THE SCENARIO: You’re sitting in front of your proposal schedule and are trying to figure out when to schedule rehearsals. You’re concerned about a lot of things: having a finished presentation to rehearse, key personnel availability, peaking at the right time, slips in the proposal schedule. Here are some ideas to help you plan your rehearsals.

PLAN YOUR COACHED REHEARSALS EARLY: To help you plan coaching, facilities, key personnel, and reviews, start planning your coaching and rehearsal cycle early. Take a look at the requirements and schedules in the RFP, what your customer has told you during the pre-RFP discussions and conferences, and your experience with this customer. Ask questions, too! Depending on the type of presentation, you should plan a specific type of rehearsal. For example, rehearsing a pop-quiz presentation is much different than rehearsing a timed presentation. I recommend 6 to 8 coached rehearsals for a large pop-quiz event, which can be spread out over time with a focus near delivery date, while I recommend very focused rehearsals of 2, 3, or 4 days (depending on presentation size) for timed presentations—not too early—but just prior to delivery. Be sure to tell all involved to be flexible, as the best plans may change. (I recently worked with a team that delivered its proposal last summer and did not deliver its presentation until late this past winter—some six months later.) Flexibility leads to success.

DELIBERATELY PLAN YOUR QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION REHEARSALS: It’s been my experience that presenters put the key points of the presentation they will deliver in one area of their memory while they draw their answers to questions from another area of memory. To support this, we have to help the presenters put the right data and messages in that Q&A area of memory so they can draw on it. With additional coaching regarding their technique, this will help them deliver powerful and confident answers to any questions the Government will pose. I recommend deliberate Q&A rehearsal sessions separate from the presentation, and once the presentation and Q&A session are coming together well, rehearsing them together so that the team will understand the energy required to deliver confidence and conviction in their answers.

PULL ALL ASPECTS INTO YOUR REHEARSALS AND YOUR PLANNING: If you get the opportunity to know more about the presentation site, visit the room and take digital photographs to help you set up your rehearsal site just like your presentation site. Include room size, table/seating layout, screen type, ambient noise, temperature, electrical service, windows, barriers, etc., in your analysis and planning. This will help your presenters become more confident and comfortable in their delivery to the Government.

Careful planning of the rehearsal cycle will help you get your presenters ready, and will help your presenters peak at the right time, the day they present to the customer. Presenters who are relaxed, confident, full of energy, and knowledgeable will deliver much better presentation and will help you WIN!