Syllabus on Legal Technique and Logic Performing this analysis will often provide key information – it can point
ing this analysis will often provide key information – it can point out what needs
Prepared by ATTY. CYRUS VICTOR T. SUALOG, LI.M.
I. SELF-ASSESSMENT USING THE SWOT ANALYSIS
Read and watch: A Personal SWOT Analysis - Making the Most of Your Talents and
Opportunities https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05_1.htm
Personal SWOT Analysis
Making the Most of Your Talents and Opportunities
Chance favors the prepared mind.– Louis Pasteur
You are most likely to succeed in life if you use your talents to their fullest extent. Similarly,
you'll suffer fewer problems if you know what your weaknesses are, and if you manage
these weaknesses so that they don't matter in the work you do.
So how you go about identifying these strengths and weaknesses, and analyzing the
opportunities and threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that
helps you do this.
What makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you uncover
opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by understanding your
weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate threats that might otherwise hurt your ability
to move forward.
If you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate yourself from
your peers, and further develop the specialized talents and abilities you need to advance
your career and help you achieve your personal goals .
Consider this from your own perspective, and from the point of view of the people around
you. And don't be modest or shy – be as objective as you can. Knowing and using your
strengths can make you happier and more fulfilled at work.
And if you still have any difficulty identifying your strengths, write down a list of your
personal characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths!
Tip:
Think about your strengths in relation to the people around you. For example, if you're a
great mathematician and the people around you are also great at math, then this is not
likely to be a strength in your current role – it may be a necessity.
Again, consider this from a personal/internal perspective and an external perspective. Do
other people see weaknesses that you don't see? Do co-workers consistently outperform
you in key areas? Be realistic – it's best to face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible.
Also, importantly, look at your strengths, and ask yourself whether these open up any
opportunities – and look at your weaknesses, and ask yourself whether you could open up
opportunities by eliminating those weaknesses.
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to be done and put problems into perspective.
Key Points
A SWOT matrix is a framework for analyzing your strengths and weaknesses as well as the
opportunities and threats that you face. This helps you focus on your strengths, minimize
your weaknesses, and take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available to
you.
If you're using SWOT Analysis to think about your own life and career, then click here to
look at our Life Plan Workbook. This helps you think through the things that are
important to you, and set the compelling personal goals that motivate you towards
success.
II. GIVING A KNOCKOUT PRESENTATION
IMPORTANT: The presenters of different topics will be evaluated by the class. The
goal is to give a knockout presentation. For your guidance, read: “Training Tip: How
to Give a Knockout Presentation,” which can be retrieved through this link -
http://www.trainingmagazine.ae/training-tip-how-to-give-a-knockout-
presentation/
Having good presentation skills is key to keeping learners engaged and focused, to aid
learners in retaining information and to deliver your training in the best way possible. Here
are some top tips for delivering a knockout presentation:
Tip 1: When preparing your presentation, think about POPTA:
P – Purpose – Why are you delivering the presentation? What are the objectives and
outcomes?
O – Organization – Explain the outline of the presentation e.g. I am going to present a list of
problems followed by solutions.
P – Preparation – Practice your presentation in advance, arrive early to set-up, dress
appropriately etc. An unprepared presenter loses the audience before even starting.
T – Time – Have a time plan for each section, but be flexible based on the audiences needs, it
may be beneficial to spend longer on one section but cut another short. You’ll never have
enough time to say everything you want, so stick to the point.
A – Audience – You should never give the same presentation twice. Tailor the presentation
to your audience and re-evaluate your techniques while presenting – Is your audience
engaged?
Tip 2: Presenting DOs and DON’Ts:
 Do use the slides as a cue, but don’t ‘parrot’ the slides.
 Do use a pointer for the screen, but don’t point at your laptop/computer.
 Do move around if possible, but don’t pace or become hyperactive.
 Do stand, never ever sit down when presenting.
 Do face the audience, don’t face the slides or talk towards the slides.
 Do vary your voice, don’t speak in monotone.
  Memorise important slide numbers in advance, don’t fumble and panic when you
need to reference a specific slide.
 Most importantly, don’t forget to smile!
III. 7 C’S OF COMMUNICATION (1 Presenter - Alonzo)
Read: 7 C’s of Communication
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_85.htm
1. Clear – When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message.
What is your purpose in communicating with this person? If you're not sure, then
your audience won't be sure either.
