to prepare your notes or, if necessary, to work from a script.

I recommend jotting down a few key words on a page rather than producing a full-blown script. Each key word is generally "worth" two to five minutes of presentation time. To deliver a 30-minute speech, 10 key words on a page, each representing about three minutes of presentation time, ideally, are all the notes that you need.

If you are more comfortable with a script, then by all means have it typed in abnormally large print with plenty of spacing so that you can find your place at the lectern.