You have your speech written, everything in structure format, everyone mentioned , everything covered; you are now ready to begin practicing. There are many ways to practice your speech from saying it over and over in your mind, to saying it aloud in the privacy of your own home or workplace, to saying it as you drive in your car. Many people are not sure how to practice their speech, to practice it in a way that increases confidence, competence and authority. The ultimate approach to practicing your speech is practicing it in the actual speaking venue i.e. the place where you will be delivering it. You might say that this might not always be possible, but I believe for a lot of people they never thought about doing this or if they did they didn\’t push hard enough to make it happen. Practicing in the actual venue has many benefits:
- You are practicing in the actual room where you will be delivering your speech
- You will use the actual microphone
- Standing where you will be actually standing
- You can hear your voice over the PA system
- You know where your audience will be and where and when to look at them
- You will know your speaking area and if you can move around i.e. claim your space
- You will have delivered your actual speech in the actual venue
Considering all of the above benefits, why wouldn\’t you make practicing your speech in the speaking venue a reality? As you plan to practice your speech in the actual venue, do the activity well so as to get the most out of it:
- Bring someone with you for real time, honest feedback
- Make sure that the PA system is on and in the same set up as the actual upcoming event
- Get into the mindset of the actual event
- Deliver your speech as if the audience are there
- Deliver your speech using all the techniques and professionalism\’s of an excellent speaker
- Deliver the speech about three times, seeking feedback from your friend and incorporating it into the speech in the next practice
Sometimes during a speech rehearsal like this, the content of the speech when heard over a PA system may need to be changed. When heard in the actual venue, some of the words / statements may not sound right and may need to be reworded. This too is another great benefit of rehearsing in the actual speaking venue as speech content, structure and flow can be improved and enhanced. It\’s always important to plan in advance with the venue manager to arrange the rehearsal and that they are very clear in what you are doing and what you want from them. The rehearsal should take no more than one hour and there should be only need for one rehearsal. This one rehearsal should be the final rehearsal before your speech delivery, a culmination of all your previous speaking practice sessions. When it is done, put your speech away in a safe place, when it will be produced again on the actual speaking day…