To be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. Make sure that
it's easy for your reader to understand your meaning. People shouldn't have to
"read between the lines" and make assumptions on their own to understand
what you're trying to say.
Bad Example
Hi John,
I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel, who's working in your
department. He's a great asset, and I'd like to talk to you more about him when
you have time.
Best,
Skip
What is this email about? Well, we're not sure. First, if there are multiple Daniels in
John's department, John won't know who Skip is talking about.
2. Concise – When you're concise in your communication, you stick to the point and
keep it brief. Your audience doesn't want to read six sentences when you could
communicate your message in three.
 Are there any adjectives or "filler words" that you can delete? You can often
eliminate words like "for instance," "you see," "definitely," "kind of," "literally,"
"basically," or "I mean."
 Are there any unnecessary sentences?
 Have you repeated the point several times, in different ways?
Bad Example
Hi Matt,
I wanted to touch base with you about the email marketing campaign we kind of
sketched out last Thursday. I really think that our target market is definitely
going to want to see the company's philanthropic efforts. I think that could make
a big impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a sales pitch.
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For instance, if we talk about the company's efforts to become sustainable, as well
as the charity work we're doing in local schools, then the people that we want to
attract are going to remember our message longer. The impact will just be
greater.
What do you think?
Jessica
This email is too long! There's repetition, and there's plenty of "filler" taking up space.
Good Example
Watch what happens when we're concise and take out the filler words:
Hi Matt,
I wanted to quickly discuss the email marketing campaign that we analyzed last
Thursday. Our target market will want to know about the company's
philanthropic efforts, especially our goals to become sustainable and help local
schools.
This would make a far greater impact, and it would stay in their minds longer
than a traditional sales pitch.
What do you think?
Jessica
3. Concrete – When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of
what you're telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and there's
laser-like focus. Your message is solid.
Bad Example
Consider this advertising copy:
The Lunchbox Wizard will save you time every day.
A statement like this probably won't sell many of these products. There's no passion, no
vivid detail, nothing that creates emotion, and nothing that tells people in the audience
why they should care. This message isn't concrete enough to make a difference.
Good Example
How much time do you spend every day packing your kids' lunches? No more!
Just take a complete Lunchbox Wizard from your refrigerator each day to give
your kids a healthy lunch and have more time to play or read with them!
This copy is better because there are vivid images. The audience can picture spending
quality time with their kids – and what parent could argue with that? And mentioning that
the product is stored in the refrigerator explains how the idea is practical. The message As you can see, this email doesn't communicate its point very well. Where is Michelle's
has come alive through these details. feedback on Traci's report? She started to mention it, but then she changed the topic to
Friday's meeting.
4. Correct – When your communication is correct, it fits your audience. And correct
communication is also error-free communication. And correct communication is also Good Example
error-free communication. Hi Traci,
 Do the technical terms you use fit your audience's level of education or I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave
knowledge? it to Michelle to proof, and she let me know that there are a few changes that
 Have you checked your writing for grammatical errors? Remember, spell you'll need to make. She'll email you her detailed comments later this afternoon.
checkers won't catch everything.
 Are all names and titles spelled correctly? Thanks,
Michelle
Bad Example
Hi Daniel, Notice that in the good example, Michelle does not mention Friday's meeting. This is
Thanks so much for meeting me at lunch today! I enjoyed our conservation, and because the meeting reminder should be an entirely separate email. This way, Traci can
I'm looking forward to moving ahead on our project. I'm sure that the two-weak delete the report feedback email after she makes her changes, but save the email about the
deadline won't be an issue. meeting as her reminder to attend. Each email has only one main topic.

Thanks again, and I'll speak to you soon! 6. Complete – In a complete message, the audience have everything they need to be
informed and, if applicable, to take an action.
Best,  Does your message include a "call to action," so that your audience clearly knows
Jack Miller what you want them to do?
 Have you included all relevant information – contact names, dates, times, locations,
If you read that example fast, then you might not have caught any errors. But on closer and so on?
inspection, you'll find two. Can you see them?
Bad Example
The first error is that the writer accidentally typed conservation instead of conversation. Hi everyone,
This common error can happen when you're typing too fast. The other error is using weak I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the meeting we're having tomorrow!
instead of week.
