Public Speaking – Why it’s important to practice (duh!)

Yep, of course it’s obvious that we need to practice but…lots of people don’t enjoy the act of rehearsing their speech.

And little wonder.

We all want to be good at the things we do, and it can be painful to have to go through that messy period where our speech is half-formed, we can’t remember what to say and we’re worried about how well the content will go down with the audience.

Watch the video to get the full treatment or read on for the highlights.

Three important reasons to practise your public speaking:

1 – A huge reason is to help combat your fear of public speaking!

Now I know it’s not something we all suffer from but quite often, when people come to me with knees knocking and teeth chattering caused by glossophobia (the fear of public speaking), a little bit of rehearsal can go a loooong way in reducing that shaky feeling. Next time you’re worried about a presentation, instead of letting that fear well up, take it on early and start rehearsing with plenty of time to spare. Give yourself at least a few weeks if at all possible.

2 – Respect the amount of time you’ve been given on the agenda

Rehearsing a speech will allow you to get the timing right. I’ve seen many a speaker over-run horribly during a packed meeting and it can take discipline to keep strictly to time. Proper practise will allow you to time your message and make sure you include your key elements without things appearing too rushed. It’s respectful to your audience and to the meeting organiser to observe the timing they’ve given you and sometimes, when a speaker over-runs, they don’t get invited back.

3 – If you want to get better at speaking then you’d better practise!

This is the most obvious reason. You wouldn’t expect an Olympian to win gold without hours of rehearsal. Our speaking goals might be much more modest than those of an elite sportsperson but we still have to put some time and elbow grease into it if we expect to get better. Make time for some deliberate practice. Work on the bits you find particularly tough…is it creating a decent structure? Storytelling? Closing in a compelling way? Make note of the good and the not so good at the end of each and every presentation. This is a good place to start when practising the next one.

***

Yep, practice can be a pain, but it’s super important for more than just the 3 reasons I’ve chosen to highlight above. Do yourself, your audience and your message a favour and carve out some time to practise that next talk! Good luck!

***

P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you improve your speaking or grow your business:

1 – Get my free guide – 27 places to find speaking opportunities.

Find out where your next speaking opportunity might come from – whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or experienced speaker.

2 – Are you an ambitious coach, consultant or small business owner? If you’d like to wow your audiences and find more speaking opportunities, then watch the FREE on-demand training video here: https://sholakaye.com/masterclass

3 – Find out about my VIP Days and private coaching.

Book me for a VIP half or full-day session if you want to make some serious progress! We could help you create a business networking strategy and perfect your pitch. Or we could work on your signature talk so that audience members or hungry to work with you. Or we could explore frameworks and strategies to help give you confidence whether you’re speaking at conferences, in meetings or at other events. Or more!!

4 – Join the Facebook community Public Speaking for Female Business Owners

It’s for coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs who want to use speaking to build their business.