Fans of Saturday Night Live will see plenty of current and former cast members as the show celebrates its remarkable 50-year milestone this weekend. But while the spotlight is on celebrities and comedians on stage, the show’s intense behind-the-scenes preparation offers valuable lessons for communicators in any field.
Legendary SNL producer Lorne Michaels once said, “The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30.” The quote perfectly captures the pressure guest hosts and cast members feel during the week of a live Saturday performance.
When Dana Carvey and David Spade interview fellow SNL alums on their podcast, Fly on the Wall, they always spend a part of the conversation recalling the pressure they felt to put on a show. It didn’t always feel like the show would happen, but magically, at 11:30 p.m., it all came together.
The next time you prepare to take center stage for a presentation, keep the SNL preparation formula in mind. From planning meetings to dress rehearsals, each step of the SNL plan will build your confidence.
Pitch meeting. The creative machine starts to roll on Monday when writers gather with the cast and guest hosts for a ‘pitch meeting.’
This should be the first step for your next business presentation. Don’t start by opening PowerPoint. Gather material first. Brainstorm with your team. Collaboration often leads to winning ideas.
Refine ideas. By Tuesday afternoon, SNL writers transform promising ideas into full-formed sketches. Just as SNL’s pitch meeting generate more material than they’ll use on Saturday’s show, you will need to select the best concepts for your presentation.
In writing we call it, “kill your darlings.” Some ideas that look good at first glance will need to be thrown out because you only want to keep the very best. Make each slide count.
Table reads. Wednesday at SNL is famous for its table reading. Writers and cast members sit and listen to hear the sketches performed. They’re not perfected, of course, but the drafts reveal what works, what doesn’t work, and what lines should be cut.
Good writers—and good presenters—are vicious editors. Read the presentation aloud to catch awkward transitions, lengthy and confusing explanations, and moments that need to be sharpened, shortened or cut entirely.
Design and block. Thursday and Friday during SNL week are devoted to blocking, set design, and rehearsals. Cast members tune up the performance by focusing on the physical space, timing, and content.
Presenters should also prepare to hit their marks. Get comfortable with the technology. Are you using Canva, PowerPoint, or another presentation tool? Walk through the slides because the platforms have similarities but work in different ways.
If you plan to present in person, stand up, walk through your presentation, and practice your movements, gestures, and delivery. The more comfortable you feel with the platform, the more confident you’ll feel at showtime.
Dress rehearsals. On Saturday, SNL cast members do two full rehearsals. One is called a run-through; the final rehearsal is “dress” with a live audience.
Dress rehearsal is one of the most important things you can do as a presenter—and it is the one step few people do in the business world. Most people flip through slides quietly and feel like they’re good to go. They get nervous during the real thing because they didn’t run through a “full dress.”
Before you deliver a presentation, ask friends, peers, or partners to watch a full dress rehearsal. Dress the way you plan to do for the real thing. If you can find a space that mimics the actual room, that’s a plus. Deliver the presentation without stopping from start to finish. Above all, ask for feedback.
If you can, rehearse again. And again.
You might have more than a week to prepare for a presentation. In that case, you should still work through each stage like the SNL process, but leave more time for dress rehearsals. With each rehearsal, your confidence will soar.
And don’t forget about the legendary SNL “after-party.” After delivering your winning presentation, take the time to decompress, thank the people who helped you, and celebrate the win.