Perform: You have to be in it, to win it.

Truly exceptional presenting skills do not just happen. You can learn the skills in coaching, through a class, or maybe a video. Maybe you practice a little in your home or office getting the concepts just right. Then, you go to make your presentation and it doesn't feel the same. It isn't as dynamic or authoritative as it felt at home.

What happened?

Presenting is performance. Whether you are in front of your team, leading a workshop, or delivering a keynote, you are performing. And performance requires performance practice.

Performance practice is creating the level of charge (excitement/energy) that the presentation requires as you rehearse. Practicing the important stuff in front of real people, running the material in different physical states.

Can you give your opening while running, or dancing? Do you know your stuff so well you could pick it up anywhere? Can you set up mock (or alternative) audiences for your material? Does your practice feel like you are risking something? When you feel the excitement of the risk, that's when you actually having skin in the game.

Gina Razón is the principal voice specialist at GROW Voice LLC, a full-service voice and speech studio in Boston’s Back Bay.  She has over 16 years of experience both as a teacher of voice and speech, and a voraciously curious voice user.  Gina has worked professionally as a classical singer for over a decade and more recently as a professional public speaker.  For more information on the studio or to book Gina visit www.growvoice.com.