Welcome to Famous in Your Field! Here’s your free weekly tip to boost your fame factor. (Be sure to sign up in the box on the right to get on the VIP list for free tips and training, delivered straight to your inbox.)
Practice like a professional actor
Sick of hearing you should practice your speeches and presentations? You’re thinking, “Yeah I KNOW! I DO practice!”
Okay, so how do you usually practice?
Take a moment and review your Practice Best Practices:
- Practice it as many times as possible. CHECK.
- Practice standing up. CHECK.
- Practice saying it in the mirror, in the car, in a BOX with a FOX. CHECK!
Well, my practice weary peeps, I’ve got some new tips will help you break out of your boring practice patterns and rocket your public speaking right Outa Heeeeere!
These are insider secrets, courtesy of my good friend Melinda Thomas, a professional New York actress and voice over artist.
Ready to put the fun back into practicing? Ha! I know that’s a tall order but I dare you try these:
End at the beginning.
Often we practice the beginning of a speech or presentation over and over again because we’re so focused on launching with a big bang. However that means the middle and the end get short shrift. You go out with a whimper, instead of a bang.
You figure they’ll magically fall into place once you nail the beginning. BAD plan.
Better plan? Start each practice session by reading the last paragraph first and move towards the beginning of your speech.
Sounds a little cray-cray, but I promise it will break you out of your rut and give you a new perspective on your speech. Plus you will find that your speech has consistent energy throughout and feels more cohesive when you run it from the top.
Actor secret: for a powerful performance, practice speaking in your “showtime shoes.”
O-Sole-o mio!
Oh yes! Practice in your shoes! Heck, wear your entire ensemble if possible. What if one of your key moves is to point to the screen but your suit jacket only lets you point to the chair below the screen? Awkwaaaaard!
Back to your shoes – your mood, attitude and confidence are influenced by your comfort level. So those skis below your knees are key!
Here’s a Hollywood secret: stage, TV and film actors often wear their character’s shoes from the very first day of rehearsal. Those shoes are literally the foundation for the character. Once they slip those babies on, they become the part they’re playing. It’ll work for you, too.
Standing in your bare feet feels different than wearing shoes – whether they’re flip flops, stilettos, or wing tips. Your posture is different, the way you walk is different, and the way you feel is different. You want to be sure that you feel your most confident on the big day. If you practice your speech in your flip-flops and on the big day you put on a shoe that covers your foot completely or has a heel it could literally throw you off!
Try practicing in your bare feet. Then put on your shoes. I guarantee you’ll feel a big difference.
Throw these tips on your list of practice best practices and you’ll perform perfectly. Period.
Your Fame Boosting Assignment: