The Seven-Minute Formula and Why It Works Think back to when you were first learning to drive car. You slid behind the wheel. You were probably nervous and excited. Maybe you'd had some driver's education courses, or maybe this was all new to you. Why, I still feel nervous every time I drive, but I always practice for several hours in the driveway before I hit the road, and that helps me control it.
Most people practice speaking as if they only had to make right turns.
You write a speech, you memorize it, and then you practice that speech, and only that speech, until you're ready to give it. You deliver it, and that's it for that speech. And you don't think about speaking until you have to give another one. The seven-minute formula gives you a framework for daily practice. When you use the seven-minute formula, you choose a topic and plan a speech in about two minutes, then speak for about five minutes.