THE BARD GROUP, LLC

OBJECTIVE

To be so comfortable and confident in your content and delivery that your presentation feels natural and spontaneous to everyone in the room.

CHALLENGES

You do not want to rehearse.
You do not know how to rehearse by yourself.
There is so little time and other more pressing or exciting things to do!
You are thinking, “I’ve done this so many times before, I can just wing it.” You can, but you shouldn’t, and you know it.

TECHNIQUES

Successful presenters make rehearsing a priority — even the best and most seasoned among us. It is arguably the single most important thing you can do to prepare for a presentation. More preparation means less panic and more confidence when you are with the client at the live event.

A. How to rehearse

You will need to find the methods that work best for you and then practice until your delivery feels effortless. Psychologists have proven that rehearsing under mild stress, by creating conditions that mirror the real meeting as much as possible, will produce your best performance.

Here are different ways to rehearse from least stressful up to mildly stressful:

1. Practice in your head.

Carve out time to think about what you are going to say and in what order, what the main point is on each slide, and how that benefits the client. Do this during pockets of time you may not otherwise use well, like on the train, in an airplane, walking city streets, cooking.

Going over a presentation in your mind is not the same as delivering the presentation in front of your client, but this is still an excellent mental exercise that will make writing your outline or script easier.

2. Write it out as an outline or a script.

Writing it down starts to solidify your story, flow, key points, and why the client should care. Pay attention to whether the order of your content makes sense, if all the information is necessary, or whether you have forgotten something important.

This method will accelerate how quickly you can refine or create your presentation deck. It is the first step toward putting your content into your brain’s memory.

3. Practice reading your notes.

Further refine your deck and read through your notes at the pace and with the energy you plan to bring to the meeting. Track how much time your content takes compared to the time you have been given and adjust accordingly

Reading your notes helps you remember your content with more precision (without memorizing every word).

4. Practice out loud, in front of a mirror.

Stand or sit, whichever you will do in the meeting. Be in character — voice, energy, pace, passion, body movement. This brings together your story with your voice and body language.

Self-critique your performance and commit to working to improve 1-2 things.

5. Record it and listen to the replay.

Your smartphone is a valuable practice tool! Prop it up so the camera captures you, then record yourself and play it back. Or, record yourself using your preferred video conference service.

Listen for how your story holds together and how authentic you sound. Look for your body language and facial expressions and how congruent they are with your message.

Look for areas where you seem unsure, fumble your words, or where there is opportunity for your non-verbals to tell more of your story. Focus on improving in 1-2 of these areas.

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6. Mimic “real world” conditions and ask for feedback.

Practice in a room similar to the real meeting and use the slides you have prepared. Invite colleagues or deal team members to play the role of the client.

Be in full character. Rehearse your content, including ways in which you intend to engage the client. Rehearse questions you anticipate the client will ask. Practice replying with concise, persuasive answers.

Ask for specific feedback from your colleagues.

Mimicking real-world conditions brings together your story with your voice, body, visuals, and client engagement. It’s a home run!

B. How to get specific feedback

Giving feedback to colleagues is difficult because they do not want to hurt your feelings, so they will inevitably say “Good job!”. While “Good job!” may boost your confidence, it will not help you improve.

You will need to draw them out. The best way to get them talking is to ask them specific questions.

Examples:

What part did not flow well, or did you not understand?
How was my eye contact and body language?
What did you like, not like?
What’s one thing I can do to make it stronger?
Where were you confused?

C. When to rehearse

Rehearse in the 4-5 days leading up to the meeting.

Avoid rehearsals on the day of the live event because if you are well-practiced with your content and delivery, same-day rehearsals tend to only increase anxiety.

ADVANTAGES TO YOU

You are in control of your nerves and come across as comfortable and natural.
You have discarded all unnecessary information and are on message.
You are in control of your time, even planning for when and how to engage your clients and encourage questions.
Your brain remembers what to say, so you are free to focus on your body language, voice, client, and how to engage with them.
You can attune to the mood of the moment and confidently take the conversation wherever it needs to go, making it all about the client while still staying on message.
Presenting gets easier and easier over time because you know how to rehearse.

ADVANTAGES TO THE CLIENT

The more practiced and comfortable you are, the more natural and spontaneous it all feels for the client.
They are more likely to engage because they feel confident in you and how your solution specifically addresses their challenges.
It is obvious to the client that this meeting is all about them because your presentation is concise, smooth, and on point.