Perhaps you’ve heard a person say, “I don’t need to rehearse my presentation because I can think on my feet.”
Don’t make that mistake. I’m not telling you to stop thinking when you speak. My point is, you can’t think as clearly when facing an audience.
Perhaps you prefer to think on your feet by pacing around your office or going for a walk. That’s okay. You are not under pressure, and you have time to think clearly
When you are speaking to an audience you want to improve your odds of success. You do that by stacking the deck in your favor. Less critical thinking, more options and better preparedness.
Remind yourself why are you are speaking and what you want the audience to do as a result of your presentation. What’s the real goal?
Check your facts and sources. Don’t guess – know! Don’t get blindsided by a person in your audience who has more current data than you.
Who are they? What are their challenges? What are their hopes? What experiences or perspectives can you reflect in your presentation.
This builds “muscle memory”. Learn from the lessons of athletes and entertainers.
List possible questions you might be asked. Write possible answers, then pick the best answer for each question. Practice delivering your response in a natural and credible way.
Rehearse how you might respond to objections, hostile comments or angry behavior. You can’t foresee the exact incident. You can prepare for how you might be ready and handle the obstacle,
What will you do when cell phones ring, accidents occur or people rudely interrupt. Don’t be surprised or indignant. Be prepared with a response plan.
Unplanned changes occur. Your time might be drastically shortened. You almost never get more time. Technical problems can sabotage your presentation. An emergency might steal your show. How will you handle these changes?
Don’t think on your feet. Instead, think before the presentation and prepare your choices. Then, all you need to do is select from your carefully prepared menu of options.
Your feet are for standing, walked and running – not for thinking.
When you have an important presentation to deliver – be prepared.
When you are well prepared, imagine how successful your presentation will be. When circumstances attempt to derail your presentation, you will prevail. The audience will call you lucky, and you know better.
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Imagine the results when your team delivers superior presentations!