These 10 tips will help you , overcome public speaking anxiety, and become more confident making
presentations that achieve results.
1. Start
with an End in Mind
Ask yourself, “Why am I speaking?”
“What do I want the audience to do after listening to my speech?” This
will help you focus on the message you want to share with your audience.
It will help you focus on who is your audience, the key points, and what you
want your audience to do after listening to you.
2. Keep It
Simple
Keep your presentation simple by learning to “speak to express
instead of speaking to impress.” What I mean by speaking to impress is
when you see speakers using $5 words for $2 situations during speeches and they
look uncomfortable doing it. Another example of this is when presenters
overuse PowerPoint. Your audience will soon lose interest in what you are
saying.
Also keep it simple with the structure of your speech. An
opening, body with tree major points, and a closing will help you connect with
your audience.
Just be sincere, concise, and simple in your presentation and you
will always connect with your audience.
3. Practice,
Practice, Practice
Master your presentation by practicing. Here’s the secret to
practicing…first read your speech to yourself 2-3 times. This allows you
to work out the majority of the rough spots in your presentation before you
start rehearsing.
Then rehearse in front of a mirror or even better a video camera
or tape player. Also try to rehearse in front of someone whose opinion
you value.
Then practice as close as possible to your speaking environment as
possible. For example, if you will be speaking behind a lectern, practice
with your notes on an ironing board.
4. Visualize
Success
Before going to sleep the night before a presentation I take time
to visualize the success of the presentation. The key to making
visualization work for you is involving as many senses (sound, touch, sight,
smell, etc.) as possible in your visualization. Have you ever had a dream
where it seemed so real you awoke in a cold sweat (You don’t need to tell me
what the dream was)? It was because you used all your senses and that
dream became so real to you that you needed to escape from it.
Visualize yourself giving a successful presentation where you see
yourself as a confident presenter, hear yourself handling questions, etc.
Visualize successful presentations so that it becomes real.
5. Eat the
Elephant
I ask the timeless question, “How do you
eat an elephant?” Piece by piece. The same answer applies to
presenting to a group. How do you present to a group? Person to
person. Break the group into individuals.
“How do I present to a large group?” is one
of the biggest questions people have when giving presentations. Get
personal. Whenever possible, I will make sure I arrive early to the room
I’m presenting in and plant myself by the entrance. I will then greet as
many people as possible that walk through the door. I will shake their
hands and let them know I am glad they came. Here’s a tip for
guaranteeing a positive audience:
§ As you
greet, look for pleasant, upbeat people. Then say something like, “I’m especially glad you made it
today. As a matter of fact there’s a sit in the front row with your name
on it. Please enjoy!”
The audience member will usually chuckle
and you started the personalization process. Also this allows you to
stack all the friendly audience members in the front rows. It’s always
nice to see friendly faces in the front row.
Remember, when giving a presentation, it’s
not about your needs or concerns. It’s about the audience’s needs or
concerns. Make it personal and eat the elephant!
6. Nail
Your Presentation Opening
It’s the first words your audience
hears. Know your opening like the back of your hand. Know exactly
what you are going to say. Once you get started and gain some momentum
you will start to gain confidence for the rest of your speech.
It helps to pause for 3-5 seconds before
you are about to start your presentation so that can focus on what you are
about to say.
7. Nail
Your Presentation Ending
It’s the last words your audience hears and
reminder about you. You can have a great opening and body and have a bad
ending and your audience your always remember how you ended.
Ask your audience to take action, think
about an idea, etc. so that they understand why they are there.
8. Backup
if You Forget
If you forget what you are about to say or
lose your place in the presentation do the following:
§ Stop
speaking. Take two steps backward. Then take a deep breath.
Collect your thoughts. Smile. Take two steps forward and proceed
with your presentation.
§ Go back
and repeat the last sentence. That will help trigger what comes next in
your presentation.
§ If you
really go blank, ask an audience member what was the last sentence you
said. Also, if they have handouts of your speech, you can ask the
audience what is the next subject we will discuss. You will be surprised
how many people will volunteer this information to help you. This will
give you time to collect your thoughts, involve the audience, and go forward
with your presentation.
Note: If you forget a piece of
information, collect yourself, and then go forward. Never say, “I’m sorry.” Unless the
audience has a copy of every single word of your speech they will never know
you forgot something.
9. Realize
Presentation Nervousness is the Tool of Great Presenters
Believe it or not, all presenters, whether
professional or occasional, are nervous when presenting. The difference
is the best presenters use nervousness to their advantage by turning
nervousness into positive energy. Here are some tips to control nervousness:
§ Whenever
possible walk from the back of the room to burn some of the nervous energy.
§ Slow
your breathing
§ Stretch
10. Get Excited About Your Presentation
Get excited so that the audience is excited
about hearing your presentation.
Some of the ways you can become excited is:
§ Remember
what you say is important and can make a difference for your audience.
§ Every
opportunity to present is a chance for you to succeed.
§ Every
time you speak you become better than the last time.
§ Presenting
will expose me to countless opportunities I wouldn’t have by not presenting.
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