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“The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.” - Author Unknown
The team that won the bid for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia were fanatical about practicing. As the time approached to deliver their final pitch to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that would bring the Olympics, the world and millions of dollars to their city, they did something bordering on absurdity.
They set up a conference room exactly as it would be for the final presentation. Then they taped 8”x10” headshots of all 13 members of the IOC to the chairs in the room and practiced speaking to each one of them individually. They delivered the talk–out loud–over and over again to the “committee members.”
In case you missed the 2000 Olympics, they were held in Sydney.
Reasons not to practice
Any presentation, whether a formal talk at a conference, proposing an idea at a meeting, doing a sales pitch or having a difficult conversation can benefit from practice. And by now, I’ve heard every excuse for not practicing, including:
“If I practice too much, I’ll look too rehearsed.”
“I don’t have time.”
“I do better when I’m unprepared.”
“It just makes me more nervous.”
“I might scare the neighbors if they see me talking to myself.”
Let’s put those aside and discuss why practicing your presentation is the single best action you can take to ensure your success.
- You will be much less nervous. When you feel confident about your talk, you are able to relax and stop fretting about how the talk will go.
- You will be more spontaneous. Because you are comfortable with your talk, you are able to pick up on audience responses, questions, comments and humor.
- You will connect with your audience. Focusing on and interacting with the people in your audience should be your objective.
- You will enjoy your talk. The better prepared you are, the better you will do, and the better your feedback and results will be.
When I say “practice,” I don’t mean reviewing your notes in the elevator ride to your talk. True practice takes time and concentration. To truly prepare yourself for speaking, I recommend following these steps:
1. Write an outline for the talk using key trigger words and phrases. No full sentences.
2. Type your notes using large (16 pt or bigger) bold easy-to-read font (Arial, Helvetica). Keep your notes unstapled so that you can slide each page to the side when you are finished with it.
3. Go over the talk in your head a few times, making changes as you go along. You’ll find that every time you rehearse, you will change and improve your talk.
4. Stand up and deliver the talk at least three times while addressing the imaginary audience members. Time yourself.
5. Do a dress rehearsal in front of a friendly audience that will give you candid feedback (video yourself if you have the courage).
Finally, when it comes time to present, stop practicing. In the hours leading up to your talk, you should relax and focus your mind on something positive and enjoyable. Know that you are well prepared (at least as well-prepared as you are going to be) and that you will do the best job you possibly can.
A famous British rugby coach once warned his players, “Fail to prepare and prepare to fail.” Instead of preparing to fail, prepare to make the best, most comfortable presentation of your life thanks to thorough, dedicated practice.
Robert Graham
Robert Graham is the Principal of GrahamComm (www.grahamcomm.net), a consulting and training company that helps clients increase their sales and deliver outstanding presentations. He can be reached at 415-652-0763 or Robert@grahamcomm.net.
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