But it only took three seconds for the 'great communicator' to see the problem and come up with a solution: an unscripted ad lib - "In the." May 08, 1985 President Left Speechless by TelePrompTer STRASBOURG, France — President Reagan, often spoken of as "the great communicator," was noticeably at a loss for words when his TelePrompTer broke down during his major speech before the European Parliament today. MORE
I talked about using magic in your presentations a while back in v2n9 [link] In that article I briefly mentioned that the "patter" or what the magician says is frequently the way the fun is added to the magic trick. Let's look at patter for speakers a little more closely. MORE
Ad-libbing in the moment one thing; not knowing what you’re going to say is a whole other matter. “Who is sitting in that empty chair?” ” — Eugene Ormandy. MORE
Practice going through the speech without stopping - ad-lib your way through any missteps. I was at a Toastmasters contest a week or so ago, and watched some great speakers go up and give their best. This includes the final speaker, who, after speaking for about two minutes, stopped. MORE
Our thanks today for the widely tweeted news that BBC Scotland has employed a promising new TV weather forecaster, who's not afraid to insert one or two of his own ad-libs. Knowing that Prince Charles was an avid fan of the late Spike Milligan, I was mildly disappointed that he resisted the temptation to emulate one of his hero's sketches, in which he too had stood in front of a weather chart. MORE
Public speaking, media training, presentation training, crisis communications Home Live Video About TJ Products & Services FAQs « Planning Your Way to the Ad-Lib Ford Unveils New spokesperson – Creative media training? News analyzed from a communication perspective. MORE
In public speaking, adding malaprops to your presentation can make the members of your audience stop and question what they think you said and what you actually said. The way to acknowledge your mistake is to use an ad-lib or quotation to make fun of yourself. MORE
News analyzed from a communication perspective. MORE
But I’ve noticed that many executives have a curious understanding as to what an ad-lib speech or presentation is. The reaction from the executive is quite often: “I can’t believe how much better I am ad libbing my speech than I am giving the prepared speech.&# MORE
Ad-libs were flying. Oops! I broke my own rules and did not follow a checklist on my last presentation. It was two minutes until start time and I realized there was no flipchart in the room. Oh oh! Better think fast. MORE
Develop ad-libs for equipment failure and other expected unexpected occurrences. Sales Tips Part 1 Don't forget to make your sales pitch. Some salespersons get so wrapped up in telling jokes they forget to go for the business. Use testimonials. They can be delivered live by happy clients who are willing to help you or in writing or by video or audio tape. You could make a funny video which includes bloopers. Keep your ego out of the sale. MORE
If you are a humorous presenter, you may deliver pre-planned ad libs to people coming and going because you will see them instantly. When deciding how to set up a presentation room when you have full control of the logistics, pay close attention to these two major distracters. doors and windows. DOORS CAN BE A PROBLEM IN SEVERAL WAYS. They may have squeaky hinges -- Solution: ask maintenance to oil them. MORE
From there Williams adlibbed for about ten minutes on stage. At the 2008 TED Conference held in California, the BBC''s "The World Debate" set up a panel discussion to be broadcast worldwide from the TED stage. MORE
You say that “leaders who rely on ad-libbing and improvisation risk looking unprepared and stilted”. What you think is a tantalizing blog title, is in reality the titles of two of Nick Morgan’s books. His first book Give Your Speech, Change the World was introduced to me by Mitch Joel. MORE
"Patter" AKA "what the magician says" is frequently the way the fun is added to the magic trick. When something happens that totally distracts the audience like a police car siren going by the building, polished presenters use a form of patter called "Pre Planned Ad libs" like "Oh, My ride is here" or "I knew I shouldn't have taken my wife's anniversary present as a tax deduction." MORE
When you are interacting with your audience in Q&A or an ad lib session, ask yourself that same question. Great speakers seem to stay on track effortlessly. Their presentations are tight and focused. Do you find yourself, on the other hand, sometimes, with too much information, or getting off the point of your story or presentation? MORE
But he also liked to ad-lib. Heres a question that comes up nearly every week from someone: How much do I need to write for a speech of XX minutes? Seems like an innocent question. Unfortunately, reality and experience suggest otherwise. My general rule of thumb on the length of speeches is to write – as a first draft – 135 words per delivered minute. Notice I said “as a first draft” and “general rule of thumb.” Exceptions abound. MORE
