Practice Makes . . .

My old high school basketball coach was so darn witty. "Practice doesn't make perfect!" he'd say. "Perfect practice makes perfect!" A saying which elicited many an eyeroll over the years. And yet, as is the case with much advice I got when I was young, it turned out to be right on the money.

In our public speaking workshops, we don't spend much time talking about how to practice your presentations. But, the how is a very important part of your success.

My basketball team was very successful. We won over 100 games in my 4 years of high school (alas, we did not achieve the ultimate -- state champions). We were ranked in the top 5 in the state at some point in every season. What was responsible for that success; other than my own assist and rebound skills? PRACTICE. (My coach's other favorite quote was, "Once you get the fundamentals down, everything else falls into place." ) We didn't just sit on the bleachers talking about what we were going to do when the game started. We ran -- a lot. Up and down the court -- passing, dribbling, free throws, plays. We practiced it all.

It's not as easy to identify the "fundamentals" of speech practice. Truth is, most people practice speeches in the "Everybody Wants to be a Rockstar, but No One Wants to go to Band Practice" way. (Click here for more on that.) We usually practice presentations by saying what we're going to say when we give the speech, rather than actually saying it. That way of practicing often causes us to "drop the ball" when we're in the real game.

To combat ineffective practice and encourage more successful presentation experiences, I constructed a plan for practicing presentations that breaks up the process into 4 definable sessions, with goals for each session. Here is a link to my Four-Day Practice Plan (it's a Millie original, so value it accordingly).

Remember, you don't get points for good intentions and elaborate plans. You only get points when you execute successfully. Practice execution of your brilliant ideas and when you get to the big game with all of the screaming fans, you'll prove my old coach right. Once again.