Why Most People Rehearse Wrong

You’ve written your speech. You’ve polished the words until they shine. But there’s one step that separates a good speaker from a great one: Rehearsal.

Rehearsing isn’t just about memorizing your lines it’s about embodying your message. When you embody your message, you connect to your audience, and they'll remember you.

Here’s how to rehearse the right way.

1. Rehearse out loud. Rehearsing your speech silently isn't rehearsal. When you rehearse out loud, your brain reacts differnetly, and you feel the need to sync up body language, breath, gestures, etc.

   **Pro tip: Don't sensor or judge yourself. As you rehearse let your body language flow. If you feel stiff, ask yourself 'what is this section really about?' 'How do I feel about it?'. Then do it again. Keep doing it till it feels more natural

   **Pro tip 2: Allow the words to come out in different ways with each rehearsal. This will give you more freedom to know that you don't need to say the words 'just so', or stick directly to your script.

2. Record yourself. Watching yourself is never easy, but it's a must if you want to improve. Look for things like: pacing without purpose, stiff body language, the use of filler words, rushing through thoughts, and lack of vocal tonality. Small tweaks here can make a big impact.

3. Practice under real conditions. Try to mimic the environment you'll be speaking in as much as possible. Rehearse in the room where you will be delivering your speech if possible. If you’ll be standing, rehearse standing. If you’ll have slides, practice clicking through them. Create the actual environment as much as possible.

   **Pro tip: Practice answering questions, and practice your response totechnical difficulties. You want to be ready and rehearsed for any situation or possibility.

Remember- rehearsal is not about becoming a robot, it's about becoming ready.

Speak out loud, adding your emotions, vocal tonality, and intentions

Record yourself

Refine- make changes when necessary

Recreate the environment you'll be in if you can't rehearse in the actual room

Most importantly, on game day, remember that the work is done! Go out there and trust yourself!

If you're ready to start coaching, or want a workshop for your team, reach out and we'll set it up! Annie@APowerfulVoice.net