Our normal rate of speech – the number of words per minute (wpm) that we use – is between 120 and 150 wpm. When we are nervous or excited, we speak faster and our wpm count increases. The converse applies when we are tired or when we speak more deliberately – we use fewer wpm.

My normal wpm count is between 135 and 160. What is yours? If you don’t know, how can you find out? And why does it matter? Here’s why:

1. So that your audience will understand what you are saying
2. So that you can gauge how long or how short your talk will be – before you actually give your talk!

Speaking -live – is much more difficult than writing, in my opinion. In order to be an effective speaker you must be aware of how fast or how slow you speak. It is your responsibility to make sure that your audience understands what you are saying. Your audience must grasp your ideas as you present them – in real time. The first time!

When you write, you can go back and edit your thoughts. Rewrite your sentences before you publish your article. When you speak, you do not have that luxury. You can not re-do your spoken remarks when they are delivered live.

And when you speak, your voice must come alive. You voice must grab and keep your audiences attention. You need good vocal energy. You need to project authority and authenticity if you want your audience to stay tuned-in to your presentation. And this usually increases your wpm count. So you must guard against racing through your presentation.

Recording these video tutorials has been very instructive – to me! I get a chance to hear myself speak. I get a chance to see how long it takes me to present an idea. And… I have asked a few colleagues to critique these early recordings. As a result, I have received some excellent feedback. And I am making some changes.

Ideally, I want to keep the length of these video lessons short. Three minutes is ideal. Five minutes is too long. I want my audience to stay tuned-in. I don’t want them to tune-out before I make my point. When speaking, I must get to the point quickly without speaking too quickly. I must be aware of how many words per minute I use. And not waste time – nitehr my time nor my audience’s.

In preparing for today’s video lesson on my MS Excel blog, I wrote out my script. I read the script aloud several times and revised it. I timed myself as I spoke the script. I did a word count. And at 702 words divided by my 135 wpm speaking rate, this talk was coming in at 5 minutes and 20 seconds.

Too long! Too much content! What could I trim? What should I eliminate? I need to cut out at least 1 minute of talking in order to keep my audience tuned-in.

After several revisions I was ready to “go live” and record this lesson. I did not want to read my script. And I did not have too. I had rehearsed it sufficiently. I felt comfortable and confident.

The result – a 4 minute and 10 second video. I was happy. And I think that my audience will find this video informative and engaging.

Now mind you, I know this topic – in Excel – very well. I have taught it many times in individual and classroom settings. But this was the first time I was recording the lesson.

The lesson for me – I can always improve. So can you. But it requires practice – before you speak!

News! My new DVD, “The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007” is available for purchase. Visit my online store for details.

Related Articles:

• “What is your speaking rate?”
• “It takes a lot of practice to become a natural speaker”