Public speaking question of the day comes from new york from a client who works with the United Nations from New York. he asks: TJ, I have to read a two minute speech to the United Nations Security Council at 3pm today. Do you have any tips in this regard?
This is a very specific type of speech where a lot of people are listening, it is being translated, it is going a lot of different places, and there is plenty of diplomatic sensitivity. It is different from other speeches where you just look at notes and then tell stories. Here you have to read what has been approved by lawyers and other diplomats.
But you can improve your efficiency. For starters, you should practice reading it out loud at least half a dozen times which would only add up to 12 minutes in total. Btu for something this big, I would take out 24 minutes instead and record it either on a memo on your cell phone or in a video format.
The last tip would be to print out the document in really large font because when you are standing up, the paper is going to be much farther away from your face than normal. So a larger font is easier on the eye and works great even when you forget your glasses.
So practice and rehearse it. Also make sure you use contractions to seem more believable and comfortable. Good luck!