THE BARD GROUP, LLC

OBJECTIVES

Collectively work out your anxiety before the live presentation so you will perform at your best when it is showtime.
Neatly and powerfully deliver one story that effortlessly flows and communicates how you are different and how that is to the client’s benefit.
To be so comfortable and confident in your content and delivery that your presentation feels natural and spontaneous to everyone in the room.

Rehearsal is the anxiety, performance the relaxation.
Constantin Stanislavsky, Russian stage actor

CHALLENGES

“I want to practice in front of my peers.” said no one, ever! The fact is we do not like to practice, alone or with others, so we will go to extremes and make a lot of excuses to avoid it:

“I do not have time.”
“Travel schedules do not allow.”
“I am not prepared yet.”
“We have our “shtick,” so there is no need to rehearse.”
“I’ve done these one thousand times before, don’t worry.”

You believe that rehearsing makes you feel robotic or canned.
Most people do not know how to rehearse. They stop short of rehearsing and instead just talk about what they are going to say.

THE CASE FOR REHEARSING

The best speakers make their presentations look effortless. Sometimes they are so good we are left feeling that they have a natural gift that was unfortunately not bestowed upon us. In truth, they are good because they put the time in and rehearse tirelessly. They practice until they perfect their delivery, so much so that it appears natural and easy for them.

Bill Gates once called Steve Jobs a “wizard” who “cast spells” on his audience; his keynotes could spark a surge in Apple’s stock. The reason Jobs’ presentations were so magical — practice and lots of it. John Sculley, the former Apple CEO said, “Most people don’t realize that what looked spontaneous was rehearsed over and over and over. Steve thought about every word, every step, every demo.”

‍

Rehearsing is particularly important in team selling. It is when you fine-tune your content, the transitions from one section to the next, and the continuity of your message. It is also when you build team chemistry and confidence. Rehearsing adds exponentially to a team’s performance and to your likelihood of winning.

TECHNIQUES

A. How to rehearse

1. Mimic the live event as much as possible

Choose a room similar to the live event.
Rehearse with the audio-visual equipment you will be using.

‍

2. Practice individually before you gather for a team rehearsal.

3. Facilitate the team rehearsal

The Team Lead runs the rehearsal and opens by establishing rehearsal protocol. This includes how the team will comment on content and messaging, who is allowed to provide feedback on style, and how that will all be managed.

The Team Lead then reviews the ‘rules of the road’ for the client meeting to include:

Who is responsible for what as you enter the room
Where people should sit in the meeting
How introductions will be made
Staying in your swim lane unless invited to comment by the Sales Lead
How he/she will interject when needed
Hand signals the Sales Lead will use to communicate with the team during the meeting
How the hand-offs will occur
No piling on, saying the same thing a team member just said using more or different words

It is then the job of the Team Lead to get the team into character.

4. Rehearse the entire meeting in character

Leave no stone unturned; rehearse the big and small moments.

The beginning and the end are the two most important parts of your presentation. Both are typically owned by the Team Lead. Rehearsing these is critical. The opening sets the stage for the rest of the presentation and gives your audience a reason to care. Your close determines what your client will walk away with, and significantly impacts how they will feel about the presentation overall.

Rehearse how you will introduce yourselves at the beginning of the meeting. Your first impression is lasting!
Rehearse each section of the presentation. Fine-tune consistency of message.
Track time to be sure you collectively will end on time when live with the client. Shorten or change content as needed.
Rehearse how you intend to engage with the client. Team members should take turns playing the role of the client.
Practice asking questions, then restating or rephrasing, and checking in to see if you have it right.
Practice asking follow-up questions.
Rehearse answers to questions you anticipate the client will ask, replying with concise, persuasive answers.

Leave time for people to rerun sections after they receive feedback so they leave feeling confident.

B. When to rehearse

1. If you only have time for one team rehearsal, make it the day before and conclude before dinner so everyone has quiet time to absorb, restore, and get a relaxing night’s sleep.

Avoid rehearsals on the same day as the presentation; these only serve to increase anxiety. Any rehearsal on the day of the presentation, should focus only on building up each other’s confidence.

2. If you have time for two rehearsals, schedule one the week before and the other the day before.

3. When you cannot get the team together in-person for a rehearsal, use a video conference service. Virtual rehearsal is better than no rehearsal.

C. Team versus individual rehearsal

1. Individual rehearsals with the Team Lead feel safer, but they are limiting:

The advantages of an individual rehearsal are the Team Lead can focus on the individual’s needs and the story they are preparing to tell while the individual likely feels more comfortable and can more easily absorb and apply the feedback.

Conversely, this approach does nothing to build a sense of team and cohesion.

2. Group rehearsals feel scarier but, when done well, allow members of the team to hear each other and practice how to play off one another.

Team rehearsals can be stressful, but researchers agree that the best way to deliver your best presentation is to practice under stress. As scary as it is to rehearse with peers, it is proven to reduce your anxiety during the live event.

Rehearsing together builds team chemistry. It will differentiate you come game day.

D. How to give feedback

‍

‍

1. Be positive.

Your goal is to be truthful while also building confidence.

Positive feedback tells the person what they are doing well and should continue to do. It should always outweigh negative by a ratio of at least three positives to one negative. Negative feedback gets most of the attention of the person receiving it, but positive feedback is every bit as important. Hence the 3:1 ratio.

2. Be very selective about negative feedback.

Target your comments only to things that will really make a difference in this meeting. Behavior change happens in small steps, not leaps.

Your team member will only be able to absorb and apply a few changes, so make sure you are focused on the things that count. Just a few tweaks can often make a world of difference.

3. Be specific.

Be specific about positive feedback.

Tell them what they did well and why. Give them something meaningful to hold onto and feel really good about. Boost their confidence!

Example:

“I really like how you connect your messaging about X with what Jenna shares on Y. That helps the client see that…”

Be specific about areas of improvement.

You do not want to leave your feedback open to interpretation, so it is critical that you be very specific.

Instead of saying, “Focus on slowing down.” be much more specific and clearer about what they can do differently.

Example:

“Stand and smile at the audience for a moment before beginning to speak. This will give you time to take a nice long belly breath, so you start with full lungs. Then while you are speaking, emphasize important points with dramatic pauses. This will help you continue to breathe naturally and moderate your tempo.”

4. Tell them why it is important.

People are more likely to make a change when they understand how it can produce a better result.

Example:

“Slowing down your tempo will decrease your anxiety so you will feel and come across more confident to the client. It also allows the client to keep up with what you are saying and absorb it.”

5. Always end on a positive note. Your goal in a rehearsal is to increase everyone’s level of confidence so they can perform at their best during the live meeting.

ADVANTAGES TO YOU

Each member of the team is comfortable with who is doing what, allowing you to maximize the time you have been given. You eliminate the potential of piling on to each other or going outside your swim lane, both of which take up time and confuse the client.
You are all on message throughout the meeting because you are operating from the same page.
Rehearsing frees you up to enjoy the moment and deliver your message with passion and energy.
You come across more confident, comfortable, and natural.
You can take the conversation wherever it needs to go, matching the mood of the moment, and adjusting your presentation as required.

ADVANTAGES TO THE CLIENT

The more practiced and comfortable you are, the more natural and spontaneous it all feels to the client.
Your client meets a team of people they feel confident can get the job done and a solution set that specifically addresses their challenges.
You make it easy for the client to understand who you are, why you are different, and why you are the right fit because your presentation is concise, smooth, and on point.