When it comes to presenting, nerves are inevitable—but letting them get the best of you is not.
By controlling as much of the uncertainly as possible, you’ll increase your confidence in your ability to deliver an excellent presentation.
Rely on these seven tips to help control presentation nerves:
- Analyze your audience. Define your target audience and consult with prospective attendees before your presentation. Knowing who you’re trying to convince or sell to will help you develop and deliver a more effective message.
- Know your content. Figure out your audience’s needs and pain points, which will help ensure that your presentation material is right on target.
- Structure your presentation. Follow this simple structure: Tell the audience what you’re going to say, say it and then recap what you’ve said.
- Open with impact. Give attendees a reason to listen to your presentation. If you appear confident in delivering your message, they’ll be more apt to listen.
- Practice, practice, practice. It’s important to be very comfortable with your delivery. Familiarity brings confidence, and practice helps you deliver your words in a natural, confident manner.
- Prepare your answers. Don’t anticipate that the audience won’t ask questions when you’re finished. Prepare smart responses to questions you anticipate, and practice responses to questions you didn’t think of beforehand.
- Focus on the physical. As you step up to speak, remember to focus on a pair of attentive eyes, deliver a compelling thought and then pause and breathe. Repeating this technique will help you keep your nerves under control.
If these tips aren’t enough to calm your presentation jitters, learn to effectively inform, persuade and convince your audience at our next Leadership Presentation & Image program.