Rehearsal and Preparation

🎭 The Rehearsal Kitchen: Cooking Up a Perfect Speech

Imagine you’re a chef preparing a special meal for important guests. You wouldn’t just throw ingredients in a pan and hope for the best, right? You’d practice the recipe, taste-test, check the kitchen, and make sure everything is ready. Public speaking is exactly the same!

🍳 The Recipe for Speaking Success

Think of your speech like baking a cake:

• The recipe = your speech content
• Practice runs = taste-testing before serving
• The kitchen = your venue
• Serving time = your actual presentation

Just like a chef needs to know their kitchen and practice their dishes, you need to rehearse your speech and understand your speaking space!

⏱️ Time Management in Speaking

The Goldilocks Rule: Not Too Long, Not Too Short

Think of your speech like a bedtime story. If it’s too short, the listener feels cheated. If it’s too long, they fall asleep!

The Simple Truth:

• Every speech has a time limit
• Going over makes people annoyed
• Finishing too early makes you look unprepared

How to Master Your Time

Step 1: Know Your Word Count

• Speaking pace: about 120-150 words per minute
• 5-minute speech = roughly 600-750 words
• 10-minute speech = roughly 1200-1500 words

Step 2: Use the Chunk Method Break your speech into parts like pizza slices:

🍕 Opening (10% of time)
🍕🍕🍕 Main Content (80% of time)
🍕 Closing (10% of time)

Real Example: For a 10-minute speech:

• Opening: 1 minute (say hello, hook the audience)
• Main points: 8 minutes (your important stuff)
• Closing: 1 minute (wrap up, call to action)

Step 3: Practice with a Timer Always rehearse with a stopwatch. Your phone timer works perfectly!

💡 Pro Tip: Practice to finish 30 seconds EARLY. Nerves often make us speak faster!

🔄 Effective Rehearsal Methods

The 5-Stage Rehearsal Journey

Think of rehearsal like learning to ride a bike. You don’t jump on and race immediately!

graph TD
    A["Stage 1: Read Aloud"] --> B["Stage 2: Stand & Speak"]
    B --> C["Stage 3: Add Gestures"]
    C --> D["Stage 4: Full Dress Rehearsal"]
    D --> E["Stage 5: Record & Review"]

Stage 1: Read Aloud (The Crawl)

• Simply read your speech out loud
• Get comfortable with the words
• Mark tricky phrases

Example: “This sentence sounds weird when I say it. Let me change it.”

Stage 2: Stand & Speak (The Walk)

• Stand up like you’re on stage
• Look up from your notes often
• Feel the physical space you need

Stage 3: Add Gestures (The Jog)

• Add hand movements naturally
• Practice moving to different spots
• Make eye contact with imaginary people

Stage 4: Full Dress Rehearsal (The Run)

• Wear what you’ll wear on the day
• Use any props or slides
• Practice the complete experience

Stage 5: Record & Review (The Polish)

• Video yourself on your phone
• Watch it back (yes, it feels awkward!)
• Note what to fix

🎯 The Magic Number: Rehearse your speech at least 5-7 times before the real thing!

🔍 Self-Review and Feedback

Be Your Own Coach

After recording yourself, watch like you’re reviewing someone else. Ask yourself:

The 5 Check Questions:

Getting Feedback from Others

Practice in front of:

1. A mirror – See yourself in action
2. A pet – No judgment, just practice!
3. A trusted friend – Ask for honest feedback
4. A small group – Simulate the real thing

How to Ask for Feedback: Don’t say: “Was it good?” Say: “What’s ONE thing I could do better?”

💡 Remember: Feedback is a gift, not criticism!

🧘 Pre-Speech Rituals

Your Power-Up Routine

Athletes have warm-ups. Musicians tune their instruments. Speakers need rituals too!

Think of it like this: A ritual is your “power-up” button before the game starts.

Build Your 10-Minute Ritual

Physical Warm-Up (3 minutes):

• 🏃 Light stretching
• 🫁 Deep breathing (4 in, hold 4, out 4)
• 💪 Shake out the nervous energy

Vocal Warm-Up (3 minutes):

• 👅 Tongue twisters: “Red leather, yellow leather”
• 🎵 Hum from low to high
• 😮 Open your mouth wide, then relax

Mental Warm-Up (4 minutes):

• 🧠 Review your opening line (nail the start!)
• 💭 Visualize success – see yourself doing great
• ❤️ Positive self-talk: “I know this material. I’m ready.”

