HBR IdeaCast Improve Your Impromptu Speaking
285 snips
Sep 26, 2023 
Matt Abrahams, a Stanford lecturer and host of Think Fast, Talk Smart, shares invaluable tips on mastering impromptu speaking. He discusses how to manage anxiety and develop agility in unexpected speaking situations. Abrahams emphasizes the need for brevity and engagement, and offers techniques for creating impactful elevator pitches. He highlights the importance of nonverbal communication and active listening, while introducing a unique framework called 'pace, space, grace' to help enhance confidence in spontaneous interactions.
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Managing Speaking Anxiety
- Manage speaking anxiety by focusing on symptoms and sources.
- Use deep belly breaths with longer exhales to calm nerves and focus on present-oriented responses.
Preparing for Spontaneity
- Prepare for spontaneous speaking by practicing responses to potential questions or situations.
- This builds comfort and agility, similar to how athletes or musicians practice drills.
Using Structures for Clarity
- Use structures like "What? So what? Now what?" to organize thoughts when speaking off-the-cuff.
- This framework helps determine the core message, its relevance, and the next steps.
