There are few things more frustrating than being stuck in traffic. I live on the outskirts of Nashville, TN. Some days my commute is smooth and relatively short. But on others, it’s a complete nightmare. After one particularly frustrating commute, I decided I was going to plan to use my commute time more productively.
Today I’ll share with you my 3 tips for recapturing your drive time and using it to prepare for your presentation.
Research
I’m currently in a doctoral program and the reading load can be completely overwhelming. That was until a colleague of mine asked if I had discovered VoiceDream. I told him I hadn’t, and he suggested I look into it as a way to save time. VoiceDream is a app that allows you to “read with your ears.” And what I like about the app is that unlike a program like Kindle, you can take almost any type of file (PDF included) and download it to VoiceDream and listen to it.
That means if I find a great article that I want to use for research for my presentation, I can simply save it on my VoiceDream app and listen to it while I drive. I can select from a wide range of reading voices, and I can adjust the reading speed as well. It’s a fairly inexpensive app and it’s easy to use. It allows me to keep my attention on the road while also prepping for my presentation on the way to and from work.
Learn from Great Examples
Another way to get more out of your commute time is to listen to great examples of speeches while you drive. Not sure where to start? Sign up for TED Recommends. Select your interests, and TED will send a few talks to your email inbox based on what you selected. As you listen to different speakers and topics, take mental note of what you like and what you don’t.
Listening to other people present is a great way to build your own presentation knowledge. It helps you to use language more effectively, to appreciate different speaking styles, and to get new ideas for your own presentations.
Memorize Your Presentation
Finally, you can use your commute to help you memorize your presentation. First you’ll need to finalize your content. Then, you’ll want to record yourself delivering your presentation. You can use the video camera or simply the audio voice recorder on your phone. All you really need is the audio because you’ll only be listening to, not watching, your presentation.
During your commute, listen to your recording to help you commit it to memory. Research even shows that listening to your content at different times and in different places might help you remember it better. It’s called spaced repetition. And when you take the role of listening rather than presenting, you’ll probably notice a few things that you can edit out or improve on before you deliver it in person.
So the next time you get stuck in traffic, recapture that time to become a better speaker. You can use reading apps to conduct research, gain new ideas from other presenters, or use the drive time to memorize your message.
Want more tips and tricks to fast track your presentation success? Get in touch with one of our presentation experts now.
