Recently I was coaching in Madrid as part of the UEFA Champions League Club Content Forum.
I saw a great example of the difference that solid preparation can make – especially when something unexpected happens.
I worked with Jim Agnew of UEFA in the run-up to the event.
We did a number of rehearsals and he was in a strong position going into the conference.
One of the early pieces of audience interaction involved inviting representatives of two particular football clubs to stand up and asking the crowd to give them a round of applause.
The plan was to generate some energy in the room.
When the Plan Changes
But during the event, something changed.
The lights on stage turned out to be much brighter than they had been during rehearsals.
The rest of the room was dark.
Jim couldn’t see the audience.
And the audience couldn’t easily see the two individuals.
I’ve seen speakers panic in situations like this.
Some ditch the interaction completely.
Others plough ahead with the original plan, even though it no longer really works.
Jim did neither.
Preparation Creates Capacity
Because he had rehearsed so effectively, he was able to think clearly and adapt in the moment.
- He smiled and mentioned that he couldn’t see properly because of the lights.
- He explained his original plan.
- He adapted it.
- And he asked the audience to applaud the two individuals without them needing to stand up.
It sounds simple.
It is.
But in the heat of the moment, it isn’t necessarily easy.
Presentation Rehearsal Is About More Than Memory
Effective rehearsal doesn’t just help you remember what to do.
It gives you the capacity to deal with what you didn’t expect.
With solid planning and presentation rehearsal, you’re much better placed to cope when something changes.
You cannot predict yourself to respond well when it does.
But you can prepare yourself to respond well when it does.
Make sure you get the reps in before your next presentation.
You can’t rehearse the unexpected. You can rehearse yourself into being ready for it.