He apparently ad libs most of the speech. It’s the season for State of the State addresses. They get less attention than the President’s State of the Union address, but they’re arguably more important to the legislators and citizens of the states in question. I got my start in the public speaking world writing speeches for the Governor of Virginia, and my first big test was the State of the Commonwealth address there. MORE
She ad-libbed and took time to react to her message as well as to the responses of her audience. MORE
At most conferences, you get a mix of people reading from PowerPoint decks, using teleprompters, or simply ad-libbing around loose outlines. MORE
The speech stops for all of the laughter, and Rometty ad-libs that "he says I never mention him, and then when I do, I mess it up." MORE
Really good speakers open up the microphone for a question and answer session in which they ad-lib or give pre-written comical answers to expected or planted questions. One of my favorite gags is the false guest speaker. MORE
I knew that on the evening of his speech, he ad-libbed a lot; however, I did not realize how much until now. Green represents what was added and pink represents what was removed.). MORE
Either write funny answers for them like, "I was going out to the garden to use them to hold up the tomato plants" or just let them ad lib. This technique is always good for a laugh and sometimes brings down the house. Invite two people on stage that have opposite roles. It works particularly well with husband/wife , boyfriend/girlfriend, employee/boss. Have them play the role of the other person, i.e., the husband acts as if he is the wife and vice versa. MORE
If you do fall, use a pre-planned ad-lib like: "Give me an inch and I'll take a fall." The stage background can be a distraction. If possible, I try to find out what my background will be so I don't blend right in. MORE
In particular - he ad libbed with the "I have a dream" bit. Martin Luther King delivered his memorable "I have a dream" speech 50 years ago in Washington, DC. It was a well written speach - and what most people don''t know is he went off scirpt part way through. Watch this video as he reads his speech for about the first 12 minutes - then when he starts talking about his dream - he''s not reading anynore. He''s improvising. "I MORE
Time will get eaten by the audience laughing, by any ad-libs you do, etc. There’s this popular format for public speaking called Ignite - It’s an evening of short talks with some special rules. MORE
When you are interacting with your audience in Q&A or an ad lib session, ask yourself that same question. Great speakers seem to stay on track effortlessly. Their presentations are tight and focused. Do you find yourself, on the other hand, sometimes, with too much information, or getting off the point of your story or presentation? MORE
Develop ad-libs for equipment failure and other expected unexpected occurrences. Don't forget to make your sales pitch. Some salespersons get so wrapped up in telling jokes they forget to go for the business. Use testimonials. MORE
Either write funny answers for them like, "I was going out to the garden to use them to hold up the tomato plants" or just let them ad lib. This technique is always good for a laugh and sometimes brings down the house. Invite two people on stage that have opposite roles. It works particularly well with husband/wife , boyfriend/girlfriend, employee/boss Have them play the role of the other person, i.e., the husband acts as if he is the wife and vice versa. MORE
Some humorous things to say when things go wrong during your presentation: SOMETHING IS BROKEN *Humor can't fix everything. * I would fix this, but the only thing I learned in shop class was how to call for estimates. That's what I get for buying this at a flea market. I'll fix this right up. Just give me a hammer. Does anyone have some SuperGlue? Does anyone have a dollar bill on them? [If If possible, go into the audience in search of a dollar bill apparently to fix the broken item.] MORE
For the most part, these gestures are planned, though I'm sure one can spontaneously ad-lib a practiced move with experience. MORE
Justly celebrated as one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century, Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech becomes even more remarkable when you know that the last 6 minutes of the 16-minute speech were ad-libbed. King felt that he was not reaching the audience the way he wanted to with his prepared text, and so he called up a metaphor he had been thinking about for some months, and uttered the unforgettable plea for racial justice, “I have a dream.” MORE
Ferguson ad-libs much of his material and often goes off script (not that there is much of a solid script to begin with). This Sunday, it''s Mother''s Day, even here in Japan. Nothing is more important than mom. This is what I always say. MORE
The rest of the ad-libbed introduction gets lost in the verbal shuffle, and the VP gets key facts wrong, stumbling over the sentence structure and some unfamiliar words. I’m going to post this (short) blog a little earlier in the day in case you’re heading off early for the 4th. Yesterday I talked about how important a good introduction is for setting up a speaker for success. MORE
