If I had eight hours to chop down a tree I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe.

US President Abraham Lincoln

You need to prepare yourself well in advance for occasions when you know you have to make a speech of some kind or another. You may have weeks or only a few minutes at your disposal, but the principle of preparation is still applicable.

While the manner or degree of preparation you can achieve will vary considerably, it is useful to distinguish between general preparation and particular preparation.

General Preparation

Think of the example of a portrait painter. Most, if not all, of your training and experience will have equipped you for the moment when you actually paint a portrait, as illustrated by this case study.

Particular Preparation

Particular preparation covers what soldiers would call the tactics of the situation. For the portrait artist it means such activities as putting primer on the canvas, selecting and arranging the brushes and paints and making sure that the studio is warm and well lit. It may have already included some reflection on the personality or character of the sitter who is coming that day: what music they may like to listen to, what they like to talk about or what refreshments to offer them.

Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail.