How to Memorize a Speech Using the Memory Palace Technique
As a four-time Australian Memory Champion, I’ve been asked countless times: “How do I remember my speech without forgetting parts or looking like I’m struggling on stage?”
If you’ve ever delivered a talk, whether it was a short two-minute update at work or a full keynote in front of hundreds, you’ll know the stress that comes with it. Your mind races. You want to say things in the right order. You don’t want to forget that killer point halfway through. And the worst part? The audience can see it when you’re scrambling for words.
But here’s the truth: memorizing a speech doesn’t have to feel like torture. In fact, you can use the same techniques memory athletes use to recall long strings of information, and apply them to your presentations.
In this lesson, I’m going to show you step by step how to use the Memory Palace method to memorize your speech so you can deliver it confidently and smoothly, without sounding robotic or scripted.
Why Most People Struggle to Memorize a Speech
When people come to me, their biggest worry is simple: “I just don’t want to stuff it up.”
They’ve prepared a speech, written down their notes, maybe even rehearsed a few times. But when it comes time to deliver, they forget points. Their mind goes blank. Or they stick too closely to rote memorization, repeating the same lines over and over until it sounds forced.
The problem with rote learning is that it doesn’t give you flexibility. If you forget a single line, the whole speech can fall apart. You’re trying to recall words instead of ideas.
What you need instead is a system that:
Helps you recall key points in order
Lets you expand naturally on each point
Keeps your mind clear and relaxed so you can focus on delivery
That’s where the Memory Palace comes in.
Step 1: Organize Your Key Points
Before you even touch memory techniques, you need clarity on your speech structure.
Grab a notepad, whiteboard, or your laptop and dump every idea you want to include. Don’t worry about order yet, just get it all out.
Then, rearrange those points into a logical flow:
Introduction
Story or background
Main points (2–5 works best)
Supporting examples or evidence
Conclusion / call to action
If your speech has 10 key points, you’ll need 10 places in your Memory Palace. If it has 20, you’ll need 20. The important thing is: you know your points before you start encoding them.
Step 2: Build Your Memory Palace
A Memory Palace is simply a familiar location you can “walk through” in your mind, placing each point along the way.
Think of it like folders on a computer. Each folder (or location) holds a piece of information. Later, when you walk through the folders in order, you recall everything perfectly.
Your palace could be:
Your house (front fence, front door, living room, couch, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc.)
Your workplace (reception desk, elevator, hallway, office desk, meeting room)
A regular walking route (café, park bench, bus stop, traffic light)
The key is familiarity. The more vividly you know the place, the easier it is to use.
Example:
Front fence
Front door
Bedroom bed
Shower
Sink
Toilet
Kitchen table
Couch
TV
Backyard
That’s already 10 locations ready to store 10 points of a speech.
Step 3: Link Each Point to a Location
Now comes the fun part: storytelling with your imagination.
Let’s say my speech is about memory improvement. My first point is the introduction. My first location is my front fence.
How do I connect them? Simple: I create a silly, exaggerated story.
I walk up to my fence and shake hands with it.
I introduce myself to the fence: “Hi, I’m Tansel!”
Maybe I hug it or laugh with it, the sillier, the better.
Now when I mentally walk to my front fence, I instantly remember: Introduction.
Second point: my story of being a skeptic. My location: the front door.
I imagine throwing a giant storybook at the door.
On the cover is my face, with me looking doubtful.
When the door opens, sparkles or blood and guts fly out (depending on your style).
Now when I go to the door, I remember: Tell the story of how I got into memory training.
Third point: Memory Palace explanation. Location: my bed.
I picture a miniature palace sitting on my bed.
My kids come and smash it.
I accidentally lie on it, and it hurts my back.
The interaction, humor, and exaggeration lock it into memory.
This is how you continue for every point in your speech.
Step 4: Add Sub-Points Without Overloading
What if a point has multiple sub-points? For example, “How to Use a Memory Palace” might include steps:
Choose your locations
Create vivid stories
Practice recall
Here’s how you handle it:
Main point goes on the main location (e.g. the shower).
Each sub-point gets added into the same scene.
A wet palace in the shower (choose your locations).
Storybooks stacked in the shower (create vivid stories).
You turning around to recall each one (practice recall).
If you can’t recall a sub-point, it usually means the story wasn’t strong enough. Go back, refine it, and exaggerate.
Step 5: Practice Recall
Once you’ve built your palace and placed your points, take a mental walk-through.
Start at your first location: What was happening at the fence? (Introduction)
Move to the next: What did I see at the door? (My story)
Then to the bed: What was on it? (Memory Palace explanation)
Go through all your points. If something feels fuzzy, rework the story.
Repeat this review multiple times:
Immediately after creating it
A few hours later
The next day
A week later
This spaced repetition cements it in long-term memory.
Step 6: Understand, Don’t Just Memorize
Here’s a big mistake people make: they try to memorize every single line of their speech word-for-word. That’s not only stressful, but it also makes you sound robotic.
Instead, focus on understanding the idea behind each point.
For example:
Instead of memorizing a script about my skepticism, I simply know: “At the door, I tell the story of how I used to think memory training was fake.”
Once I know the idea, I can express it naturally in different words.
This gives you flexibility. If you forget an exact line, you can still explain the point smoothly. The audience never knows.
Why This Works
Using a Memory Palace for speech memorization works because it combines:
Structure (points stored in order along familiar locations)
Imagination (silly, vivid, exaggerated stories)
Emotion and senses (touch, humour, pain, interaction)
Repetition (mental walk-throughs that strengthen recall)
Instead of stressing over rote memorization, you create a playful system that makes recall effortless.
What About Longer Speeches?
You can extend this method to 20, 30, or even 60 points if you want, by simply creating more locations.
I’ve worked with clients who had to deliver full-day workshops and still managed to recall every section flawlessly using this technique.
The key is to keep it simple. If you overload your palace with too many layers of sub-points, it becomes messy. Focus on clarity.
Final Thoughts
Memorizing a speech doesn’t have to feel like climbing a mountain. With the Memory Palace method, you can transform your key points into vivid stories that stick.
Here’s the process one more time:
Organise your key points
Build a Memory Palace of familiar locations
Link each point with a silly, exaggerated story
Add sub-points into the same scene
Practice recall with spaced repetition
Focus on understanding, not word-for-word memorization
I’ve used this method with clients around the world, and it’s helped them deliver speeches with confidence and impact.
Of course, this is just one method, there are others I use personally that don’t even require a Memory Palace. But if you’re new to memory techniques, this is the perfect place to start.
Ready to Master Your Memory?
If you’d like to take this further and work directly with me to sharpen your memory, boost focus, and learn faster, I’d love to help. Learn more about memory coaching with me by clicking here.
