Public speaking
How to practise a presentation
Rehearsal that works is spoken, standing and uninterrupted. Reading your slides silently trains recognition, not delivery — which is why talks that felt fine in your head fall apart in the room.
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Four rehearsal types, in order
- 1Rough runSpeak it end to end without stopping. Note where you stumbled; fix nothing yet.
- 2Transition drillPractise only the bridge sentences between sections. This is where most talks leak.
- 3Timed runOne clean run against the clock. Learn your real length.
- 4Q&A runAnswer the five questions you hope nobody asks, out loud.
How many run-throughs
For a ten-minute talk: about five spoken runs. For a conference keynote: eight to twelve, spread over two weeks. More than that and you start sounding recited, which costs you more than the polish gains.
Rehearse the parts you keep skipping
- The opening 30 seconds — memorised, not improvised.
- The handoff into the section you find weakest.
- The closing line, said with a full stop rather than a fade.
- The two questions you would rather not get.
A rehearsal checklist
After each run, answer three questions: did I finish on time, which sentence did I stumble on twice, and could I answer every question in one sentence before adding detail? Those three cover almost everything an audience will notice.
Common questions
- Should I practise in front of a mirror?
- Recording is more useful. Mirrors pull attention to your face; a recording lets you hear pace, filler and endings, which is where most improvement lives.
- How do I practise the Q&A alone?
- Write the questions you fear, then answer them out loud to a partner or an AI audience that asks them back at you unpredictably.
Do a full spoken run now
Talk it through, take the questions, read your pacing.
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