Always Show Up to Your Speech Super Early

Always show up to your speech super early.

Not 5 minutes early, but possibly 35 minutes or more (depending on the venue).

Strategic paranoia is good.

When you’re not paranoid at all, you get too complacent.

When you’re too complacent, you arrive late.

I get worried when I don’t feel any nerves before a big speech.

Chances are I’m not taking this moment seriously.

I need to properly contextualize the moment.

Don’t get so nervous that you get a panic attack.

But have some nerves so you remain hyper-alert.

Logistic Issues

There was one speech I had to give in downtown Tampa.

I had to park in a parking garage and walk ~15 minutes to the speech location.

Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem.

However, on this day, it was.

I was wearing a suit.

It was 98 degrees outside.

If I walked, then I would be drenched by the time I arrived at the speech location.

What if I called an Uber?

That would also come with problems…

Tons of people were calling Ubers from the parking garage.

It was packed.

An Uber driver had to wait in a sea of cars to pick me up.

Lose-lose situation:

• If I walk, I’ll get drenched in sweat.
• If I call an Uber, I have to pay a super high surcharge fee and wait.

This is why you need to arrive early.

You never know what logistical nightmares you’ll face.

Get Ready the Day Before

You should stop practicing your speech 1-2 days before your talk.

By then, you should have gotten all your practice out of the way.

1-2 days before your talk, focus on taking care of the logistics.

The night before the speech, see how long it is going to get to the speech location.

If you’re looking at the speech location at night, you’ll see it without traffic.

• At night, there isn’t much traffic.
• By daytime, there’s way more traffic.

If your speech is at 5 pm, then the highways will be way busier around that time vs the night.

Whatever it says at night, add 20-45 minutes to it.

See how long it will take you to get to the location.

Then do some research on what the parking is like.

Gmaps often shows you a picture of what the destination looks like.

• Is there a parking lot connected to the building?
• Do you have to park in a parking garage?
• Is the parking garage far away??

Some garages also charge you a fee.

Bring cash.

If you are headed to your speech, and your buddy says:

‘Hey, don’t forget to bring 10 bucks in cash, otherwise, they won’t let you in…’

Now you have to go to a bank and pick up cash.

That’s another 20 minutes right there!!

Take care of the logistics the night before.

Add in more time than necessary.

Absorb the Environment

Another perk of showing up super early is that you get an idea of what the speech stage will look like.

If you’re traveling from a different state, then you probably have not had the opportunity to look at the stage yet.

When you show up early, you can walk around and absorb the settings.

Sit where the audience will sit.

Get a view from their perspective.

You’ll notice certain spots where the audience loses sight of the speaker, and certain spots where the audience has the perfect vision of the speaker.

You’ll see where to stand on stage and where not to.

Also, walk around the area where you will give the speech.

During my brother’s wedding, I had to arrive early to set up some stuff.

When I arrived, I began walking around the stage.

The stage had lighted floors.

I walked around the stage, looked to my left, middle, right, and even behind me.

Behind me is where the bride and groom would sit.

After I walked around the stage, I felt more aware.

By the time I gave the speech, I felt calm.

It felt like I had done this before.

Show up early and absorb the settings.

What Happens if You Show Up Too Early?

It’s better to show up 1 hour early and have nothing to do, rather than show up a bit late.

If you show up super early, then you can explore the area around your speech venue.

If the security guard says they won’t open for another 30 minutes, then drive around the area.

Go to a park and get some fresh air.

Polish up your speech more if you need to.

See if there is any new information about the itinerary of the event.

There are tons of ways to kill time.

Whenever I show up really early, I like to go to Walmart and buy some water.

I can easily go to the gas station, but I like walking around in Walmart.

I take a few extra steps in an AC area.

I pick up a fancy water bottle to treat myself.

Then I drink the cool water.

From parking to picking up my water bottle, walking around, and getting back to my car…

I spend at least 25 ish minutes.

Get creative!

There are plenty of things to do.

You can even create a pre-speech ritual for yourself.

Show Up Early & Be a Bit Paranoid

No matter how many times someone tells you to show up early, there will be a few speeches where you’re late.

Surprisingly, I think experiencing those moments is a good thing.

You’ll feel the dread firsthand.

The dread is painful.

You keep thinking:

‘I knew I should have left earlier! But I kept doing things today that I should’ve done yesterday. Now I have no clue if I’m going to make it on time.’

Face the dread firsthand to learn the public speaking lesson:

• Always show up super early to a speech.

You’ll feel in more control when you’re a bit paranoid.

For more insights and strategies into public speaking, check out the Speaking Wizard eBook