Memorizing vs. Knowing a Talk: when, how, and what to memorize

Talks that are memorized sound memorized. Talks that are “winged” sound winged. How do we find the balance so that our talks are both structured and free?

When we speak in public, we strive for a balance that allows for both form and freedom. Both ingredients are vital in any art; finding that balance allows for expression that captures our audience, magnetizes them, “speaks” to them intellectually, emotionally, and takes them on a journey. Without that balance we are left with extremes: talks that are measured, polished, perfected and controlled, or talks that are unprepared, rambling, and incoherent. The rigid talks leave the audience cold, unmoved, and perhaps bored, while the raw, ad-libbed talks leave us baffled and maybe even angry to have given the gift of our attention to someone who does not respect our time.

To help them find that balance, in my work with clients, I make a distinction between ‘memorizing’ and ‘knowing.’ And I use both.

Memorizing

“Memorizing” means exactly that: the text is practiced word-for-word until it is so ingrained that recalling and reciting are effortless and alive. This is what actors strive for when memorizing a script. It takes years of practice, hours or study, and weeks of out-loud rehearsing. And even then, we can hear when actors move from speaking to reciting lines. When we lay-people try to memorize without those years of training and hours of study and rehearsal, we can end up with a stilted, monotone talk, with a regular, lulling cadence. Our attention is not on the audience, but on trying to remember that beloved turn of phrase or particular word. We are not present. We are not connected.

Knowing

‘Knowing’ means having deep knowledge of the arc, the main points, and the transitions. We know deep in our bones what comes next, what story follows what example, why we move from one point to the next, and how to connect them. The exact words, expressions, emotions, hills and valleys of our talk will change every time. We will be alive, taking in the audience, inviting them into the dance of ideas.

Here is what I ask of my clients:

1) MEMORIZE your beautifully crafted opening and closing lines. Beginnings and endings bookend the talk, start with a bang, and end on a dime. Knowing how we are starting and ending calms the speaker and orients the audience—no meandering in and sputtering out.

2) KNOW your main three points and the transitions that tie them together.

Are there exceptions to this? Indeed. We will talk about when to memorize an entire talk next week.