Example Ritual:

7:45 AM – Find a quiet corner
7:48 AM – Stretch and breathe
7:51 AM – Vocal exercises
7:54 AM – Review first 30 seconds
7:58 AM – Walk to stage
8:00 AM – You're ON!

🌟 Golden Rule: Do the SAME ritual every time. Consistency builds confidence!

🏛️ Venue and Room Assessment

Scout Your Territory

Would a soccer player skip checking the field before a big game? Never! You shouldn’t either.

The Venue Visit Checklist:

Questions to Ask Beforehand

1. “Where will I be speaking from?”
2. “Where will the audience sit?”
3. “Is there a podium or should I bring notes?”
4. “Who controls the slides/screen?”
5. “Is there a backup if tech fails?”

Real Example: Sarah arrived early for her presentation. She discovered the projector cable didn’t fit her laptop! Because she arrived early, she had time to borrow an adapter. Crisis avoided!

🪑 Room Setup Awareness

The Stage is Your Playground

Imagine the room as a game board. You need to know all the pieces!

Key Elements to Notice

Your Speaking Zone:

    [SCREEN/SLIDES]
         ⬆️
    ←  YOU  →
         ⬇️
    [AUDIENCE]

Things That Help You:

• ✅ Podium or table for notes
• ✅ Water nearby (for dry throat)
• ✅ Clear path to walk around
• ✅ Good lighting on your face

Things That Can Trip You Up:

• ❌ Cables on the floor
• ❌ Chairs in your walking path
• ❌ Screen blocking audience view
• ❌ Bright window behind you (makes you a shadow!)

The 3-Minute Room Check

When you arrive:

1. Stand where you’ll speak – How does it feel?
2. Walk the path – Any obstacles?
3. Check your view – Can you see everyone?

💡 Pro Tip: If something is wrong, ask to fix it BEFORE the event, not during!

🔊 Acoustics Awareness

Sound is Your Superpower

Acoustics means “how sound moves in a room.”

Think of it like water in a pool:

• Small pool = splashes echo everywhere (small room)
• Big pool = waves spread out quietly (big room)

Types of Rooms

The Echo Test

Try This:

1. Stand in your speaking spot
2. Clap once, loudly
3. Listen to the echo

What It Tells You:

• Long echo = Speak SLOWER, pause MORE
• Short echo = Speak normally
• No echo = Great! Easy to be heard

Do You Need a Microphone?

Simple Rule:

• Under 30 people in a small room = probably no mic
• Over 30 people or big room = use a mic
• Outdoors = ALWAYS use a mic

Real Example: Tom gave a speech in a gymnasium. He didn’t test the acoustics. His words echoed so much that nobody understood him! If he had clapped first, he would have known to speak slower and use a microphone.

🎯 Your Pre-Speech Checklist

Before every speech, run through this:

✅ TIMING
   □ Practiced with timer?
   □ Finishing early (buffer time)?

✅ REHEARSAL
   □ Rehearsed 5+ times?
   □ Recorded and reviewed?

✅ FEEDBACK
   □ Got outside opinions?
   □ Made improvements?

✅ RITUAL
   □ Warm-up routine ready?
   □ Arriving early enough?

✅ VENUE
   □ Visited or researched space?
   □ Know the tech setup?

✅ ROOM
   □ Checked for obstacles?
   □ Know your movement area?

✅ SOUND
   □ Tested acoustics?
   □ Microphone if needed?

🌟 The Big Picture

Remember our kitchen analogy?

A great chef doesn’t just know recipes—they:

• ⏱️ Time their cooking perfectly
• 🔄 Practice new dishes before serving guests
• 🔍 Taste-test and adjust
• 🧘 Have a pre-service routine
• 🏛️ Know their kitchen inside out
• 🪑 Organize their workspace
• 🔊 Listen to the sizzle and sounds

You’re the chef. Your speech is the meal. Your audience deserves your best!

💪 Your Confidence Boost

Here’s a secret: Nervousness never fully goes away—but preparation does 90% of the work!

When you’ve:

• ✅ Rehearsed until you know it cold
• ✅ Checked the room and sound
• ✅ Done your power-up ritual

…you’re not hoping for the best. You’re ready for success.

“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.” – Preparation is your superpower. Use it!

Now go rehearse! Your audience is waiting for something amazing. 🎭✨