Giving a presentation can be a nerve-wracking experience. Some people have to carry out public speaking frequently as part of their jobs e.g. ministers of religion, teachers, lecturers and politicians. Others only make presentations from time to time, perhaps at a conference, to a client or just in a team meeting. Even the most experienced presenters can feel nervous before a presentation but for those who seldom do public speaking, the experience can be very stressful.
When faced with a doing a presentation, the body will produce more adrenalin, which can have adverse side-effects. It is common to feel some or all of the following symptoms:
Adrenalin, however, can be harnessed effectively to benefit your presentation. The following techniques can help.
Shallow and irregular breathing is not helpful when delivering presentations, therefore it is wise to carry out breathing exercises. For example, one exercise that may prove useful is to inhale deeply and count to seven, before exhaling for about eleven seconds. Repeating this will get more oxygen to the brain and make you feel calmer.
Remember to take a breath before you start speaking and don’t forget to smile. Smiling helps us feel more relaxed and is also useful to build rapport with the audience.
Visualise an enthusiastic and supportive audience rather than one which is negative or hostile. By thinking that the audience is on your side, it will be easier to approach them confidently. Try to think about your audience and their needs rather than thinking about yourself, this will help you focus on the content and the message.
It is useful to have a glass of water to hand as this can help if you have a dry mouth. It also provides you with an opportunity to pause and think if you need to.
Nervousness can make us speak too quickly. We can rush to try and get the experience over and done with. Make a conscious effort to slow down your speech, enunciating each word.
If you feel restless or agitated, it can help to walk around when talking. This is better than standing around fidgeting or pacing back and forth – as these will display your nervousness to your audience.
If you want to feel confident in a presentation, make sure you have prepared. It’s important that you:
Have you covered these points sufficiently? If so, you should be in a good position to deliver a confident presentation.
About the author
Dr Nathan Matthews
Nathan is a member of the senior management team at RWA and manages the company’s e-learning, content and professional standards department. He joined RWA as a content writer in 2016, on successfully completing his PhD. Nathan previously worked in the private, public and charitable sectors and has a broad range of experience, including research and analysis, project delivery, corporate governance, and team leadership.
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