Speak to Win

CHAPTER 2

Planning and Preparation Made Simple

The true worth of a man is to be measured in the objects he pursues.

—MARCUS AURELIUS

Fully 90 percent of your success as a speaker will be determined by how well you plan your speech.

Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “You must know ten words for every word you write, or the reader will know that this is not a true thing.” In speaking, however, you must read and research 100 words for every word you speak, or the listener will know that you are speaking off the top of your head. The listener will immediately sense that you lack a depth of knowledge in your subject unless you are not only prepared but overprepared.

Poor preparation before an intelligent, discerning audience automatically downgrades your ...