In the previous blog post, I suggested seven tips to help allay nerves and increase your confidence as a speaker and presenter.
10 Tips to ease those pre-speech and presentation nerves
1. If you’re part of a panel or giving a team presentation, clarify in advance what others will cover. It removes the worry that you could go over the same ground and ensures that your content will be unique.
2. Practise your presentation OUT LOUD at least once or twice before you give it; simply reading it through won’t help with creating a rhythm in delivery.
3. It will also give you the opportunity to time it, the whole presentation, and the constituent parts, so you feel confident it will fit into the space you’re allotted.
4. And if you don’t have time to say something you had originally planned in your speech, keep it hush, don’t tell them or they will feel shortchanged.
5. If you miss out something you consider important, once you realise, say “I’d like to go back to x” and say it – without apology.
6. At the outset and during your talk, look around the room and give at least some of your audience eye contact. It creates a connection, and they will feel included. It will also take your own focus away from yourself.
7. Go at an easy pace, neither as fast as a bullet train nor so slow that they nod off, and you nearly do too! Pause from time to time to let people think or catch up before you speed on to the next topic. Speaking fast will not only be difficult for your listeners, but for you; it will likely increase any anxiety you may already have.
8. Never put anyone down, even that annoying, antagonistic heckler!
9. Consider in advance how you will deal with awkward people and situations, such as antagonistic individuals or not knowing the answer to a question. No one has all the answers, and it’s fine to say “I don’t have that information to hand. I will check and come back to you”. As long as you do this with confidence and not with a grovelling “I’m so sorry, I don’t know the answer to that”.
10. No matter how cold and nervy you feel inside, do your best to look like you’re enjoying the occasion, unless you’re talking about or conveying difficult news. Assuming the content warrants it, the audience are more likely to respond positively to warm enthusiasm, than if you look as if you’d rather be somewhere else!
Good preparation along with a range of practical strategies determined in advance, will go a long way towards enhancing your confidence with public speaking and presentations.
Would you an extra bit of personalised support and guidance? 1-2-1 Coaching can help you prepare, structure, and deliver with confidence. I also offer you feedback to make the changes you choose, and so present on the day with even greater confidence.
Contact me via my email or website and I will aim to reply within 24 hours.
