An amazing 75% of people fear public speaking, or “presenting”!
I’ve given hundreds of presentations and often hear feedback that I must not get worried or nervous about presenting nowadays. But here is the the thing… I do! I still feel slightly sick before each presentation, my heart rate rushes at the start, sometimes my mind goes blank and sleeping is somewhat a challenge the night before.
For a while I fought to get rid of and master these negative challenges around presenting. I read a lot, I talked to lots of people, I tried many different things. And then I had a lightbulb moment… these things are good! Without them I would never experience massive highs at the end of my presentations. I needed the nervousness to show myself that I cared, and that what I was presenting matters.
- Based on my experience, here are some of the top tips for being a good presenter:
- Welcome the butterflies when they appear, it shows that you care about what you are presenting, they are normal.
- Relax, try and speak slowly. Your nerves normally make you talk faster than you realise.
- Own the moment. You're here, you're doing this, so don’t back down when you stand up. Try and embrace the moment.
- Pick one or two people to focus on in the audience, it helps calm you down and feels like you're talking to an individual.
Finally, savour the moment at the end, well done and enjoy the rush.