See you then,
Again, spell checkers won't catch word errors like this, which is why it's so important to Chris
proofread everything!
This message is not complete, for obvious reasons. What meeting? When is it? Where?
5. Coherent – When your communication is coherent, it's logical. All points are connected Chris has left his team without the necessary information.
and relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.
Good Example
Bad Example Hi everyone,
Traci, I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow's meeting on the new telecommuting
I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave policies. The meeting will be at 10:00 a.m. in the second-level conference room.
it to Michelle to proof, and she wanted to make sure you knew about the Please let me know if you can't attend.
department meeting we're having this Friday. We'll be creating an outline for the
new employee handbook. See you then,
Chris
Thanks,
Michelle 7. Courteous – Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. There are no
hidden insults or passive-aggressive tones. You keep your reader's viewpoint in mind, and
you're empathetic to their needs.
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 Bad Example
Jeff,
I wanted to let you know that I don't appreciate how your team always
monopolizes the discussion at our weekly meetings. I have a lot of projects, and
I really need time to get my team's progress discussed as well. So far, thanks to
your department, I haven't been able to do that. Can you make sure they make
time for me and my team next week?
Thanks,
Phil
Well, that's hardly courteous! Messages like this can potentially start office-wide fights.
And this email does nothing but create bad feelings, and lower productivity and morale. A
little bit of courtesy, even in difficult situations, can go a long way.
Good Example
Hi Jeff,
I wanted to write you a quick note to ask a favor. During our weekly meetings,
your team does an excellent job of highlighting their progress. But this uses some
of the time available for my team to highlight theirs. I'd really appreciate it if you
could give my team a little extra time each week to fully cover their progress
reports.
Thanks so much, and please let me know if there's anything I can do for you!
Best,
Phil
What a difference! This email is courteous and friendly, and it has little chance of spreading
bad feelings around the office.
Note:
There are a few variations of the 7 Cs of Communication:
Credible – Does your message improve or highlight your credibility ? This is
especially important when communicating with an audience that doesn't know much
about you.
Creative – Does your message communicate creatively? Creative communication
helps keep your audience engaged.
Key Points
All of us communicate every day. The better we communicate, the more credibility we'll
have with our clients, our boss, and our colleagues.
Use the 7 Cs of Communication as a checklist for all of your communication. By doing this,
you'll stay clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous.
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VIII. ANALYSIS OF A COURT’S DECISION
A. Case Treatment of an Earlier Case
B. Analysis of a Court’s Decision
C. Alternative Decision to a Court Decision
Note: A separate email will be provided in relation to this roman numeral.
IX. PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR LAWYERS (5 Presenters)
Read:
 Valuing the Spoken Word: Public Speaking for Lawyers
by Samuel H. Pillsbury
http://www.law.capital.edu/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=20787
 Public Speaking is Important –
http://www.aaepa.com/2015/10/public-speaking-is-important/
As an estate planning attorney, the ability to communicate is critical to a
successful practice. Of course, an estate planning attorney must communicate
effectively in writing, such as the following examples:
 Drafting documents, such as, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, deeds, etc.
 Writing letters to clients, beneficiaries, opposing counsel, etc.
 Drafting pleadings and motions
The need for an attorney to communicate well in writing is nearly universally
accepted and there are courses in college and law school to help students do so.
Typically, Legal Writing is a required course in the first year of law school.
The need to communicate orally is just as important to a successful estate
planning attorney’s practice. Here are some examples of how an estate planning
attorney communicates orally:
 Client meetings
 Networking at Bar functions
 Public or private seminars on estate planning topics
 Continuing Legal Education seminars on estate planning topics
 Court hearings on motions
While an estate planning attorney needs to communicate effectively orally, they
get little training for oral communication like public speaking. They may elect to
participate in Moot Court, where they learn the technical presentation skills of a
courtroom. However, there are few (if any) public speaking training
opportunities in law school and college.
But, in order to build a successful estate planning practice, effective public
speaking is essential. There is a fallacy that people either “have the knack”…or
 they don’t. But, people are not born as good public speakers any more than they
are born as effective writers. Public speaking is a skill which must be honed, like
any other.
