The ‘practise more’ myth: why rehearsing your presentation like an actor changes everything

‘Just practise more.’

Perhaps the most common advice people get before a presentation.

And on the surface, it sounds sensible. Practise builds familiarity. Familiarity builds confidence.

So people go away and do exactly that.

They run through their slides.

They repeat their script.

They try to get it ‘smooth’.

Certainly better than not doing anything.

And yet - when the real moment comes - it still feels flat. Or rushed. Or oddly disconnected.

Because most people aren’t actually rehearsing.

They’re just repeating.

The problem with how we practise

When professionals prepare a presentation, it usually looks like this:

• assembling slides

• running through slides from start to finish

• focusing on remembering what to say

• trying not to forget key points

In other words, the main focus is on content recall.

But that’s only a small part of effective communication.

You can know exactly what you want to say… and still fail to land it.

Because what’s missing is how it’s delivered.

What actors do differently

Actors don’t rehearse to memorise lines.

They rehearse to make choices.

Every time they run a scene, they’re experimenting:

• What’s the intention here?

• Where does the energy shift?

• What happens if I slow this down?

• What if I make this moment more direct?

They’re not trying to make it perfect.

They’re trying to make it alive.

That’s a very different goal which leads to a very different result.

Why this matters for presentations

Most presentations fail for the same reason:

They’re technically correct… but they don’t engage.

The structure is fine.

The slides are clear.

The points make sense.

But the delivery is flat, cautious, or overly controlled.

That’s not a knowledge problem.

It’s a rehearsal problem.

If you only practise what you’re going to say, you’ll not develop how you’re going to say it.

What ‘rehearsing like an actor’ looks like

You don’t need to turn your presentation into a performance.

But you do need to rehearse with more intention.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Rehearse in sections, not just start to finish

Running the whole presentation repeatedly isn’t the most effective way to improve it.

Instead, take key moments and work on them in isolation:

• your opening

• a key argument

• a transition

• your close

These are the moments that carry the most weight.

2. Experiment with delivery

Don’t just repeat the same version.

Change it. For example:

Say it more directly

Slow it down

Add a pause

Increase the energy

You’ll quickly find that small shifts in delivery create very different effects.

That’s where improvement happens.

3. Focus on intention, not wording

Instead of asking:

‘What do I say here?’

Ask:

‘What do I want them to think, feel, or do at this point?’

That gives your delivery direction.

It also makes you less dependent on exact phrasing - which is what often causes people to freeze.

4. Practise out loud (properly)

Reading in your head is a form of preparation, but isn’t rehearsal.

You need to hear it. Feel it. Adjust it.

That’s how you:

• find your natural rhythm

• notice where you rush

• spot where your message isn’t landing

5. Allow it to evolve

Actors don’t aim to deliver something identically every time.

They aim for consistency of intention - not rigid repetition.

Your presentation should feel flexible enough to adapt to the room, while still staying clear and structured.

The payoff

When you rehearse like this, something shifts.

You’re no longer trying to ‘get through’ your presentation.

You’re actively shaping how it lands.

You become:

• more responsive

• more engaging

• more in control of the room

And ironically, this is what builds confidence.

Not repeating the same words until they feel safe; but knowing you can deliver your message effectively, even if things don’t go exactly to plan.

A simply way to try this

Take one section of an upcoming presentation - just one.

Spend 10 minutes on it.

• Run it once as you normally would

• Then run it again, but slower

• Then again, more direct

• Then again, with more emphasis on key points

You’ll feel the difference immediately.

More importantly, you’ll start to find a version that actually works.

The bottom line

Practising more isn’t the answer.

Practising differently is.

If you approach rehearsal as repetition, you’ll get something predictable - but often flat.

If you approach it the way actors do - as a space to experiment, refine, and make deliberate choices - you end up with something far more effective:

A presentation that people don’t just understand…

but actually pay attention to.

P.S. If you’re looking to refine how you present and communicate in high-stakes situations, this is the work I do with clients across London and the UK.

I’ve worked with senior leaders, including CEOs, Special Advisors and public figures, and have designed and delivered programmes for organisations such as Abbott, BBC Studios and Channel 4.

My approach combines actor training with psychology and behavioural science to develop clarity, presence and authority when it matters most.

If you’d like to explore that further, you can find out more or get in touch