Do you rehearse before you go to a meeting, or make a phone call?
No? Well, you need to – if you rehearse for anything at all!
And – most especially – you must rehearse for presentations.
Sometimes the first time a person actually gives a presentation is in front of their audience. Please promise me you won’t be that person – because as an ex-actor I find that completely terrifying! Even when you see people doing improv, it’s not as improvised as it looks. It’ll be based on systems they’ve rehearsed many, many times before.
So why do I think it’s so important?
Four reasons to rehearse:
Reason One
Yes, you can write down your plan on paper. You can write it down in detail. But when there’s a human being in front of you, responding to what you say, it’s a completely different deal.
Why? Because you have to handle the emotional context.
That’s fine if it’s an upbeat presentation and everyone’s with you. But suppose it’s a conflict situation? And suppose you’re one of those careful and methodical people.
In that case you may have prepared the logic, but you probably haven’t prepared the emotion. Rehearsal will make all the difference.
Reason Two
If you rehearse anything at all three times, in my experience, you will immediately see a 60% improvement. Yes, immediately – and that’s worth having.
Reason Three
Even if you’re short on time, it’s still worth rehearsing the start – even if you don’t rehearse anything else. That’s because your most nervous moment will be right at the beginning.
Just think how you’d feel about walking into your boss’s office wanting to ask for a raise. The first minute is going to be hell – but once you’ve dived in and got over the shock, the water gets a little friendlier and you’re going to feel much better.
It’s the same deal with presentations. It’s that initial shock – fight or flight – reaction. If you get past that, you’re going to be OK. So if you’re dealing with anything even vaguely conflicting you must always, always, rehearse it. You’ll be so much better!
Reason Four
The more you rehearse – especially when you’re dealing with new stuff – the less rehearsal you’ll need to get up to speed. It gets easier, and you get better.
Take it from an actor!
David Solomon
Managing Director, Sun and Moon Training
@SunMoonDavid
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