Just as you strive to make a certain number of calls to get a desired number of appointments, and just as you strive to give a certain number of presentations to attain the target number of sales, you need to strive to do three fully-fledged rehearsals for every presentation. Here’s how the rehearsals should go…

Rehearsal 1: This run-through is about plodding through your presentation to check its content and flow. Here’s where you’ll add, delete, and change slides to get the presentation to run more smoothly. Now is the time to work out how to verbally express your key points and tie them into your slides. If you’re involved in a team presentation, this is often where the team leader splits the session, deciding who says and does what.

Rehearsal 2: Now you’re starting the real rehearsal. By now you should be familiar with the content (having already worked through it once) but you’re still getting a feel for the flow and the right words to use. You probably won’t change much on your slides at this point, but it will be the first time you’ve run through the whole presentation without stopping to adjust slides

Rehearsal 3: By doing the third rehearsal you’ll become comfortable with the material and can start adjusting some of the finer points of the presentation, such as your body language, your transitions, and using an economy of words in telling your stories. You no longer rely on the slides for your information, but can glance at them and maintain eye contact with the audience. This third rehearsal is the rehearsal that will elevate you above the vast majority of other salespeople competing for the prospect’s business.