Prepared vs. over-prepared

Cam Beck asked me this question the other day in response to my post about your worst public speaking fear coming true:

"So how do you know the difference between preparing and over-preparing?"

First of all, here's what it looks like to be unprepared. I've also written several posts about how I and others prepare.

I've read lots of articles that say you can never be too prepared, or that it's better to over-prepare. I disagree.

You're prepared when:

1. You feel confident about your topic

2. You've anticipated several of the most likely questions and know how to answer them, and you know you can follow up later if there's anything you can't answer

3. You know exactly how you're going to open and close your talk

4. You have bulleted or outlined notes that are concise (two pages, max), clear and easy to follow

5. You have given yourself ample time for practicing (at least two weeks, for content and structure to sink in), but you are not memorizing your talk

6. You've got a plan B for possible mishaps with your computer, props, handouts, flip chart, etc.

7. You've gathered all necessary materials and tools for your presentation

8. You've visualized yourself giving a successful presentation where the audience walks away feeling like they've received great value and they're motivated to do something

9. You sleep well the night before your presentation, knowing you've done all you can do

10. You've done some deep breathing, relaxation and stretching exercises to warm up your body and voice


You're over-prepared when:

1. You've written out and memorized your entire presentation word for word, all fourteen pages of it

2. You've anticipated every possible question anyone could ever ask, and you're still afraid that you won't have the answer for everything

3. You've rehearsed a gesture, facial expression and movement for each moment of the presentation so there is no risk of spontaneity breaking out

4. You've created an encyclopedic and minutely detailed presentation of the topic instead of two or three main points

5. Your PowerPoint is dense with thick paragraphs, tiny text, bullets, charts, and graphs to make sure you haven't left anything out

6. Hours before the presentation, you're still rewriting and reorganizing your talk, under pressure because you want it to be "perfect"

What else can you add to these lists?

Go get my free checklists to help you with your preparation!

____________________________________________________
On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!