How to Prepare & Practice Effectively

One of the most common questions I get is how to practice & prepare for talks, and you’ve got to know what to do in order to get the benefit from your preparation and practice.  So here’s my advice:

1.  Preparation

  • Reverse Engineer your presentation.  Start with the end in mind. Where do you want your audience to end up?  This is the key piece to connecting and being an effective speaker.  How do you want them thinking, feeling, etc.?  Answer the question and then craft your talk to create it.  Ask the following questions and then use the following suggestions:
  • What’s the Purpose?  In your communication, are you simply informing?  Are you seeking input?  Do you want them to take a specific action?  Know what the purpose is so you can prepare with that intention.
  • What’s the Plan?  How will you get there?  The possibilities are endless, but as long as you’re clear, it’s congruent, and you’ve got certainty in your plan, it will work.
  • Pre-Forgive yourself.  Mistakes are often only noticeable by you, and beating yourself up over them will never make you a better communicator!  In fact, it will actually make you worse because you’ll create more fear in the future.
  • Pre-Decide it will be perfect.  This concept can liberate you as a speaker!  If you decide that whatever you say is what you were supposed to say, it can free you from fears of judgement, like forgetting something or saying something “wrong.”  

2.  Practice

  • Develop a Visual Outline.  Focus less on words and more on pictures or images.  You might easily forget the words you wanted to use, but you are more likely to remember images you create when you want to convey something, which can bring the words back to you.
  • Keep your notes Short & Simple. The more you engage your intellectual mind in the words of the presentation, the more you shut yourself down.  That’s what too many notes will do to you, so keep them short & simple.
  • Never, Ever, Ever Memorize.  Practicing to memorize is NOT what you want to do.  Regurgitating a memorized message feels like that – vomit that people want to avoid.  And if you lose your place, for whatever reason, it disconnects not only you, but the audience as well.
  • Practice in a Mirror.  Watch yourself so you can see the perspective of the audience.  Are you making eye contact?  Are you using appropriate physicality (watch video #3 if you didn’t already see it!)?
  • Visualize your audience’s Experiences & Engagement.  Don’t practice failing or forgetting your lines, or the audience laughing at you or judging you, which is what most people do.  Instead, imagine the audience in a positive and inviting way, with them fully engaged as you would like them.  Positive visualization can lead to a positive outcome.
  • Practice to Become.  Become your message, your stories, the characters in your stories, etc.  Create what you want your audience to feel – excitement, fear, love & happiness.  When you intentionally become the state you want to convey, it creates a connective state with your audience.

I want you to become an unforgettable speaker.  You can do that when you tap into the experiences of your audience – the feelings you create in them, both physically & emotionally.  When you allow people to walk away with an experience, not just information, this creates a powerful magnet that others enjoy and want to join forces with, too.

There’s a program that will help you implement, at a much deeper level, the things I’ve talked about throughout this video series, and many other concepts, including techniques & tricks to help you expand and amplify your ability to connect, be magnetic, communicate & be an overall unforgettable speaker.

The program is "Fearless Speaking for Direct Sales: Presentation Skills to Confidently Communicate & Connect."  Every area of your business requires you to communicate & connect with people, so if you improve your speaking skill sets in every area of your business, your business will improve rapidly, too.

If you’re interested in improving your speaking skills to increase your business success, click here:

The program comes with a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee, where we will refund your investment if you don’t feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.  Make sure to watch the entire video to see all the bonuses available to you as well!  I hope you’ll join me in the program!