Harish K Saini
August 21, 2025
The One Rehearsal Tip That Changes Everything: Stand Up & Speak Out
Big day is coming. You’ve done the hard work. The research is solid, the slides look sharp, and the data is compelling. In your head, the presentation sounds brilliant.
But then, the moment comes. You stand up to speak, and suddenly, the words feel clunky. The transitions are awkward. That smooth, powerful narrative you imagined comes out as a series of disconnected points.
What went wrong in presenting ?
After over 15 years of designing presentations for everyone from startups to Fortune 500 companies, we’ve seen where the gap between a good idea and a great delivery lies. It’s almost always in the rehearsal.
The problem is, most people don’t really rehearse. They just think it through. And thinking isn’t practicing.
The Real Reason Thinking It Through Isn’t Enough
Running through the presentation in your mind feels productive, but it’s a trap. Your brain is great at filling in the blanks and skipping over the rough spots.
When you just think about your presentation, you aren’t:
Testing the words: Phrases that sound smart in your head can be tongue-twisters when spoken.
Checking the flow: You don’t notice the awkward jump from Point A to Point B.
Feeling the time: You have no real sense of whether you’re rushing or dragging.
The most critical mistake is that you’re practicing a completely different skill than the one you’ll actually be using. Presenting isn’t an internal monologue; it’s a physical performance.
The One Tip: Rehearse Out Loud, Standing Up, In Real-Time
This is it. This is the single most effective piece of advice for improving your delivery.
Rehearse your entire presentation out loud, while standing up, and time it from start to finish.
Don’t just mumble the words. Don’t just flip through the slides. Perform it. When you do this, you move from thinking about your presentation to actually practicing it.
You perform exactly how you rehearse. So, rehearse
TL;DR: Mental Run-Through vs. Realistic Rehearsal
| Feature | Mental Run-Through (What most people do) | Realistic Rehearsal (What you should do) |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Thinking about the content silently. | Speaking the full presentation out loud. |
| Posture | Usually sitting or lying down. | Standing up, as if in front of an audience. |
| Timing | A vague sense of time, often inaccurate. | A real-time clock running from start to finish. |
| Outcome | False confidence, surprises during the real talk. | Real confidence, a smooth and predictable flow. |
The "Why" It Works: Confidence Through Practice
When we advise clients on perfecting their pitch decks or boardroom presentations, we always stress this method. It’s not just about memorizing content; it’s about building comfort and control.
It Builds Muscle Memory: Your mouth learns to say the words. Your body learns the posture. Your brain connects the slides to the script. This frees up your mental energy during the actual presentation to focus on connecting with the audience, not just trying to remember what’s next.
It Fixes Awkward Flow: The moment you say a clunky sentence out loud, you’ll feel it. The awkward transition you didn’t notice on the screen becomes glaringly obvious. Rehearsing out loud gives you the chance to smooth out these rough edges before you’re in front of an audience.
It Cements Your Timing: Running a timer is non-negotiable. It’s the only way to know for sure if your 20-minute presentation is actually 20 minutes, not 35. This shows respect for your audience’s time and forces you to be concise.
It Trains Your Body Language: Standing up changes everything. It forces you to think about your posture, where your hands are, and how you might move. It mimics the real environment, reducing the chance of feeling stiff or awkward on the day.
Keep in mind, the goal is not to memorize your presentation word-for-word. That can sound robotic. Instead, you want to internalize the flow of your ideas. By rehearsing, you’ll master your opening, the key message for each slide, and your closing. This allows you to speak about them naturally and with confidence, not from a rigid script.
How to Do Presenting: A Simple Guide
Feeling a little awkward about talking to an empty room? Good. It means you’re doing it right. Push through that initial discomfort.
Step 1: Find a Private Space. Book a meeting room or use your living room. The key is to be alone so you can speak at a full, confident volume. If you can’t find a dedicated room, get creative. Your car can be a great private space, or you can try rehearsing at home when no one else is around. Even speaking softly in a quiet corner is better than not speaking at all.
Step 2: Set the Stage. Have your slides up on a screen (not just on your laptop). Have your clicker and a glass of water ready. And yes, you should absolutely rehearse with your speaker notes if you plan to use them. Practicing with your notes helps you learn to glance at them smoothly without breaking eye contact with your future audience.
Step 3: Perform. Don’t Recite. Start a timer on your phone and deliver the presentation from beginning to end. If you stumble, try to recover just as you would in a live setting. Don’t stop the timer.
Step 4: Repeat. The first run-through is often rough. So, how many times is enough? Aim for at least 3 to 5 full rehearsals. The first one exposes the problems. The next few are for fixing them. The final one is a confident dress rehearsal that locks in the performance.
Pro-Tip: Record Yourself (And Actually Watch It)
This is the most powerful (and sometimes painful) feedback tool you have. Prop up your phone and record a video of one of your rehearsals. When you watch it back, don’t just cringe—analyze. Look specifically for:
Filler Words: Do you say “um,” “ah,” or “like” constantly? Awareness is the first step.
Body Language: Are you standing stiffly or pacing too much? Are your hands in your pockets or making purposeful gestures?
Pacing: Are you rushing through important data? Is your vocal tone energetic or monotone? Note where your energy drops.
Don’t let poor delivery undermine a great message. The confidence you want doesn’t come from just knowing your topic—it comes from knowing you can deliver it smoothly and professionally. Stand up, speak out, and turn your next presentation into your best one.
Need help making sure your slides are as powerful as your delivery?
A1 Slides is a company with 15 years of experience designing presentations for over 1000 clients in 50+ industries, including major brands like Honda, Nokia, and Abbott. We specialize in creating strategic presentations that do more than just look good—they achieve your business objectives. Contact us to start the conversation.
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