Of course the magic happened in the second half of the speech, where King left his script and ad-libbed the incredible “I have a dream” sequence, as I’ve blogged about before. What Jones adds is that the impetus to ad-lib came from Mahalia Jackson, the great singer, who had treated the audience to a heartfelt rendition of a gospel number, “I’ve been ‘buked and I’ve been scorned,” just before King began to speak. MORE
Even if you plan the joke carefully, once the person or group is "on stage" they must be able to ad lib and adjust to whatever situation arises. When staging a practical joke you must plan the many details carefully. MORE
Either write funny answers for them like, "I was going out to the garden to use them to hold up the tomato plants" or just let them ad lib. This technique is always good for a laugh and sometimes brings down the house. Invite two people on stage that have opposite roles. It works particularly well with husband/wife , boyfriend/girlfriend, employee/boss Have them play the role of the other person, i.e., the husband acts as if he is the wife and vice versa. MORE
His ad-libs prompted him to explain that the device would need to restart--cluing the audience in to the device for the first time, live. In the New York Times obituary for teleprompter inventor Hubert J. Schlafly, Jr., MORE
He made a perfect ad-lib when the electrically operated overhead screen started to go up by itself. I was doing some work for a government agency where I was hired to critique and improve the sales presentations of the program staff. MORE
Even if you plan the joke carefully, once the person or group is "on stage" they must be able to ad lib and adjust to whatever situation arises. When staging a practical joke you must plan the many details carefully. MORE
23 speech, "but there aren't any—I ad-libbed it." While Merryman says she ad-libbed it, it's clear some factors helped her do so. Ashley Merryman: On Parenting from PopTech on Vimeo. MORE
Did you ad-lib? I completely ad-libbed because I decided if they were having technological problems… Too often, I see speakers look at memorizing your speech as something awful--limiting, structured, nervous-making. MORE
Ad-Lib Related Topics 
TJ Walker Interactive
MARCH 22, 2011
But I’ve noticed that many executives have a curious understanding as to what an ad-lib speech or presentation is. The reaction from the executive is quite often: “I can’t believe how much better I am ad libbing my speech than I am giving the prepared speech.&#
Great Public Speaking
MARCH 4, 2011
Some humorous things to say when things go wrong during your presentation: SOMETHING IS BROKEN *Humor can't fix everything. * I would fix this, but the only thing I learned in shop class was how to call for estimates. That's what I get for buying this at a flea market. I'll fix this right up. Just give me a hammer. Does anyone have some SuperGlue? Does anyone have a dollar bill on them? [If If possible, go into the audience in search of a dollar bill apparently to fix the broken item.]
Manner of Speaking
SEPTEMBER 21, 2012
I knew that on the evening of his speech, he ad-libbed a lot; however, I did not realize how much until now. Green represents what was added and pink represents what was removed.).
The Eloquent Woman
MAY 5, 2016
Did you ad-lib? I completely ad-libbed because I decided if they were having technological problems… Too often, I see speakers look at memorizing your speech as something awful--limiting, structured, nervous-making.
Great Public Speaking
AUGUST 24, 2010
Really good speakers open up the microphone for a question and answer session in which they ad-lib or give pre-written comical answers to expected or planted questions. One of my favorite gags is the false guest speaker.
The Eloquent Woman
MARCH 18, 2010
23 speech, "but there aren't any—I ad-libbed it." While Merryman says she ad-libbed it, it's clear some factors helped her do so. Ashley Merryman: On Parenting from PopTech on Vimeo.
TJ Walker Interactive
MARCH 21, 2011
News analyzed from a communication perspective.
Great Public Speaking
MARCH 23, 2011
If you do fall, use a pre-planned ad-lib like: "Give me an inch and I'll take a fall." The stage background can be a distraction. If possible, I try to find out what my background will be so I don't blend right in.
Great Public Speaking
JANUARY 24, 2011
Develop ad-libs for equipment failure and other expected unexpected occurrences. Don't forget to make your sales pitch. Some salespersons get so wrapped up in telling jokes they forget to go for the business. Use testimonials.
Presentation Zen
MAY 9, 2014
Ferguson ad-libs much of his material and often goes off script (not that there is much of a solid script to begin with). This Sunday, it''s Mother''s Day, even here in Japan. Nothing is more important than mom. This is what I always say.
TJ Walker Interactive
MARCH 22, 2011
Public speaking, media training, presentation training, crisis communications Home Live Video About TJ Products & Services FAQs « Planning Your Way to the Ad-Lib Ford Unveils New spokesperson – Creative media training? News analyzed from a communication perspective.
