[Image by Gerd Altmann of Pixabay]
Over the years many of my clients have asked “Is a dress rehearsal necessary?” My response is always the same: Absolutely.
If you’re like most of my clients you’ve likely either thought or said: “I don’t have enough time.” Or you possibly said: “I know my subject like the back of my hand so I can simply wing it.” Another response I’ve often heard is “Dress rehearsals are pretty boring so I’ll skip that part.” These excuses are quite common and make sense to the speaker, however I would suggest that you conduct a dress rehearsal any way for these reasons:
- Preparing a presentation and saying it out loud are very different skills.
- Your presentation may contain several flaws and you’re unaware of them until your dress rehearsal.
- Timing is critical and the best way to evaluate this by conducting a dry run.
- In your dress rehearsal you can assess primacy and recency. Meaning you can listen to your opening and closing remarks, revising them as needed.
- You may either get feedback from a select live group or tape your dress rehearsal and get reactions. What you’re looking for is impact, interactivity, and influence.
When you schedule your dress rehearsal, try replicating exactly what you’ll be doing (equipment, clothing, timing, props, etc.). That way you can see what needs to be cut or adjusted and what you want to keep. Consider it an opportunity to practice and prepare. You’ll come out ahead and find this a valuable technique that you want to keep in your toolbox!