Check out my TEDx talk by clicking here.
This is Episode 8 in my TEDx journey series. In case you missed them, here are the previous entries:
- Episode 1: My Secret to Becoming a TEDx Speaker: The Event Theme
- Episode 2: How I Became a TEDx Speaker: Getting The Acceptance Letter
- Episode 3: Why I Hated My First TEDx Talk Draft: What Was Missing
- Episode 4: Why My Second TEDx Draft Was Worse Than The First
- Episode 5: My TEDx Draft 3: Even Worse than Versions 1 and 2
- Episode 6: My TEDx Draft 4: How I Completely Overhauled My Talk
- Episode 7: How to Write a TEDx Talk You’re Proud Of: The Final Draft
6 days to go before TEDx Logan Circle.
I had spent the last few months in insatiable, unrelenting fervor trying to whip this talk into shape.
With the talk finally ready, it was maddeningly tempting to hit the sofa, chill out, and wake up 6 days later.
But no, now was the time for the most grueling part of all: rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal
I’ve tried all kinds of rehearsal. But the type I found works best and that I recommend to all my clients is the worst possible version: have people in the room with you + record yourself on your phone + add distractions
Why? Well, here’s some others I’ve tried:
Practicing to an empty room
When I started practicing for my TEDx talk, I didn’t want my wife in the room. I was embarrassed. I was self-conscious. I had to wait until she left our apartment to feel comfortable practicing.
Big mistake.
Because one day she came back earlier than I thought and I was in the middle of my speech.
I couldn’t keep going because now I felt “watched”!
“If I can’t practice in front of my wife, what good will I be in front of 100+ people?”
So I changed tactics.
I practiced only when she was around. Even if she was wearing noise-cancelling headphones to tune out my repetitive voice, the presence of a person completely changes how you feel. And I needed to get used to that.
Recording yourself on your phone
One thing that is non-negotiable is recording yourself. I know you’d rather sit in a bed of spiders than watch yourself on video, but hear me out.
You don’t know how you really appear to the world.
When I gave my first research talk in high school I thought I did pretty great. Until I watched my mom’s recording:
“Gosh…did I really move my mouth that way? Jeez, what am I doing with my hands? And my voice…why do I sound so anxious?”
I remember sitting in front of the laptop camera for an hour, trying to unlearn a lifetime of behavior and start looking like the speaker I wanted to be.
If you’re still not convinced, consider this:
- You can ask your mom and she’ll love your talk.
- You can ask your younger brother and he’ll hate it.
By recording yourself, you are meeting your own standards, on your own terms.
Add distractions
Why stop there? Recording lets you see how the talk will look on the actual day, from your audience’s eyes.
But consider everything that could go wrong:
- Your talk starts 15 minutes late because everybody took their time coming back from lunch
- The fire alarm goes off during your talk
- Your slides don’t work and you have to present without them
- You forget what you’re supposed to say because someone coughed
All those things (and worse) have happened to me.
If you want to be confident on the day of your talk, nothing builds confidence more than knowing you can handle the unexpected.
So play around during rehearsal:
- Have an alarm go off halfway through your speech and force yourself to gracefully handle it
- Have someone in your rehearsal room interrupt you with a rude question
- Play loud music throughout the whole talk so you can cope with distraction
- Practice your speech not just from the beginning to the end, but from section 1 to section 2 only, from section 1 to section 3 only, from section 3 to the end. That way, you can pick up from anywhere if you get lost
Remember: if you can handle a worst case scenario you create for yourself, the actual event will be a piece of cake.
After 6 days, 6GB+ of rehearsal videos, and 60+ small tweaks to my voice, body language, story, and delivery, I was so ready to finally give this talk 🙂
Coming up next in the series is Episode 9: “What To Do The Day Before Your TEDx Talk: Master the Venue”…
Before getting to the end of the series, you can also check out the TEDx talk below!
