Tool No 39: Fourth Take
HOW? Once your presentation is ready, book a meeting room and run through it three times, out loud. Each time, cut out some of the frills, hone the points and add in sentence breaks. The fourth version is always the best. So, make sure to deliver the first three without an audience.
In my experience, many people prepare presentations silently in front of a computer and try to master it in their heads. They find comfort in the fact that they have spent time writing a script or putting together a fantastic slideshow, and they trust that their performance will be spot on.
There is no such thing as a successful sports star, actor or business leader who doesn’t prepare meticulously before a big event.
I want you to practise your presentation three times. The first time feels horrible. The timing is wrong, the arguments are unclear, you stumble over the words, and so on. That’s just the way it should be. The second time, cut out 25% – the presentation is now at its final length. The third time largely repeats the second time, but the difference is that you now know the presentation really well. The fourth time, will be the best – I promise!
