When I was in high school, I played
clarinet in the school band. Every afternoon,
I climbed up the hill from the bus stop carrying my clarinet case and
every morning, I trudged back down the hill carrying my clarinet case, still
unopened and untouched.
My performance on the clarinet failed to improve because merely
carrying the clarinet was not enough to help improve my skill at playing
it.
The same is true for presentations. When you're preparing to speak to a group, no
matter how small or large, it's not enough to think about what you're going to say or flip through your slides
while you're sitting at your desk. That doesn't count as practice.
Practice means that you actually open your mouth and say the words
out loud in as close to the real environment as possible. So, for example, if you're going to stand
while presenting, stand while practicing. If you're going to present while
sitting around a conference table, then practice while sitting around a
conference table. The purpose of
practice is to become comfortable enough with your material and the mechanics
of presenting it in the environment that you will be able to deliver your
presentation naturally and effectively.
You should practice going through your presentation at least a few
times. Memorizing it may make you more
anxious since you'll be worried about forgetting the exact words you
memorized. Instead, become familiar
enough with your key ideas and message that you can use different words and
phrases to express them each time you practice. If you choose to use notes,
practice how to use them effectively without clinging to them or reading from them.
There are three major areas of content that you should focus on
during your practice:
Introduction
This is your opportunity to engage the audience and also to build
your confidence. You should be so comfortable with your introduction that you
can deliver it effortlessly, with full eye contact, a strong voice and few
pause words (like "um" or "ah").
Transitions
Presenters often get lost between points or slides. You want to practice how you will move
smoothly and logically from one idea to the next. Having a well-organized presentation makes transitions
easier because you can say something like, "the second reason we need a
new process for handling customer complaints is…" or "the next phase
of the project involves testing the software against the requirements…"
Conclusion
This is your last chance to remind the audience of your
message. Don't just let your voice trail
off with "well….. that's it, I guess…." You should end with a powerful conclusion
such as a call to action or a strong reiteration of your message and its
importance to the audience.
I
learned the hard way – it's not enough to carry the clarinet around and think
about practicing. To improve, you actually
have to open the case and play it. So
the next time you have to give a presentation, make the time to practice the
right way by saying the words out loud in as close the real environment as
possible. As a result, your actual
delivery of it will be smooth and effective.