Rehearse your presentation
Rehearsing is the difference between a good and an average presentation.
Plan to rehearse your presentation out loud at least 4 times.
Make sure that at least one of your rehearsals is in front of a real audience – someone who will clearly tell you what is wrong....and who will tell you what is good.
You have fifteen minutes? then set an alarm for twelve minutes. Watch out for nerves - this could mean that you talk faster on the day. Don't forget the time needed for questions. |  |
Get a video camera and film yourself:
watch the film – ONLY for your posture, eye contact, gestures
watch the film – listen to your voice, eradicate the ‘ums’ and ‘ers’
watch the film – identify your bad habits, and work on them
Fine tune your performance – professional trainers use video so save money and do it yourself.
 | Copy Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill. These were two great speakers who learnt their speeches by heart. Reading from a text can sound flat, the pace and pronunciation become dull. Learning your speech will sound more natural. Or you can prepare good notes as in ‘How to...use notes' and practise using them well. |
Rehearse and you will get better
Mark Twain: « It takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech. »
Winston Churchill: « I'm just preparing my impromptu remarks. »
« If it can go wrong, it usually will. »
