If there's one step that separates presenters who consistently deliver from those who consistently disappoint, it's rehearsal. And yet it's the step most people skip — rationalizing that they know their material, that they don't have time, or that winging it will feel more natural. In this episode, Peter George makes the case for rehearsal with the same directness he brings to his coaching: your audience has expectations, your reputation is on the line, and every professional you admire — from musicians to athletes to first responders — rehearses relentlessly. The question isn't whether you have time. It's whether you're willing to risk what happens when you don't.
Peter also walks through five specific rehearsal tips that change how you practice, not just how much. From knowing where to restart when you make a mistake, to using your phone as a three-pass evaluation tool, to doing a dress rehearsal before even a routine board presentation — each tip is built around one idea: rehearsal frees you to be fully present with your audience. And he closes with the story of a client who rehearsed her course in front of her cat 23 times before delivering it to a live audience. The result? A reputation as a captivating public speaker — built entirely on the work no one else saw.
Welcome to Public Speaking with Peter George. I'm Peter George, public speaking trainer, speaker, and award-winning author of The Captivating Public Speaker. In this episode, you're going to learn that all-important step you just can't skip — even though, if you're like most people, you really want to. That step is rehearsing.
Why Most People Skip It
Do you rehearse your presentations? Or do you rationalize not rehearsing by telling yourself, "I know what I want to say, so I'm all set"? The most common answer I hear when I ask people why they don't rehearse is, "I just have so many things to do that I can't make the time." But are you really willing to risk your reputation when you present at the office? Are you willing to lose sales to competitors who did find the time to rehearse? Because that's exactly what's at stake. Your audience is anticipating a compelling performance — and yes, every time you present, you are performing.
Think about it from the audience's point of view. How would you feel if you went to a Broadway opening night expecting a first-rate performance and it was mediocre? Even worse — if it was obvious the actors hadn't rehearsed? It's the same when any presenter gets in front of an audience, whether that audience is one person, ten people, or a thousand. They have expectations. Your job is to meet them, if not exceed them.
Everyone You Admire Rehearses
Think about the people you admire most. A musician? They rehearse. An actor? Absolutely. An athlete? They rehearse — they just call it practice. Professional athletes are among the best in the world at what they do, and many have been doing it since childhood. Yet they practice throughout the season and into the off-season. Our military, police, firefighters, and first responders rehearse too — they call it training or drilling. The reason is the same across every field: rehearsal is what closes the gap between knowing and performing.
I was talking recently with a client — a singer-songwriter and former high-level soccer player — and I said to him, "John, let's discuss the unsexy side of public speaking: rehearsing." Before I could continue, he said:
Peter, you don't have to convince me. When I played soccer, I never would have thought about playing without practice. And as a musician, I always practice with the band — so that when we're on stage, we can focus all of our energy on the audience.
That's exactly the point. Rehearsal frees you to be present. When you've done the work behind the scenes, you stop thinking about what comes next and start thinking about the people in front of you.
Five Tips for More Effective Rehearsal
Tip 1: Don't always start over from the beginning. If you make a mistake halfway through your presentation, most people go back to the start and begin again. Don't. Instead, go back to the beginning of that particular section and restart from there. Otherwise, you end up rehearsing your opening 20 times and your closing — the most important part — only two or three times. That said, do rehearse the full presentation when you can. And when you only have a few extra minutes, use them to work on a specific segment.
Tip 2: Work on message, voice, and body language before adding slides or props. Layering too many elements at once leads to overwhelm. Get comfortable with your content first, then add the visual components.
Tip 3: Use your phone. Prop it up, set it to video, and hit record. When you're done, review the recording three separate times. First, face it down so you can only hear it — listen for your voice, inflection, pausing, fillers, and anything distracting. Second, turn the sound off and watch only — evaluate your body language, movement, eye contact, and whether your stance communicates confidence or nervousness. Third, watch and listen together, looking for anything else to build on or adjust. Then make your revisions and do it again.
Tip 4: Do a dress rehearsal. Even if it's "just" a presentation to the board, a full dress rehearsal helps solidify in your mind that this is really happening — and it gives you a chance to confirm that what you're planning to wear is actually what you want to wear.
Tip 5: Rehearse where you'll be speaking. When possible, get into the room ahead of time. This helps you decide how and where you'll move, and it eliminates one of the biggest unknowns: the environment itself.
Before the Real Thing, Try a Live Audience
Here's something clients often ask: "What if I rehearse and it still doesn't go well when I actually deliver it?" My answer: when you believe your presentation is ready, don't let the real event be the first time you deliver it in front of people. Present it to family, friends, or colleagues first. Their feedback may or may not be useful — that's fine. The objective is simply to present in front of a live audience before the stakes are at their highest.
One of my clients, Lauren, is a perfect example. Several years ago we worked together on a three-hour course she'd be presenting to business audiences. We broke it into segments, working on one per week. When we met the second time, I asked her to present the first segment. She nailed it — the content, her voice, her body language, her audience engagement — she surpassed every expectation. And she kept doing it, week after week. When we discussed her preparation, she told me: "Peter, I rehearsed for several hours a day. Then I presented it to my cat 23 times. And once I felt confident enough, I presented it to family members and made adjustments along the way." Lauren now delivers that course regularly and is regarded as a captivating public speaker. I can't take credit for her success. That belongs entirely to her commitment to the work that most people will never see.
My hope for you — whether you're speaking on stage, presenting in meetings, or selling to prospects — is that you develop a mindset of doing all that's necessary to deliver engaging and compelling presentations. And that, of course, includes rehearsing.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.
Follow the podcast wherever you listen.
Ranked in the Top 3% of podcasts worldwide. New episodes every week.
The Captivating Public Speaker
The principles in this episode are explored in depth in Peter's award-winning book — winner of six international honors including the 2023 International Business Book of the Year Runner-Up.
Read the Book →Take your speaking from good to genuinely unforgettable.
The podcast gives you the ideas. Coaching gives you the transformation.
Schedule a Consultation →