You’ve a presentation to give in three days’ time. Are you prepared? Notes at the ready, slides sorted; have you practised and timed what you’re going to say?
Or do the butterflies in your stomach get in the way, so that you feel too frozen to start and end up leaving it all to the last minute?
Poet, Mike Rosen, sums up pre-speech nerves with humour:
“Ladles and jelly spoons! I come before you to stand behind you and tell you something I know nothing about.“
Yet you are likely to know a great deal about the topic you’re going to present, yet the worry kicks in and tells you everyone will know more than you do.
You can do much to minimise nerves and feel more confident about what you’re going to say.
1. Prepare early because the longer you leave it, the tougher it gets. You also need time to go over it, practise, and time it, fine tune your notes and delivery. In the words of author Mark Twain “It takes me at least three weeks to prepare an impromptu speech.”
2. Be very well organised. Keep a checklist of everything you need for this and future talks such as notes, phone, address, phone numbers, props, material, laptop, and get everything ready the night before.
3. If you’re using any technical aids, ideally test them beforehand and ensure a tech person is on hand for help and advice.
4. Research your audience, their level of knowledge of your topic and their expectations, so that you can do your best to meet them.
5. Be clear about your reasons for speaking. What do you aim to achieve and what impact do you want it to have on the audience? This will help shape your content and conclusions.
6. Mingle. Don’t stand alone in a corner mulling your speech over in your mind and wondering who in the audience is going to give you a difficult time. It’s far better to mix and meet people, get over that ‘me’ and ‘them’ feeling, chat to relax your vocal chords and calm yourself.
7. Speak with a clear voice at a measured pace so that everyone can hear you and keep up. Nervous speakers often race and leave their audience behind! You can always check if people can hear, especially if you notice someone is straining or turning to their neighbours for help.
8. Ensure your content is well structured to make it easy for your listeners to follow, avoiding unfamiliar language, jargon, or abbreviations – if you use them, explain them.
9. If you do get that wobbly feeling, avoid holding your notes, in case you shake them about, or they fall on the floor. Just in case they do, be sure to number the pages!
10. Be succinct and to the point as the more you say the less you’ll be heard. In the wise words of ancient Greek philosopher, Pythagorus: “Do not say a little in many words but a great deal in a few.”
11. Finally, look like you’re enjoying yourself. Bring enthusiasm and energy into the room. They are infectious and the audience is much more likely to enjoy it too.
If you want that extra bit of personalised support and guidance, 1-2-1 Coaching can help you prepare, structure, and deliver with confidence and offer you feedback to make the changes you choose, and so present on the day with even greater confidence.
