I have yet to come across an individual who truly enjoys practicing. However it is necessary to ensuring successful execution on interview day.
On more than one occasion I have heard folks complain about team members who will avoid practicing by saying, “I have X minutes and I am going to talk about _____________ .”
While some presenters are able to do this effectively, most cannot. This is a very risky practice and not one I recommend for a number of reasons:
1. What you intend to say and what you actually do say are frequently two totally different things.
2. It will always sound better in your head than it comes out of your mouth.
3. Practice allows you to test out material before you share it with the client which is ALWAYS a good idea.
4. Presenters are typically very poor at hitting their established time limit without practice.
5. When you underestimate the length of your discussion it requires the rest of the team to make adjustments to complete the presentation within the established time limit. They have to modify their portion because you went over which can have a negative impact on message clarity, completeness and impact.
6. The other presenters resent having to practice when any member of the team, regardless of their position within the organization, suggests that they do not need to rehearse.
7. If you expect the rest of the team to practice, you should too.
Be a team player, take the time to rehearse your portion of the presentation with the team.