Many public speaking writers and bloggers (myself included) have the ability to write ad nauseam about the ins and outs of powerpoint, preparing keynote speeches, and how to connect with your audience. Though the understanding how to prepare a slide deck, keynote, or being able to handle an audience is a powerful skill, the rubber meets the road when you are in a situation where you have to speak to something unscripted.

The importance of speaking off the cuff was demonstrated when I was watching the Golden Globes. While my girlfriend was admiring the fashions the stars had donned, I was in shock by what came out of their mouths. As I was watching one of the red carpet specials, I was amazed at how poorly many of the actors and actresses performed while on the spot with interviewers. These are people that get paid to perform, whose image means everything, and they had difficulty answering simple questions about what they were wearing, how their family was, and what they were looking forward to that evening.

What the Golden Globes teaches us is that the ability to speak extemporaneously is a talent that is often overlooked, but being able to answer to an audience off the cuff will give you the ability to come off as much more talented then someone who breaks under the pressure of unscripted discussion. Watch some of the videos of the interviews and see how your opinions of actors and actresses change based on their ability to “perform” on the red carpet.

The secret to extemporaneous speaking is practice. It might seem a little counterintuitive that you need to practice speaking off of the cuff, but like a comedian that does improv, it takes quite a bit of practice to be spontaneous. It is through practice that you get better at speaking on your feat and knowing what you are going to say before you say it. Even if you have never said what you are going to say before, practice helps you develop the skill of thinking on your feet and you will find that you answer questions more elegantly.

So how do you learn to think better on your feet?

1. Attend Toastmasters meetings. At Toastmasters they have a section of the meetings called Table Topics where you practice speaking on your feet. During Table Topics, the leader of the session (called the Table Topics Master) devises some questions or gives you an item to talk about for one to two minutes. It is just the practice most people need to speak better on their feet.
2. There are a number of books of questions or table topics games available through many online retailers or at bookstores. Pick one up and spend some time practicing with your family and friends. Though it might seem like just a game when you are doing this, the practice you get to thinking on your feet will benefit you in the future.

If you have focused all of your public speaking practice on the art of a scripted speech, then I encourage you to start practice some form of table topics or extemporaneous speaking practice. You do not want to be like a shell shocked performer on the red carpet, without your script, acting like you are far less intelligent then you are. So go to a Toastmasters meeting, grab a game that asks random questions, and devote some of your speaking practice to the art of speaking off the cuff.

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