I spent the last several days at the Fall Summit program of the American
Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys here in San Diego. As an optional training,
the Academy arranged training by Amy Mead of Heroic Public Speaking. Amy
was absolutely amazing! She drew upon her formal and real world experience to
provide practical tips regarding what works and what does not. She gave tips like
breathing exercises and how to modulate the sound of your voice. She also gave
practical tips regarding how to organize a presentation using Post It notes. She
also shared what not to do, like imagining the audience naked or practicing in
front of a mirror. She also shared specific, solid reasons to support her
recommendations.
Amy Mead’s Heroic Public Speaking is just one route to improve your public
speaking. Regardless of the method you choose to hone your public speaking
skills, the ability to speak clearly and comfortably while engaging your audience
is a priceless skill for any estate planning attorney.
 Mastering the Nuances of Persuasion
by Becky Beaupre Gillespie
Law School Communications March 10, 2015 - attempt to show she had a purpose, a reason for being on the floor.
http://www.law.uchicago.edu/news/mastering-nuances-persuasion
Channeling adrenaline, building muscle memory, and developing an effective
stance aren’t just for athletes. In today’s more collaborative, relationship-driven
market, this training is essential for lawyers, too.
That’s why two recent Keystone programs brought in experts — a former
professional ballet dancer turned social entrepreneur and a legal communication
consultant who specializes in the science of human performance — to address
the nuances of persuasion, from body language to extemporaneous speech.
“It’s not as easy as it looks to come up with something fluent, persuasive, and at
least articulate, when you’re on the spot,” said Marsha Hunter, a communication
consultant and the co-author of The Articulate Advocate: New Techniques of
Persuasion for Trial Lawyers and The Articulate Attorney: Public Speaking for
Lawyers. “But that’s the job of lawyers. No matter what you do in law school, and
regardless of whether you’ve memorized certain things, once you’re out there,
it’s all improv.”
Hunter's talk, which was sponsored by Schiff Hardin, focused on teaching
students to think on their feet. She encouraged them to be mindful of how they
move as they address an audience or jury, employing techniques that will
channel the burst of adrenaline that typically accompanies public speaking.
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“You need to tamp down adrenaline’s effects,” she said. “Quiet your legs and feet,
and talk from the waist up. Deep breathing and standing still both lower
adrenaline, and it will help flood your brain with oxygen.”
She also advised students to make eye contact, which fights the biological
predator/prey response, and to offload nervous energy by gesturing with their
hands, which takes advantage of muscle memory to help remember a narrative
or argument. She also emphasized the importance of speaking slowly and taking
pauses, noting that the brain monitors time through heart rate and that a
pounding heart is apt to skew the interpretation.
John Michael Schert, who is the visiting artist and social entrepreneur for
UChicago Arts and the Booth School of Business, encouraged law students to
become more aware of their body language, noting that the majority of
communication is nonverbal.
He told a story of a woman who always walked quickly at work and tended to
keep her interactions short and focused, particularly when she was on the
executive floor. Her colleagues saw her as busy, efficient, and in a rush, so they
responded by keeping their conversations brief. When the colleagues revealed
this in a workshop Schert was leading, the woman began to cry. She moved
quickly because she felt unwelcome; her official, focused demeanor was an
“It was unconscious — she didn’t know she was putting off those signals,” he said.
“She was teaching them that she was efficient and that their interactions with her
should be very short. But that’s not what she wanted at all. She wanted to be
welcomed in. She wanted casual conversation. Everything she did nonverbally
undercut this.”
Schert encouraged the students to avoid this by paying attention to their physical
signals and using muscle memory to help themselves broadcast messages that
align with their goals.
“Locate in yourself the moments when you feel most relaxed and most confident,
and pinpoint the places where you’re holding it,” he said. “And then when it
counts, remember what that felt like, regardless of the new factors.”
He also encouraged students to know their power poses, the positions that make
them feel the way they want to feel.
“Have a grab bag, an array of different options available to you,” he said. “And
then you can execute them in different settings.”
Bethlehem Mebratu, ’16, said Schert’s talk made her more aware of her own body
language.
“While I'm perceptive when it comes to reading others, I don't think I apply the
same standard to myself, mainly because I naturally understand my own
intentions,” she said. “After the talk, I realized that when I'm not confident about
what I'm speaking about, I tend to hunch over more and don't have very good
posture. I would like to work on that.”
