3.3 Practice makes perfect, again and again
Ideally, do the following exercise with a couple of trusted colleagues. Get them to open the timer on their phone with a loud alarm bell, set for exactly three minutes, and tell them to clap as soon as the alarm goes – no matter where you are in your presentation. Regardless of whether you are halfway through a sentence, or not even halfway through your whole presentation: they need to start clapping, stopping you in your flow.
Do a quick review to see how far you got, and to assess how satisfied you were with your pitch. Then do it again, straight away. And again.
After four or five run-throughs, you’ll find you are coming closer. The pressure to shorten your sentences and get to the point is high when the clock is running and that can help replicate the pressure you’ll feel when in front of a CEO or high-flyer. Ask your colleagues for honest, critical feedback to help you improve.
Another way to practice is to film yourself. It’s brutal and hard to see yourself on camera, because you notice every odd movement and sound you make. But do it anyway: it’s all in the interests of improving your pitch.