How soon should I start preparing a major talk?

I generally recommend speakers give themselves 6-8 weeks to prepare an important presentation.

This might seem like an inordinate amount of time. Who has six to eight weeks for anything these days? Starting so early might even seem like a waste, especially if you have previously put together a perfectly decent talk while swallowing your third coffee on the way into a board meeting, after dropping your child at emergency daycare.

Good talks can definitely be done in a hurry. I have seen speakers do brilliant speeches with a really short lead time.

However, it is usually because they put in hours and hours of unseen work in the days (and nights) prior.

If you start before you feel the pressure to get things done, you get to throw out your first draft. As a speaker coach, this is important. First drafts are often clouded by personal biases, or filled with things you think you should say rather than what you really must say. Getting underway early gives you time for the “Aha!” moments that only come when you can step away for a few hours or days.

Of course, shorter presentations for less critical events can be developed in far less time. With practice you can also develop the processes to be rigorous, quickly.

But for stuff that really matters, give your mind time to wander, to work through your stuff, and really nail it.

To learn how speaker coaching can enhance your next important event, get in touch rachael@rachaelwest.com.au.

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