To use notes for a big presentation?

[notetakerforlife]

NC so not linked to other posts.

I am short on time and could memorise it but it would take hours many hours if my life however it's a big presentation I have approx 20 minutes, and I want it to be great.

Do you feel the quality of a presentation is regarded when someone uses their notes?

Please be honest or is content more important?

It's live and it's a presentation

@titchy sorry it's live a presentation I don't want to confirm the subject matter as outing

I thought the subject matter was you

But can you say more about what exactly it is you’re working on? What would ‘perfection’ look like for you?

Most people aren't saying you can't have notes.
People are saying you can't read from a script. Or recite a script.

If you are talking to such a big audience, remember you have been invited to speak because what you have to say is interesting, and relevant, and they believe it is something you know about.
Yes, it should be prepared, but it should sound like you have just started talking about something you are passionate and knowledgeable about.

@titchy it is!! 😂😂😂🤦‍♀️

Is nerves such a hard thing to understand?!! Does no one else get mind blank on spot? And start waffling? Maybe just me

Omg I totally totally get it. It comes so naturally to some people, but when I'm scared and everyone is looking at me I become completely inarticulate, forget what I'm supposed to say and it's so embarrassing. If I wasn't nervous I'd come across engaging,interesting, informative but introduce nerves and I'm just awfully embarrassing. Actually it may have worked in my favour as I've not been asked to present for a while

I don't think speaking to a big audience "comes naturally" to many people at all - if anyone.
It is nerve-racking to speak in front of people when you first do it - so you take advice and you practice.
The more you do it (anything, not just public speaking) the easier it becomes. Same with all skills - the first time you rode a bike or drove a car is terrifying, but you get to a point when you don't even think about it - it is a natural as brushing your teeth or anything else you do everyday. Some people still get nervous after lots of practice, but others less so. However I don't think there are many who are naturals to start out with,

Have a look at Simon Raybould and his presentation genius training. You can get a series of free emails with tips, the best training I've been on.

@HundredMilesAnHour agreed! They’d sacrifice their first born for a chance at 20min an about themselves in my industry too!

50 hours to me is unfathomable if I’m honest. How did you wind up in this position, if you’re uncomfortable about it? 50 hours is more than an entire working week!

Spent my weekends doing it @Sukisal 🤦‍♀️

I get it OP, some of us are not natural presenters especially to an audience of 500. I am much better than when I was starting out but the perimenopause has shattered my self confidence so it's not easy for me either. You will be fine with notes as prompts but try not to read directly from slides/ notes. The posters who find presenting easy and are great at it telling you it's unprofessional to use notes and they can't believe it has taken you so long are not helping. Nowhere has the OP said that this presentation is about her. Good luck OP, remember it's only 20 minutes of your life.

I think you need to do more prep than that. I have had quite a lot of public speaking training and notes are fine to have, but they should be just cue words, to lead you to the next topic or to prevent you from losing your drift. There shouldn’t be any reading.

If you're in a position to be giving a presentation to 500 people, surely you've been in plenty of presentations in the past? What do other people usually do? Do they have notes? Are they staring at a laptop? Which presentations or talks have you found most engaging? Why?

I'd be sick that day, personally, but I guess that's not an option 😅

@titchy thank you so much 😊

@TellMeWhere I thought about it 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Except nobody has said this. People are just trying to figure out exactly what it is the OP has spent 50 hours working so hard on, assuming she knows her topic, and to stress that a presentation will go far better with minimal prompts rather than a script being read. Because it sounds as if the OP is fundamentally misunderstanding what makes a good presentation being a well-written script. For someone who is nervous and inexperienced, @MrsTerryPratchett’s advice re notes is a good one.

OP, I’m giving a 50-minute lecture today, as a last-minute favour to a colleague, on a topic that’s not in my field. I have far more notes than I would have on a topic I know well, but they’re really only there to be skimmed beforehand — once I’m in the room, I’ll free speak, just referring to bullet points on the PowerPoints, or if I get a question that requires more info.

I think the reality is, I'm a stressed and worry far too much about it and I NEED to chill out. The problem is when I've done presentations in the past without notes I've ended up waffling or saying something daft so I think that's where the fear has come from

But I also don't want to give up! Because I realise it makes me get better by doing these things

If it's not something you do all the time no wonder you're panicking. I'd hate it too.

If you've spent 50+ hours on it, can you take a break today and don't think about it (hard I know!)

I'd have card with brief pointers on incase I lose my way. If this isn't your main job or one of your key tasks of course it's intimidating, don't beat yourself up about it.

I don't give presentations but I agree you need to pretty much know everything you'll be discussing without notes. Not word for word, but you should know the structure of your presentation and the order you'll discuss.

I'd only really expect you to have a few key words. I wouldn't expect you to be reading sentences.

Prompt cards I'd only expect to say things like:

Tesco - eggs, trolleys, club card

Bank - atms, cashiers, mortgages

Cars - showrooms, tyres, insurance

Beyond that, the rest of it needs to flow naturally.

How about 'bullet notes'? So it's not a script but a bullet point with a few prompts underneath? That way you're not reading a script, you're talking naturally but if you get brain freeze at any point you can glance back at your paper to reorient yourself.

@MissMogwai thank you and Jo it isn't something I do - the last time I did it was a couple of weeks ago but before that six years ago!!

@notetakerforlife I think you'll be fine

I get the impression you're not an experienced speaker, so you must be very well regarded to be invited to talk to such a large audience

And I admire you for spending so much time preparing for it. We're always told that good preparation is key. I'm sure a speaker with more experience would rattle it off more quickly / with less stress. You may be that speaker in future, but for now, if it takes 50 hours to prepare, so be it

Definitely don't read out a script. That's dull for an audience

Bullet points are fine, but should only be an aide memoire, and with so much preparation, I expect you know the subject matter inside out

Timing is important. Talking for 25 mins when it's meant to be 20 mins is a 25% overspill. I suggest you cut out some of your talk, to ensure it's not too long

@notetakerforlife I have often had to give presentations, and when I was starting out (or e.g. it is an interview which I am given a topic I know about mostly but sometimes some new areas and I am worried), what I do is I have 2 sets of notes, similar to what was said further up. At the top just vv brief keywords, and then lower down a bit more detail. I find that knowing that the info is there really helps, but then when I get into the 'room', I do not really glance at them, especially after the 1st slide or so, as I get into the groove.

You seem to know the topic - I am sure you will be amazing.