According to Psycom, 75% of the population gets affected by glossophobia or the fear of public speaking. One of the factors is that memorizing a speech is often easier said than done.
I bet you might even be nervous while thinking about delivering a speech in front of a crowd. However, that is understandable because giving a talk is quite a paradoxical task to some extent.
You must memorize a speech without seeming like you learned it word for word. On the other hand, the delivery must be casual and natural, yet the timing is perfect.
Good speakers eventually sound as if words come out of their mouth effortlessly, but they probably memorized and practiced it a thousand times.
So, are you now prepared to kick your fear of public speaking and enjoy giving a speech instead?
Let us look and dive into how to memorize a speech fast, some useful tips, and the advantages of being a good speaker.
Should You Memorize a Speech?
Before going into the step-by-step speech guide about how to memorize a speech, let us first talk about the complaint about memorization.
Some individuals think that learning it by heart is not the thing you must do. Probably, several people feel that memorizing the speech may make the delivery sound robotic.
Yes, over-reliance on verbatim memorization may result in an artificial sounding address. However, it can help if you acknowledge that it is more a symptom of learning the speech in a wrong way than a problem with memorizing itself.
Those good speakers you hear and see at conferences or seminars are not entirely rigid. They are flexible, especially when there is a chance that they might get interrupted based on the audience’s reactions.
But it is best to consider that memorization is essential in some form or another. Most critiques of memorizing speeches are only critiques of memorization in a specifically unvarying and verbatim way.
Now, let us proceed with the discussion on how to memorize a speech fast.
How to Memorize a Speech Fast
Several people find speaking in front of many a bit scary or nerve-wracking. However, public speaking does not have to be so frightening.
When you know your speech very well and do not need to depend on reading a slideshow or note cards, your self-esteem will skyrocket, says Ron White, a two-time national memory champ.
It is why you need to know how to memorize a speech fast. Your confidence will allow you to keep eye contact, be more dynamic, and become a powerful speaker.
Additionally, you will appear more knowledgeable about your speech’s topic to your audience when you have that full confidence.
So, to help you on how to memorize a speech fast, here are the five essential steps to consider:
Step 1: Write Out Your Speech
The first step on how to memorize a speech is to write it out. There are two ways to do this, which are the following:
- You may write it out how exactly you want to convey it.
- You may choose to write it as an outline.
If you are trying to make a precise script for a presentation or are comfortable enough as a writer, you may find the first writing option to work better.
On the other hand, if you are more familiar with talking than writing, it is often better to create an outline instead of a full script. It can effectively help you memorize the flow of your speech.
Step 2: Practice Your Speech with Your Script
After writing, the second step is to say your address aloud using the script you made. It is acceptable to only read it in this step since you solely want to know how it would sound like a speech before memorizing it.
If you start reading your address aloud, you can recognize some unclear parts and realize it needs a bit of revising. It is a process of cleaning your speech wherein you delete, add, or rearrange several chunks.
By doing such a thing, you can ensure that you deliver words that people can genuinely learn and understand.
Pro tip: Practice with Orai App where you get feedback on your tone, tempo, confidence, and conciseness.
Step 3: Memorize the Bigger Parts of Your Speech
The key to how to memorize a speech is to learn it hierarchically. It is best, to begin with, the bigger chunks, which are the rhetorical and logical content.
Specifically, these are the broad strokes of what you are trying to talk about in your speech. If you are giving a sales presentation, this may be the following:
- Describing the issue
- What your product is
- How to purchase your product
The first technique for memorizing a speech’s main points is writing them on the page, covering them up, and trying to recall what you wrote. Spend a couple of minutes doing this method and then deliver your speech.
When you practice giving your speech, focus on the broad points without worrying whether you say the exact words or get the correct delivery.
Step 4: Proceed to the Small Points
After ensuring that you have memorized the primary parts a hundred percent, you can now move to the speech’s small points.
These are not particularly sentences, but they signify the meaning of what you want to say to the audience. There are many of these small points, depending on your speech.
We suggest that you expand your bullets for the big chunks to represent every idea with one or two keywords. Refer to this example below:
| Main Issue | What Your Product is | How to Purchase |
| Point #1Point #2Point #3 | Point #1Point #2Point #3 | Point #1Point #2Point #3 |
Moreover, it is considerably shorter than a full script, but it might be more detailed than your original speech outline. Remember that your goal here is to recall all the points correctly.
Step 5: Work on Your Speech Delivery
After digesting and recalling all the big chunks and small points of your speech, you should work on delivering your address as the last step on how to memorize a speech fast.
You can work on it by rehearsing and running through it several times, making a couple of tweaks along the way. These changes might be the areas where you would like to pause for some effect.
Moreover, keep in mind that when you are doing this, you are giving your speech a personality as well.
Tips on How to Memorize a Speech Quickly
After discussing how to memorize a speech and its step-by-step procedures, we now go through the useful tips to help you do it better.
Accordingly, if you want to know a few pointers on how to memorize a speech quickly, you may refer to the following:
1. Be Ready
Of course, the first thing you should consider is to prepare yourself. It means that you should research and gain knowledge about the topic or idea which you are presenting.
This tip is noticeably essential, but many people still think they can skip it, which is wrong. When you are worried or nervous, that fear often comes from the fact that you do not know your topic well.
Being ready with solid research and knowledge can help you in so many ways. To help you prepare, here are some methods you can do for this helpful tip about how to memorize a speech.
| Mind Mapping | It can help you fill in your memory from the very start by providing structure in space. |
| Content Mapping | This method can help you when you want to memorize your speech in verbatim and remember your beats. |
| Read Some Additional Books | Reading more books can give you more references and broader knowledge about the topic. Then, you can use them to memorize your speech effectively. |
2. Relax Yourself
The second tip on how to memorize your speech quickly is relaxation. It can help if you are willing to let go of too many expectations for yourself.
