Why "Perfect" Speakers Don't Connect: Stop Memorizing & Build Confidence Speaking Off the Cuff

Are you the kind of speaker who loves to have everything prepared in advance? Perhaps you even have your entire presentation scripted out nearly word for word and you have detailed notes for every slide that you rely on?

Well, I have a challenge for you: getting more comfortable with impromptu speaking.

As a speaker and as a leader, both impromptu and prepared speaking skills are a must.

Have you ever had one of these situations happen to you:

You're in a meeting or group and asked to share something on the spot. You get really nervous and feel at a loss for words.

You're at a networking event where you need to concisely share with other attendees who you are, what you do, and how you help people. After you introduce yourself, you realized you left out the most important parts or it all felt like a jumble.

You're leading a meeting where you need to motivate your team, but you didn't have an opportunity to prepare your message ahead of time and feel like you weren't as clear or confident as you want to be.

This is why developing your impromptu speaking skills is essential.

I want more women - including you! - to feel comfortable and confident commanding a room and leading teams, organizations, and companies.

In this episode, I share:

• Why impromptu speaking is hard
• Why it matters to your development as a speaker and leader
• Specific things you can do to get better at impromptu speaking
• Some of my own impromptu speaking wins and fails!

This episode originally aired as episode 390 on April 29, 2024.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/390/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Attend our 1-day in-person Speaking Accelerator workshop in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 382: 3 Signs You're Stuck in the Expert Trap with Your Public Speaking
• Episode 370: Overcome Speaking Nerves & Anxiety: How to Develop Confidence on Stage
• Episode 379: How to Develop Stage Presence and Build Confidence as a Speaker
• Episode 347: The Power of REAL Practice to Transform Yourself as a Speaker

Become Bookable Live Online Workshop - April 15, 2026
If you want to speak more but you’re not sure where to start or your efforts haven’t produced the results you want, I’m hosting a live online workshop called “Become Bookable: How to Get Speaking Invitations” on Wednesday, April 15th.

A lot of brilliant women assume they just need to pitch themselves more. But the real reason speakers get invited isn’t because they pitch harder — it’s because they’re positioned as bookable.

In this 3-hour interactive workshop live on Zoom, I’ll show you how speakers actually get invited — and help you clarify the positioning that makes event organizers say yes.

As a podcast listener, use the coupon code “Podcast100” to save $100 on your registration.

Learn more and register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bookable