With presentation skills practice makes perfect

One of the techniques I use is to practice. I always give my worst presentations in private. Rehearsing has given me the crucial feedback that my written notes/mind map would never give me and saved me from much public embarrassment, and saved the public from many a tedious, incoherent rambling.

Although rehearsing in private is hard work and feels artificial I have learned to value it as a private discipline. More times than not I would prefer to put the first rehearsal off. I find myself drawn to the graphics I will use and squander many an hour searching for that illusive 'right' image on the web.

On average I like to rehearse three times. It gives me a fluency of phrase, a confidence to be less dependent on my own notes/mind map, and helps me hear first the tempo and emphasis of what I have prepared.

Malcolm Gladwell in 'Outliers: the Story of Success' formulates a rough rule that it takes about 10,000 hours to master any complex skill, be it ice hockey, a musical instrument, or software development. Whether this figure is absolute for all skills or even true when it comes to public speacking, I don't know. But what I do know is that most of us only get a few crucial minutes in public to get our message across with clarity and impact. Private rehearsal is the only way I know of giving ourselves the mastery development time for this crucial influencing skill.

I'm speaking tomorrow, in fact, at the Best Practice User Group's Annual Members Conference in Milton Keynes. I'll be speaking on Programme Communications within MSP: Best Management Practice from Experience. If you see me there, please come and say 'hello.

P.S. I promise not to do 'Death by PowerPoint'. I'll be using Prezi.

Comments

[PatrickMayfield]

Glen, belated thanks for this comment. This is really a diligent production process you describe; quite time-intensive. However, as you say, you get results, and avoid inflicting people with verbal fumbles and slow pace.
Thank you.

[Glen B. Alleman]

Patrick,

I participated in a webinar last week with Management Concepts on Agile and Federal Government Contracts. This was professionally produced, with coaches, a producer, and a director. It was an amazing experience.

Why primary learning is there MUST be a script for each slide. This script is not read per se, but it is the content of the slide and the points have to be made. We used a "voice reader" to echo back the narrative in the notes section, to time the slide and hear how the message is coming across. I have used the notes fields before to hold ideas, but this was eye opening.

The other eye opener was that most of the slides need a transition script. This was critical since there were three of us. The two speakers (me being one) and the moderator. The script editor made sure we had words between the end of one slide and the beginning of the next that made the transition seamless.

Anyone who says doing good presentation is easy has not done good presentations. Budget 10 hours for each hour of presentation if you know what you want to say.