Pick a scenario, then write out 6 lines you'll say: the open, the first awkward beat, the pivot, the disagreement, the close. Rehearse with the page, not with the person.
You rarely figure it out. You freeze, you ramble, you over‑apologize. Rehearsing the rough beats — open, awkward beat, pivot, disagreement, close — replaces improv with structure.
The opening is the hardest beat for most people. If your open is good, the rest usually follows. Spend the most rewriting there.
Rehearsal helps with words. It doesn't help when the other person is hostile, drunk, abusive, or won't engage. Use other tools in those cases.
No. Memorized lines sound memorized. Use the rehearsal as an orientation, then let the actual words adjust to the actual moment.
Have a fallback: "I think I need a minute to think about that." That's a complete sentence and a complete move.