Pivotal Public Speaking
AUGUST 15, 2012
When you are interacting with your audience in Q&A or an ad lib session, ask yourself that same question. Great speakers seem to stay on track effortlessly. Their presentations are tight and focused. Do you find yourself, on the other hand, sometimes, with too much information, or getting off the point of your story or presentation?
Pivotal Public Speaking
AUGUST 15, 2012
When you are interacting with your audience in Q&A or an ad lib session, ask yourself that same question. Great speakers seem to stay on track effortlessly. Their presentations are tight and focused. Do you find yourself, on the other hand, sometimes, with too much information, or getting off the point of your story or presentation?
The Eloquent Woman
APRIL 1, 2016
The speech stops for all of the laughter, and Rometty ad-libs that "he says I never mention him, and then when I do, I mess it up."
Public Speaking Advice and Commentary
APRIL 15, 2011
Of course the magic happened in the second half of the speech, where King left his script and ad-libbed the incredible “I have a dream” sequence, as I’ve blogged about before. What Jones adds is that the impetus to ad-lib came from Mahalia Jackson, the great singer, who had treated the audience to a heartfelt rendition of a gospel number, “I’ve been ‘buked and I’ve been scorned,” just before King began to speak.
Manner of Speaking
SEPTEMBER 11, 2012
Ad-libbing in the moment one thing; not knowing what you’re going to say is a whole other matter. “Who is sitting in that empty chair?” ” — Eugene Ormandy.
Great Public Speaking
FEBRUARY 11, 2011
Even if you plan the joke carefully, once the person or group is "on stage" they must be able to ad lib and adjust to whatever situation arises. When staging a practical joke you must plan the many details carefully.
Great Public Speaking
DECEMBER 10, 2012
"Patter" AKA "what the magician says" is frequently the way the fun is added to the magic trick. When something happens that totally distracts the audience like a police car siren going by the building, polished presenters use a form of patter called "Pre Planned Ad libs" like "Oh, My ride is here" or "I knew I shouldn't have taken my wife's anniversary present as a tax deduction."
Great Public Speaking
OCTOBER 20, 2010
Develop ad-libs for equipment failure and other expected unexpected occurrences. Sales Tips Part 1 Don't forget to make your sales pitch. Some salespersons get so wrapped up in telling jokes they forget to go for the business. Use testimonials. They can be delivered live by happy clients who are willing to help you or in writing or by video or audio tape. You could make a funny video which includes bloopers. Keep your ego out of the sale.
Great Public Speaking
AUGUST 27, 2010
He made a perfect ad-lib when the electrically operated overhead screen started to go up by itself. I was doing some work for a government agency where I was hired to critique and improve the sales presentations of the program staff.
Great Public Speaking
SEPTEMBER 26, 2012
Either write funny answers for them like, "I was going out to the garden to use them to hold up the tomato plants" or just let them ad lib. This technique is always good for a laugh and sometimes brings down the house. Invite two people on stage that have opposite roles. It works particularly well with husband/wife , boyfriend/girlfriend, employee/boss Have them play the role of the other person, i.e., the husband acts as if he is the wife and vice versa.
Great Public Speaking
JUNE 25, 2010
Even if you plan the joke carefully, once the person or group is "on stage" they must be able to ad lib and adjust to whatever situation arises. When staging a practical joke you must plan the many details carefully.
Speak and Deliver
JUNE 2, 2011
For the most part, these gestures are planned, though I'm sure one can spontaneously ad-lib a practiced move with experience.
DeFinis Communications
MARCH 28, 2012
She ad-libbed and took time to react to her message as well as to the responses of her audience.
The Eloquent Woman
MAY 2, 2011
His ad-libs prompted him to explain that the device would need to restart--cluing the audience in to the device for the first time, live. In the New York Times obituary for teleprompter inventor Hubert J. Schlafly, Jr.,
Great Public Speaking
OCTOBER 17, 2008
Either write funny answers for them like, "I was going out to the garden to use them to hold up the tomato plants" or just let them ad lib. This technique is always good for a laugh and sometimes brings down the house. Invite two people on stage that have opposite roles. It works particularly well with husband/wife , boyfriend/girlfriend, employee/boss. Have them play the role of the other person, i.e., the husband acts as if he is the wife and vice versa.