IX.A RANDOM THOUGHTS
Read: Why Random Thoughts are Actually Important, Backed by Science
https://www.powerofpositivity.com/this-is-why-random-thoughts-are-
actually-important-backed-by-science/
Some people call them earworms, some call them mind-pops, but random
thoughts that enter your brain for no apparent reason are actually
important, according to scientists. Our brains can surprise us with sudden
random memories. It could be a line from a play that you were in from 6th grade
or a song from a commercial that you saw last week.
The complete unpredictability of these thoughts is a fun part of being human; we
get to still be amazed by our brains. Even when science has explored almost all
of our grey matter, they are still able to learn new things that we are capable of.
Stray or random thoughts are what scientists call involuntary semantic
memories. These thoughts are involuntary, meaning they were not something
you were trying to think of. Semantic refers to facts or events, but the word itself
means meaning. These random thoughts are memories that come back to you
when you aren’t expecting them and they have no apparent meaning.
The most interesting part of these random thoughts is that they might not be
random after all. Scientists think that these memories are trying to help you solve
a problem.
THIS IS WHY RANDOM THOUGHTS ARE ACTUALLY IMPORTANT, BACKED
BY SCIENCE
A song can get stuck in your head or pop into your mind at random. Often, it’s
just a portion of a song that we hear repeatedly in our minds, like the chorus. The
distinguishing feature of mind-pops is that we have no conscious control over
them.
Music that pops into your head at random is called involuntary musical imagery.
The more scientific definition of this musical phenomenon is ‘introspective
persistence of a musical experience in the absence of direct sensory instigation
of that experience.’ In other words, you are hearing things that aren’t really there,
but that you have heard before.
A musical earworm is usually a song with lyrics that you enjoy or a melody that
brings up a particular emotion for you. These persistent songs that get stuck in
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your mind can be annoying, but what if they were trying to solve a problem for
you, rather than annoy you?
Here’s an example:
* You are postponing doing your taxes because you have an unusual situation
and might need help. Time goes by while you worry about this problem.
* Days later, the name song pops in your head and you start singing ‘Banana fana
fo fana, Hannah.’
* This makes you think of your friend Hannah that you knew in college who is
now an accountant and who can probably help you with your taxes.
The random earworm song that popped into your mind helped you to remember
that you have a friend who can help you solve your problem. Problem solving is
one way that scientists believe our random mind pops are benefitting us.
A seemingly random thought can usually be traced back to a trigger. In this
example, the trigger was the problem of needing help with filing taxes.
WHY DO WE HAVE RANDOM THOUGHTS?
Scientists believe that random thoughts are likely the result of memory
processing and also creative thinking. You may start to notice that you have
mind-pops more often when you have a problem that you want to solve.
It’s as if you have told your brain to search for things that can help you solve the
problem and your brain responds with random things that are connected.
‘Researchers speculate that mind pops are the result of long-term semantic
priming, with an initial exposure to a source of information ‘activating a web of
representations in the mind that stay activated until a relevant stimulus in our
environment’ triggers the semantic memory. The tenuous relationship between
some of these initial activation experiences and the semantic memories that
result from them minutes, hours, and even days later hints at a correlation
between mind-popping and creative thinking,’ an ability to perceive connections
between seemingly unrelated concepts.
People who experience frequent random thoughts tend to rate higher on tests of
creative thinking. In a study of the brains of research subjects and their
random thoughts, ‘High-frequency mind pops were significantly associated
with “larger grey and white matter volume in the prefrontal cortex. This increase
in mind pops is also linked to higher creativity and the personality trait of
‘openness.”

HOW YOU CAN MAXIMIZE RANDOM THOUGHTS FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Being mindful is the best way to make use of random thoughts to enhance your
creativity. Here are a few ideas to help you allow your random thoughts solve
problems for you:
* Dwell on the random thought for 90 seconds – Sing along with the song or
immerse yourself in the memory that was brought up.
* Read 7 Things That Keep You From Living in the Now – Our guide to
avoiding things that keep you from being mindful will help you make use of
random thoughts when they happen.
* Think briefly about your current problem – What is it that you are currently
struggling with?
* Think about how the random thought connects to the problem – Is there a
connection between the random thought and the problem?
IX.B. IMPROMPTU SPEAKING
Read: How to Ace the Impromptu Speech
by Andrew Dlugan
https://sixminutes.dlugan.com/how-to-impromptu-speech/ech
Relating to actual practice: If a judge asks a difficult question or an opposing
lawyer poses a very authoritative argument, and you do not have a quick answer
or a good counter argument, you must stay calm and maintain your composure.