The more relaxed you are in preparing and memorizing, the more you can effectively assess how your speaking engagement will be.
When you are at ease, you can think about the possible results and improve more instead of negatively judging instantly about yourself.
3. Read It Aloud with Others
There are several methods to approach a table read. However, the essential element is to read out aloud the content that you are going to deliver.
You can do this technique by sitting down with others and standing to study your body in those positions while delivering your speech.
The table read can help you correct what you have written about your topic, so it sounds natural while you are speaking out loud.
Common Mistakes of Memorizing a Speech
We finished talking about the actual steps on how to memorize a speech and some useful tips. Now, we go further by discussing typical mistakes when learning your address.
This part can eventually impart more learning when you want to know how to memorize a speech fast and correct your misconceptions about some methods.
The following are two things that you thought are much helpful, but unfortunately, they are not.
1. The Lack of Preparation
In reality, some people do not genuinely prepare themselves when giving a speech. They mostly say that they do not want their talk to come off sounding like a robot, so they choose to wing it.
For example, some individuals tend only to write a few points on a piece of paper to remind themselves. They only figure it out once the speech gets going and think that details will somehow fill themselves in.
However, this method is only easy and convenient when you know a topic very well and have often spoken about it. In case it is your first time to cover the concept, then better prepare.
If you want to know how to memorize a speech quickly, remember to maintain the right balance between over and under preparing.
2. Complete Memorization
When attempting to ensure that you remember every detail, you tend to memorize the speech entirely. Many people practice it over and over again until they have each word stored inside their brains.
In many ways, this kind of habit is understandable since most people are naturally afraid of giving a speech. You want to be completely prepared and not commit any mistakes at all.
Yes, it makes a lot of sense when talking about how to memorize a speech quickly, but it also has its negative side. Its downside is that you tend to sound like a robot when delivering it if you learn it word for word.
Chances are, you tend to concentrate only on remembering each part. You lose the ability to reflect your speech to a varying degree and free form when a specific situation warrants it.
Benefits of Being a Good Public Speaker
Perhaps, after the things mentioned above, you might be wondering this: what is the point of learning how to memorize a speech fast?
Of course, it is highly beneficial for you, mostly when you frequently speak in front of many people. To know more about this matter, here are a few benefits that you may have when you are an excellent public speaker.
1. Public speaking shows your expertise.
Your ability to speak coherently is the primary indicator to both your clients and employer that you genuinely know your way into things.
When you talk from your mind without stuttering or being hesitant, it allows your knowledge to shine, and people can eventually notice it.
2. You can develop your courage.
Being comfortable with speaking in public takes time and a lot of practice. Also, getting out there, facing a crowd, and starting to deliver speeches can establish your courage and self-esteem.
You can watch this video about confidence-building:
3. It helps build relationships and connections.
When you become a speaker in different conferences and seminars, you get to go out more into the community. This opportunity lets you connect with more people in both your personal and business networks.
In case you are still in school, it can also help you build connections with your teachers, classmates, and other students in the institution.
4. A highly marketable skill.
Many companies need someone to present the value that they can offer and why customers must choose them. This scenario is the same for you.
You want yourself to have the recognition as an individual whom a company would like to hire. You wish management to see you as someone worthy of promotion and get a raise in other cases.
Try to watch this video about what it means to be an excellent speaker:
Real-Life Examples on How to Remember a Speech
In this part, we give you some examples of memorizing a speech fast or remembering it. You can utilize these techniques to make the memorization process fun and make recalling more manageable.
The NAME Speech
The acronym “NAME” stands for the following:
- Noticing,
- Making Associations,
- Using Memory Palaces, and
- Managing Expectations.
This example is a simple yet very structured method that gives you the chance to talk about the topic well.
The FREE Speech
The same as the previous one, it is also using an acronym. FREE stands for:
- Frequency,
- Relevance,
- Edutainment, and
- Engagement.
You may find using this acronym example amusing because you can also utilize it backward. You can start from the bottom part and then end at the top one.
Applications to Help You Memorize a Speech Fast
There is no shortcut on how to memorize a speech. However, there are some available tools or apps that can help you practice.
If you are techy, you might find note cards too analog. So, here are several applications to help you end your fear and start preparing:
This app lets you input whatever you are trying to memorize, and then it tests you as practice. It also checks your voice against the stored text.
Rote memorization is still a process, but now you gain a visual of your weak spots. Pay attention and practice those areas that need improvement until you eliminate its issues.
It is the predecessor and more budget-friendly version of Rehearsal 2. Fast Company, LA Magazine, BACKSTAGE, and New Your Times even featured this application.
It can help you learn methods that taught actors to get used to memorizing big chunks of text.
Script Rehearser is an excellent application for actors and presenters. It allows you to save speeches or dialogues, edit the text when needed, record, and replay the practice pieces.
Additionally, it lets you memorize and see which areas of the whole speech you tend to drag on a little too long or rush through.
Bottom Line
Delivering your speech to any audience or gathering, such as meetings, conferences, or seminars, is sometimes frightening. So, why choose to be ill-prepared and add worry to yourself?
Remember to start your memorization process early so that you become more confident in conveying your topic. If you are calm, your audience gets relaxed, and then the people can get a good grasp of your words.
We hope we have helped you learn more about how to memorize a speech fast in this guide. You can also download the Orai app at the app store for a free speech trial. Start your free trial today, available on the app store.
Practice the art of Public speaking. Download the Orai App now and start preparing for your big day
