“Practice makes perfect.”
You’ve heard that before. We all have. however, ineffective practice can lead to lackluster results.
So how do you ensure your practice makes your presentation perfect?
Make Time to Practice
On average, Winston Churchill spent an entire hour preparing for every minute he presented. If someone that accomplished and busy found time to prepare and practice, we certainly can too.
Familiarize, Don’t Memorize
Your goal is to get an overall message across, not a bunch of individual words. Familiarize yourself with the core message and main points that you want to communicate and then get comfortable using different words to get you there.
Try the “Silent, Out loud, Delivery” Practice Process
Silent: First rehearse the presentation in your head. This will allow you to start working on the overall flow of the presentation.
Out loud: There is no replacing standing up and verbally practicing your presentation. This will help you to work out any kinks in your opening, transitions, main points, and close.
Delivery: Once you are comfortable with the content, then shift to fine tuning your delivery. Focusing on both content and delivery at the same time will lead to frustration.
Get feedback
This is key! Practice without feedback can make bad habits permanent. Practice, with feedback, makes perfect.
A new year brings new opportunities for presentations. Make practice count for you this year!
