I had a dream last night. I was supposed to give a three-minute speech before a huge audience. I was one of dozens of other folks giving short speeches to the same audience. And then, out of the blue, I learned that instead of three minutes like the other speakers, my time was being reduced to a minute and 35 seconds. Ahh…the total randomness of dreams.
I was a little panicked, because what I was planning to say in three minutes would no longer work. I had very little time to rewrite my speech (let alone practice it) before I was going to be thrust on stage.
In the dream, I quickly went into problem-solving mode. What would be the most insightful tidbits I could share in such a short period? I quickly developed a game plan of sorts…and I was feeling more confident. Then I woke up.
In doing my own dream analysis, I think the reason I dreamt about speaking is because I’ve been doing a lot of it lately and I’m planning to do a lot more this year. And perhaps I was thrown a curve ball in my dream because real life can throw them at you pretty hard and fast. So, you better be prepared.
When I went into problem-solving mode in my dream, it was for good reason. I didn’t expect that I could get up in front of a live audience and just wing it. I needed to have a plan if I wanted the best possible outcome. To get ready, there were some quick questions that flashed through my mind:
Who’s the audience and what do they need to hear that will help them?
How can I begin in a way that will immediately grab their attention?
How can I convey the information in a very concise and powerful way?
What do I want the audience to feel, think or do when I’m done speaking?
How can I close with a bang?
That’s a whole lot to do in just over a minute and a half. But these questions can serve you well anytime you speak.
