For many professionals, the prospect of public speaking—whether a planned toast or an impromptu question—triggers a search for inspiration. We wait for the perfect words to strike. This is a mistake. Eloquence under pressure is not born of inspiration; it is the product of structure. By internalizing a few simple formulae, you can transform anxiety into assured communication.

Impromptu Speaking: Frameworks for the Unplanned

When put on the spot, your goal is to be clear and compelling, not comprehensive. These two formulae provide instant structure.

Formula 1: The Logical Case

• What: State your core idea with clarity. “Our current process creates a bottleneck.”
• So What: Explain the stakes for your audience. “This means we’re missing deadlines and frustrating our most valuable clients.”
• Now What: Propose a clear next step. “I suggest we form a tiger-team this week to map a new workflow.”

Formula 2: The Persuasive Vision

• What if you could…: Paint a compelling picture of a better future. “What if you could cut your monthly reporting time by 50%?”
• So that…: Articulate the profound benefit. “So that your team could re-invest those hours into client strategy.”
• For example…: Provide a tangible, concrete example. “For example, the new dashboard automates the data pull, giving you insights in minutes, not days.”
• And that’s not all…: Add a final powerful benefit to close. “And that’s not all—it also reduces error rates to near zero.”

About Author

Fay Niewiadomski

I awaken leaders to purposefully discern the best way forward, with such clarity, that they find within themselves the courage, wisdom, and compassion to do what they never dared to do before.

I’ve been privileged to work closely with C-level officers, presidents, ministers, global chairpersons, diplomats, board members, senior business and political leaders, and their teams to successfully navigate complex, high-stakes situations and make sound business and personal decisions resulting in profound and lasting change.

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