The number one thing people DON'T do when preparing to speak is rehearse. The majority of presenters spend 95% of their time working on their PowerPoint and just 5% practicing their actual talk.
So here are three ways to get started:
- Plan rehearsals in advance—put time on your calendar and book a conference room for multiple run throughs well before your talk. This will give you deadlines to meet so you don’t leave it all to the last minute.
- Record your run throughs using the voice memo or video function on your phone. Yes, it’s painful to hear yourself, but you owe it to your audience to give a listen.
- Get a test audience. Ask some friends and colleagues to sit in for a run through. Having real people in the room makes a big difference, and gives you a chance to practice making eye contact, as well as get some helpful feedback.
I guarantee if you follow these steps and practice out loud beforehand, you will be better. Steve Jobs was a great presenter because he rehearsed—A LOT.