There is no room to panic. You can stop for a while, and think about it.
In this article, you’ll find a set of tips that will make you shine the next time you
are asked to speak on the spur of the moment.
Impromptu Speech Scenarios
Impromptu speaking may not be as glamorous as prepared speaking, but it is an
equally vital skill simply because there are so many scenarios where you find
yourself speaking without more than a few moments of preparation. It’s no
surprise that “impromptu speaking sessions” are found within Toastmasters
meetings, college communications courses, and public speaking seminars.
Consider just a few situations where you find yourself speaking off the cuff:
 The scheduled speaker is unavailable (or late), and you’ve been
asked to fill in.
 You are sitting on a panel answering questions from the audience.
 You are fielding questions after your own talk (yes, your Q&A session
is impromptu speaking)
 You are being interviewed on television, radio, webinar, or telephone.
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 You are invited (at the last moment) to say a few words at a company
gathering.
 You are asked to provide a brief status report for your project at a
department meeting.
 You are motivated to join the debate at the parent association meeting
for your child’s school.
 You decide to give an unplanned toast at an event with family or
friends.
It’s also worth noting the irony that the better you are at giving prepared
speeches, the more often you will be invited to speak with no time for
preparation at all. Your friends and colleagues will recognize your speaking skill,
and when they need “someone” to say a few words… you’ll be that someone!
Winning Strategies for Impromptu Speeches
Although you may only have a few seconds to prepare for any particular
impromptu situation, you certainly can prepare yourself to be ready when called
upon.
Here are a few strategies you can use:
Anticipate situations where you may be called upon to speak. For example,
if you are attending an engagement party for a close friend or family member,
there’s a reasonable chance that you might be asked to speak. Similarly, if one of
your close colleagues is scheduled to speak (e.g. your boss, your peer, or your
report), it’s also reasonable to assume that you will find yourself speaking. As
you head to the event, do a few mental exercises, trying to guess what you might
be asked to speak about, and how you would respond. Even if your guess isn’t
accurate, it’s amazing how those prior thoughts will help you think on your feet
when you are asked to speak.
Wrap your response around a simple template, or framework. If you
practice this a few times, you will find that your mini-speeches are much more
polished and coherent. A few easy frameworks include:
1. P.R.E.P. (Point. Reason. Example. Point) – Start off by clearly stating
your point. Share the primary reason (or reasons, if you have more time).
Then, share an example (preferably in story form) where your main point
or reason is supported. Finally, conclude by summarizing your central
point again. The template works well in many situations, and is easily
adapted.
2. Issue, Pros vs. Cons, Conclusions – Start off by framing the issue. Talk
about the benefits, and then talk about the drawbacks. Conclude with your
recommendation.
3. 5W – In this pattern, you cover your topic by addressing the Who, What,
When, Where, and Why elements. For example, if you’ve been asked to
 speak briefly about a fundraising initiative, you could talk about
[1] whostarted it, and who is involved now; [2] what the goals are;
[3] when it started, and the schedule for the future; [4] where does it take
place; and [5] why are you involved. This template works nicely, largely
because the “why?” comes last, because this is often the most critical
information.

Turn your impromptu session into a Q&A session. In situations where you
are asked to fill in when the schedule speaker is absent, it may not be wise to
launch into a 45 minute impromptu speech. Even the most accomplished
speakers are prone to meander in that situation. Instead, reframe the session as
a Q&A session, which breaks it up into a series of very small impromptu speeches
that are probably easier for you to answer individually. Plus, the content comes
directly from the audience, so you are guaranteed to deliver what they are
seeking.

Use personal stories. Storytelling is an essential skill for prepared speaking, but
it is equally useful for impromptu speaking as well. Stories are emotional, real,
and interesting. If you stick to personal stories, you’ll find that it is much easier
to speak (even without preparation) because the events happened to you.

Avoid the tendency to go on, and on, and on. Craft a coherent message, and
then be quiet. Rambling on will only weaken your overall speech. If you must fill
more time, shift into a Q&A.

Go easy on yourself. We all want to speak perfectly every time, but demanding
perfection from yourself in an impromptu speech is setting the bar too high. The
audience (probably) recognizes that you’ve been thrown in at the last minute,
and they will understand.

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