Senior execs believe they need to be “loose” to be good in new business presentations. No scripts for them. They just charge in and “wing it.”

Now there’s a very small handful of “naturals” who can pull that off. But almost everyone else ends up taking 3 times longer to say things badly when they’re not scripted. They fill the air with long rambling sentences and dangling phrases while their brain “looks” for the words they should be saying.

The client is left confused and unimpressed. And the presentation runs into overtime.

Mark Twain once wrote, "It takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech." So, just once, try writing a script and memorizing it. You’ll be surprised at how much more “stage presence” you have when you can concentrate on how you’re saying things vs. what to say. Plus, you’ll be a lot clearer and more compelling.

Hey, if it doesn’t work, you can always wing it next time.

From Robb High’s New Business Boot Camp 3.0.