OnSpeechwriting
SEPTEMBER 23, 2012
But he also liked to ad-lib. Heres a question that comes up nearly every week from someone: How much do I need to write for a speech of XX minutes? Seems like an innocent question. Unfortunately, reality and experience suggest otherwise. My general rule of thumb on the length of speeches is to write – as a first draft – 135 words per delivered minute. Notice I said “as a first draft” and “general rule of thumb.” Exceptions abound.
Great Public Speaking
APRIL 28, 2010
In public speaking, adding malaprops to your presentation can make the members of your audience stop and question what they think you said and what you actually said. The way to acknowledge your mistake is to use an ad-lib or quotation to make fun of yourself.
Max Atkinson
FEBRUARY 3, 2010
But it only took three seconds for the 'great communicator' to see the problem and come up with a solution: an unscripted ad lib - "In the." May 08, 1985 President Left Speechless by TelePrompTer STRASBOURG, France — President Reagan, often spoken of as "the great communicator," was noticeably at a loss for words when his TelePrompTer broke down during his major speech before the European Parliament today.
Great Public Speaking
JUNE 12, 2009
Either write funny answers for them like, "I was going out to the garden to use them to hold up the tomato plants" or just let them ad lib. This technique is always good for a laugh and sometimes brings down the house. Invite two people on stage that have opposite roles. It works particularly well with husband/wife , boyfriend/girlfriend, employee/boss Have them play the role of the other person, i.e., the husband acts as if he is the wife and vice versa.
Public Speaking Advice and Commentary
JANUARY 17, 2011
Justly celebrated as one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century, Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech becomes even more remarkable when you know that the last 6 minutes of the 16-minute speech were ad-libbed. King felt that he was not reaching the audience the way he wanted to with his prepared text, and so he called up a metaphor he had been thinking about for some months, and uttered the unforgettable plea for racial justice, “I have a dream.”
The Eloquent Woman
AUGUST 13, 2015
At most conferences, you get a mix of people reading from PowerPoint decks, using teleprompters, or simply ad-libbing around loose outlines.
Great Public Speaking
JANUARY 30, 2009
If you are a humorous presenter, you may deliver pre-planned ad libs to people coming and going because you will see them instantly. When deciding how to set up a presentation room when you have full control of the logistics, pay close attention to these two major distracters. doors and windows. DOORS CAN BE A PROBLEM IN SEVERAL WAYS. They may have squeaky hinges -- Solution: ask maintenance to oil them.
Speaker Confessions
JUNE 1, 2009
Time will get eaten by the audience laughing, by any ad-libs you do, etc. There’s this popular format for public speaking called Ignite - It’s an evening of short talks with some special rules.
Great Public Speaking
JANUARY 23, 2009
Ad-libs were flying. Oops! I broke my own rules and did not follow a checklist on my last presentation. It was two minutes until start time and I realized there was no flipchart in the room. Oh oh! Better think fast.
Great Public Speaking
AUGUST 18, 2008
I talked about using magic in your presentations a while back in v2n9 [link] In that article I briefly mentioned that the "patter" or what the magician says is frequently the way the fun is added to the magic trick. Let's look at patter for speakers a little more closely.
Duarte Blog
SEPTEMBER 13, 2010
You say that “leaders who rely on ad-libbing and improvisation risk looking unprepared and stilted”. What you think is a tantalizing blog title, is in reality the titles of two of Nick Morgan’s books. His first book Give Your Speech, Change the World was introduced to me by Mitch Joel.
Public Speaking Advice and Commentary
JULY 2, 2010
The rest of the ad-libbed introduction gets lost in the verbal shuffle, and the VP gets key facts wrong, stumbling over the sentence structure and some unfamiliar words. I’m going to post this (short) blog a little earlier in the day in case you’re heading off early for the 4th. Yesterday I talked about how important a good introduction is for setting up a speaker for success.
Speak and Deliver
APRIL 18, 2011
Practice going through the speech without stopping - ad-lib your way through any missteps. I was at a Toastmasters contest a week or so ago, and watched some great speakers go up and give their best. This includes the final speaker, who, after speaking for about two minutes, stopped.
Public Speaking Advice and Commentary
FEBRUARY 9, 2012
He apparently ad libs most of the speech. It’s the season for State of the State addresses. They get less attention than the President’s State of the Union address, but they’re arguably more important to the legislators and citizens of the states in question. I got my start in the public speaking world writing speeches for the Governor of Virginia, and my first big test was the State of the Commonwealth address there.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
40 
Let's personalize your content