Are You ‘Over Prepared’ For That Big Presentation?

Ed Darling
4 min read

What you’ll learn:

• Why ‘over preparing’ is a myth.
• The dangers of unhelpful preparation.
  

• A timeline for preparing an important presentation.
  

“Don’t over prepare!”

It’s common advice for new speakers.

But if over preparing is such a problem, why don’t musicians, actors, or comedians struggle with this?

Think about it: when your favourite band is on their 5th world tour, performing their biggest hits for the 1,000th time, do they sound over-rehearsed?

Absolutely not.

Professionals bring their performance to life, every single time.

Working as an actor, I’d spend six weeks rehearsing before “opening night”. By then, every word, every movement was second nature. But we’d deliver those lines as though they were fresh and spontaneous.

It’s not a special skill reserved for performers — it’s the result of being deeply practised with your material.

In other words, the advice to “not over-prepare” is backwards.

The MORE you prepare, the more natural and confident you’ll sound.

Can you EVER over prepare for a presentation?

Well, here’s the thing…

Anxiety often shows up as perfectionism. This can, indeed, lead you to “over prepare” in unhelpful ways. For example:

⚠️ You’ve been asked to give a 10-minute update to the team and spend 4 hours tinkering with the slide design.

⚠️ You’re expecting to “say a few words” at an event and, for a week beforehand, find yourself mentally visualising the worst-case scenario. Usually right before bed.

⚠️ You’re asked to speak at short notice and, in a rush of nerves, attempt to script and memorise every word you plan to say, within 24 hours.

Procrastination, perfectionism, and coping mechanisms — very different from useful and focused preparation.

While over-preparing in unproductive ways can hinder you, there’s a sweet spot where preparation leads to confidence and clarity.

What’s the RIGHT amount of speech preparation?

The right amount of preparation depends on two factors:

A. The significance of the speech.

B. Your expected level of nerves.

If you’re delivering a big keynote and expect to feel anxious, I’d suggest going all-in. Memorise your opening and close (at a minimum). Rehearse your movements and gestures. Know your material inside-out.

Trust me. When the big day comes and your nerves are rattling, you’ll be grateful for putting in all those reps.

If the stakes of the speech are lower, or you’re not expecting to be shaking on stage, then less preparation is required — but always err on the side of more, not less.

Can’t I just get up and speak off-the-cuff?

I love speaking off-the-cuff.

It’s the Swiss-army knife of communication skills — useful in all kinds of unexpected situations.

Slides stop working mid-pitch? No problem.

Audience shouting questions? Easy!

If you can think (and speak) on your feet, you can handle almost anything. It’s the ultimate core-confidence builder.

That said, there are moments — such as answering an unexpected question in a Q&A session — where an improvised answer will have far more impact than a rehearsed response.

But while a Swiss-army knife is versatile, it’s not designed for every job. Prepared speaking is your dedicated tool when you need precision and reliability.

If you have something important to share, and want to nail your delivery, follow this advice:

“An amateur practises until they can get it right; a professional practises until they can’t get it wrong.”

What does good speech preparation look like?

Let’s end with some practical advice.

Imagine you’ve been asked to deliver an annual presentation to the board.

You come to me six weeks out. Here’s what our preparation might look like:

 

Stage 1: Planning — 6 weeks out

Before diving into the nitty-gritty, we zoom out and ask some big questions:

• What does your audience expect, and need to hear?
• What key messages do you want to get across?
• What’s the context around this presentation?

 

Mulling this over makes for a more thoughtful (and impactful) end result. Think about the big picture, and gather any stories, statistics, examples, or insights which might be relevant.

 

Stage 2: Structure — 4 weeks out

With your objectives clear, we take your ideas and begin structuring everything into a cohesive speech, specifically:

• An impactful opener and credibility-building introduction.
• A set of 3-5 engaging sections, flowing one to the next.
• A persuasive summary concluding with a specific call-to-action (CTA).

 

Following a framework makes life so much easier. You avoid the dreaded ‘blank page’ and give your audience something they can logically follow along with.

 

Stage 3: Rehearsal — 2 weeks out

With your speech fully drafted (but not completely finalised), we can begin honing your delivery:

• Planning stage movements and matching gestures to significant words.
• Ensuring good use of vocal variety to add emphasis and emotion.
• Layering in details and fine-tuning the performance.

 

Proper rehearsal means being on your feet, speaking out loud, and moving around as if on stage. Ideally, with someone giving feedback and direction.

Practising this way builds muscle memory. You’ll look far more polished, and will find it easier to remember.

Speech Preparation: What you put in, you get out.

Presentations are like anything else: the more effort you put in, the better result you’ll get on the day.

Most people make two key errors:

1. Underestimating how much time they need.
2. Putting things off until the last minute.

 

They come away thinking: “I didn’t do myself justice…”

The next time you have an opportunity to speak, remember — as long as you’re doing the right kind of preparation, there’s no such thing as being over prepared.

Even if your schedule doesn’t allow for weeks of planning, investing just 10–15 focused minutes a day in rehearsing your key points can dramatically improve your delivery.

And if you need help making this happen, it might be time we had a chat. Book a free consultation today! 😉

To your public speaking success,

Ed

Whenever you’re ready, here’s 3 ways I can help you:

1. Charisma Club: My flagship 3-month coaching programme for professionals. Follow a proven system to build confidence, find your charisma, and step-up as a speaker in your niche.

2. Speak & Present: Looking for a quick way to supercharge your public speaking skills? Face your fears, develop new skills, and deliver a live speech in our 1-day Masterclass for professionals.

3. Team Training: Bring confident communication to your team. I’ll help them to speak with clarity, enhance their leadership skills, and present with confidence. Bookable as half/full day training. Ideal for teams and senior leaders.