Presentation Skills #2: Presentation Rehearsal

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On the previous post on this blog, it was mentioned what sort of the preparation steps and materials should be done. When you have done all those being mentioned steps and materials, it means that you have gone a half of the process, which is the Great Presentation.

So let’s go forward.    

The next step merely focuses on rehearsal, rehearsal and dress rehearsal. it could be simplified as practice on and on till reaching perfection. One big question, do you know how to rehearse? yeah… HOW to REHEARSE your presentation???

Rehearsal for a Presentation

Before going further, could you give the answer for these following questions?

Do you have fun when rehearsing a presentation? 

I think it is tormenting and such a pain in the neck.

Do you memorize one by one or every word on your draft or good copy of your draft?

How many times should you do rehearsals till you can consider you are ready?

What aspects should you concern?

What steps do you take during this?

Is you draft or presentation just way too short or perhaps way too long to the time allocate for your presentation?

Oke… let’s us begin. Follow these steps please.

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Read you good copy or you draft for your presentation.

Well, you should read your presentation out loud. Not to forget, read it as interesting can be or just like reading something that you like. Even better, you should read it as though it is a love letter from your special one. But, don you think it is too over and exaggerate?

Well, you should consider about the comma, the period and the exclamation or even a question mark on your draft.

By the way… before you begin reading, I think it is better to set your stopwatch. why? you could measure the duration of our presentation whether it lasts before the time, over the time.

When your reading is way too short then you should add up more explanation on your draft. For the opposite, you should cut off unnecessary sentences you would like to say. You should be aware or keep your presentation.

Do these for two or three times, make sure you evaluate your reading after finish doing it. 

  

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Reading flow using appropriate intonation and stress.

After you know where to stop for a while or pause slightly, now for the second steps is adding up your reading with intonation and give stress on the emphasized sentences.  well, nobody wants his presentation goes flat. so start practice sending your presentation with intonation and stress.

When you want to ask the audience to think deeper, utter your sentences slowly. You can say you sentences in a high tone or a low tone and it depends on the matter you say.

Practice this step several times. You can also imitate the famous presenter style to be more fun.

Now, it is the time to drop you good copy or draft. You should not drop it directly, if you think you should remember what will you say, why don’t you leave or drop you draft? and when you need it again, read again.  I believe after five to seven times reading you will master 50 to 70 percents of your presentation material.  

it is wise enough to make cue cards to help you practice and doine your presentation. what is cue cards anyway?

Making Cue Cards

Well, cue cards are small cards, as big as your palm, about the short notes of your presentation to notify your steps of presentation. It helps you to keep tracks of your presentation. So you know where you are, what things to speak in orderly. it also helps you to avoid being speechless when you are on the stage.

Well you just put them on your palm, where the note is facing to upward. you can take a peek for a glimpse when you forget what will you say next. and nobody will notice what you are doing. you should practice using cue cards professionally while you rehearse the presentation.

it is a small stuffs but it is life safer I supposed. 

After you find your style of delivering your presentation, the next steps will be easier and promise you confident and fun as well.    

Rehearse you movement when on the stage.

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Well, first think you should know who is the audience. you must behave to the audience, whether it is formal or little less formal. some might say using gesture indicates ill-manner or less educated but on the other forum, it is necessary to be animated.  

Among those animated behavior styles while doing presentation, there are at least three things to be fully concerned. There are the way we stand, eye contact and body gesture.

Stand Confidently

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We should walk to and on the stage confidently. And you should stand upright full of guts. Don’t stand like a stick and move back and fro or even moving a tick tock like hours hands without any purpose. the solution is simple. Feel free, enjoy and have fun while you doing this. You may take small steps around your podium when you are doing a presentation. you may also get off the podium if you think you need and come closer to audience.     

Well you need to practice alone and infront of the mirror to see how good your movement is.

Making eye contact

Make sure you shared your eye contact to every corner and spot in the room. Don’t stare on a single spot only. Try not to look down when you are talking, unless when you peek your cue cards. Do feel nervous when your eyes look ahead? one big secret, don’t look them right in the eyes but you may look their forehead. Can you imagine your eyes against every eyes in a whole room? it is terrifying, isn’t it? so, do like what I tell you. 

 

You can practice sharing your eye contact to every spot in the room by placing some face on your whiteboard or wall. Stick seven to eight faces on different spot and look them on by one in a glimpse while you practice. after doing this several times, you will get used to share your eye contact.

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Body Language and Gesture      

Thing I can suggest on this matter is enjoy every part of your presentation. When you don’t enjoy you will be like a numb. Move your hand a bit, wave them up, lift them up and make it goes as your tongue speaks. I strongly advise you to be more animated, use your mimic expression. still be mannerly when saying something infront of the forum. don’t make a silly and unnecessary gesture. the audience will respect you differently.

You can practice these steps step by step. if you were still shy, do it personally. then ask one friend or two, you could ask you relatives as well to be the audience. don’t forget to ask their opinion about your presentation. when you are ready, practice along with your classmate. 

Rehearsal with Properties.

After you practice your presentation fluently, don’t forget to practice with your properties you created for your presentation as well. Make sure you know how to use your properties well. if your speech is great, so the properties must be excellent too. it will support one another. One big error is presenter sometimes could do excellently on both aspects. so you are better combine those excellently   

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DRESS Rehearsal.

This is the final steps of your rehearsal. Just think this is your presentation but less the audience.  prepare and use all properties you need. get on the stage. do the final rehearsal. when you are doing great in this step then I am pretty sure you will be ready for the SHOW TIME!!!

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So Good Luck with your presentation, you have gone by far that’s why you should give more than a hundred percent otherwise all your work will be vain.