Did I say that out loud?

Many moons ago, when I was a nervous law student, I had to give a presentation. Nothing unusual there I hear you say. True, but the catch was that it had to be recorded, so you watch it and see what you were like as a speaker. This was back in the day when there was no photoshop or Instagram to help a sistah out. All I could see on the video were my teeth and the whites of my eyes-scary! As for the presentation itself, I've blanked it out, because I'm pretty sure it was epically bad. It was my first attempt at public speaking and it was every bit as nerve wracking as I thought it would be. If I'd had an advisor, I hope they would have told me, what I'm about to tell you: "practice makes perfect". No matter how experienced or inexperienced you are as a speaker, a little bit of practice is always helpful.


In the first Sex and the City film, after her friend Carrie is stood up at the altar by Big, Charlotte comes up with a phrase that she's going to say to Big, whenever she sees him. She sees him on the street, delivers her phrase, it falls a bit flat and her waters promptly break! My point? There are some things that just shouldn't be said. They should stay in your brain, preferably taking up very little space. The best time to discover this? During your practice run and not when you're in front of an audience, who up until now had been pretty impressed by you! If you're unsure about something in your presentation, practice it, get someone else to listen to it and then decide whether it needs to be included or not.

Secondly, practicing helps you notice and get rid of any distracting body language. People pay attention to what your body is saying as well as what comes out of your mouth. The trick is to make sure that they are saying the same thing, but not so it distracts your audience. In ordinary conversation, they may be ignored, but if you have something important to present, the last thing you want is for people to be fascinated by the little twitch above your left eye! I remember being in court once and watching in fascination as my opponent took down her hair and put it back up again in a completely different style, during the course of the case. I cannot remember now, what we were arguing about, but I remember that, because it was so distracting.

Lastly, practicing beforehand can do wonders for your confidence. Even if you only discover that there are some things better left unsaid and that you have a seriously distracting mannerism, those are 2 things that won't be sapping your confidence during your presentation. Better to discover them during practice and make adjustments.

In the end, the most important thing is not how you practice, but that you actually practice. Some people recommend speaking to yourself in the mirror. That would freak me out, but might work for you. Other suggestions include recording yourself or running through your presentation in front of other people first. Try them all and find the method that works best for you. You don't want to be so practiced that you lose your personality, but you don't want to lose the plot either.

What have your experiences been when you have or haven't practiced? Have you ever said something and immediately wished you could take it back? Why not give me a call on + 234 706 335 0864 or drop me a line, so we can make sure that you become the best presenter you can be?

Until next week, speak up, because the world needs to hear your voice.