Rehearse Out Loud
Practise your talk or pitch aloud, start to finish, several times before the real thing.
Research shows saying things aloud improves memory for them, and practice reduces speaking anxiety; the exact number of rehearsals is advice.
Why it works
Saying words aloud fixes them in memory better than reading silently. Rehearsal shows you where you stumble and how long it really takes. The more you rehearse, the less you need notes.
How to do it
- Say the opening and close aloud ten times.
- Run the full talk at least three times with a timer.
- Rehearse standing if you will present standing.
- Practise the hardest question too.
What to say
Let me run this once more from the top.
(Out loud, alone) Our fee is ten percent. [pause] It includes a free replacement.
Avoid
Rehearsing only in your head. It feels ready but breaks down on the day.
Example
Before a pitch to a large agrochemical company in Mumbai, Sneha rehearsed in her hotel room four times. When the director cut in with a question, she answered and picked up exactly where she was.
Practise it
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