Practice Without Skill Is Better Than, Skill Without Practice

I expect we’ve all been there. Listening to a presentation by someone who got a little overconfident in their abilities, assumed they knew it all and didn’t need to practise. But this lack of practice becomes pretty obvious pretty quickly, and it’s not long before you’re wincing in the corner wishing you could hit the pause button for them.

You might think you can breeze through your material effortlessly, falling back on your natural talent to get you through. But here's the harsh reality – skill without practice is like a ship without a rudder, and without it, you run the risk of your presentation running aground, or worse, heading for a collision course with the rocks.

But while practice is crucial, it doesn’t always make perfect.

Because there is often a point of diminishing returns, where over-rehearsing can lead to complacency. And when you become too comfortable with your performance, you lose the ability to innovate and adapt to real-time situations.

So, how much practice is enough?

The sweet spot lies in rehearsing three to four times before a critical presentation or pitch. This provides the necessary preparation without the risk of becoming overconfident, and it allows you to be prepared while maintaining the flexibility to pivot when needed.

But the ultimate secret weapon in presentation success is sleep. Getting a full eight hours the night before will keep you sharp and ready to take on whatever curveballs come your way.

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