It Always Helps To Practice

One of my close friends and co-workers recently took his motorcycle road test. He was confident in his ability to pass the test so he didn’t practice for it. While taking the test, he crashed and failed what most people pass.

Gau_Blog_Motorcycles.jpgHe had a pretty good attitude about it as he recounted the details with me. He shared, “I should have practiced more. Practice really does make perfect – you should write a blog about that.”

Over the years, I have learned the importance of practicing. I often hear people say that I appear to be a natural public speaker, but I actually practice a lot. It helps make presenting look natural and maybe even effortless.

How I Prepare
Whether I’m doing a presentation, making a sales call or have a meeting, I like to be prepared. My prep work for these include establishing the topic, knowing my audience, pulling the facts together, identifying key points and developing the talk tracks. Another part of the prep work includes consulting with the subject matter experts. Doing your homework to validate the accuracy of the information gives you credibility.

How I Practice
There is a difference between studying your materials and practicing your materials. We can spend a great deal of time and effort preparing for something and never practice it. My practicing is not limited to formal presentations. It’s a part of my communication style, and I think it works in my favor.

For example, before I have to deliver not so good news, I practice. While my message may be direct and have an intentional edge to it, I want to make sure I don’t come across rude or unprofessional. I run through the message with some close colleagues to get their feedback before ever presenting it to the larger group. This helps me anticipate the questions and reactions from the audience. I want people to clearly hear the message and be motivated. That takes practice.

When delivering a more formal communication such as a keynote presentation, I practice my delivery until I feel comfortable. My colleague, Patty Funk, sees and hears my presentations many times before I ever give them. For every hour I present, I spend between three to four hours preparing and practicing to ensure a good outcome.

Leaders Help Others Practice
If we do our jobs right as leaders, we also help others practice. Sometimes when they don’t even realize it. What may start as an informal conversation can become an opportunity for the person to practice their message and dialogue.

I often ask team members, “How do you think that call will go?” or “What do you plan to communicate to them?” or “What are you expecting for a response?” By asking good questions and helping others walk through their plans, we actually help them prepare, practice and achieve better results.

Another way we make practice a priority is through formalized training. We developed a talent management system that includes a course called “Selling Essentials.” This training series helps our sales team improve through skill practice (formerly known as role playing), rehearsing conversations for dealing with difficult situations and outlining specific scenarios.

Practice does help. It gives you confidence, allows you to anticipate questions and reactions and helps you come across looking more natural.

I am happy to say that my friend did pass his motorcycle test and learned something in the process – it always helps to practice.

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Topics: Practice