Have you ever stressed out over a presentation that just had to be right? That sort of success can be a hard thing to duplicate, but Dean Hyers thinks that there’s a “getting it right feeling,” and if you can choose to have it, you can consistently hit things out of the park the first time.
I learned something recently that surprised me—and it may help you. It has to do with getting things right in the moments that matter: presenting, communicating, selling, or stepping into conversations where the stakes feel high. As presenters, coaches, and communicators, we all face make-or-break moments where confident presence becomes essential.
For years I’ve coached others through these moments in AEC interview preparation, sales presentation coaching, client communication training, and leadership communication. But yesterday I noticed something new in myself.
Ellen, Dean, and Troy were filming a short video—something meaningful, brief, and structured. We were still clarifying our content, shaping our tips, and finding the flow. And then suddenly… we nailed it. One take. We recorded two more, but we didn’t need them.
What caught my attention was the feeling: a sense of commitment, a sense that this is the moment, a one-shot readiness. I realized I cue that feeling intentionally—especially in vlogging. I do these in one take now because I choose the mindset that says, “This is it. Do it right.”
That feeling is powerful. And you can learn to summon it.
We all experience moments where there’s no backing up:
Communication has versions of these moments too. In presentation skills coaching and business speaking skills, we see them everywhere.
There are only two ways to step into a one-shot moment:
The second is something you can practice. It becomes part of your presence coaching toolkit. It supports client engagement skills, storytelling for business, and professional services communication.
I’m not sure there’s a perfect step-by-step method, but here’s what I now understand: I notice the feeling first, and then I choose it.
Watch your life for moments when you tell yourself, “Here we go.” Observe the shift that happens internally. For me, it’s a mix of readiness, conviction, and a calm separation from outcome. I’m fully committed to the action, not the result.
Once you feel it, you can recreate it during rehearsal. I’ve practiced speeches with that mindset—clicking into the one-shot feeling—and it carries into the real event. This is powerful for interview skills training for professionals, group presentation coaching, and high-stakes BD conversations.
Not everything requires this level of activation, but some moments do. Here’s the simple practice:
If you do this often enough, the feeling becomes second nature. You’ll step into presentations, interviews, pitches, and conversations with grounded confidence—and you’ll get it right the first time.
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