Pointers to Increase your Confidence and Polish your Presentation
By StarQuest Learning
You have an important presentation coming up. It must be a home run. You’ve worked hard on what you’re going to say and you think you’re ready—but then you begin to worry about actually getting up in front of people and presenting.
If it makes you feel any better, you’re not alone. For many people, the thought of giving a presentation is unnerving. In fact, some people fear public speaking more than death!
Because presenting can be such a challenge, we have compiled a list of pointers that can help you become a more polished and confident presenter.
Manage your anxiety.
Convince yourself that you are an effective presenter. If you’re thinking that you will fail, you’re not prepared, or that you’re a lousy presenter, you may be setting yourself up for a self-fulfilling prophecy. Be aware of your self-talk and how it’s affecting your confidence. You want to come across as credible so your audience will believe you. For that to happen, you have to believe in yourself first.
Do not memorize your presentation.
You do not want to recite your presentation word for word. A presentation that has been memorized is likely to come across as “canned” rather than conversational, and if you get interrupted, lose your place, or simply draw a blank it is incredibly difficult to pick up where you left off. Instead, have a well-developed outline, and work off of that. You’ll be much more in-the-moment and able to connect with your audience.
Do memorize the introduction.
To be effective, you must have the first two or three minutes of your presentation down cold. The introduction is critical because, in those first few minutes, your audience will decide whether they want to hear what you have to say or not. Getting off to a good start will also boost your confidence and lessen your anxiety.
Be yourself.
Many presenters will attempt to mimic other presenters and mirror their styles. Instead focus on being real and authentic. Don’t try to be a motivational speaker if you’re not. Inject your own enthusiasm and excitement, be friendly and build rapport. Remember that the most important aspect of your presentation is your relationship with the audience.
Capitalize on body language and tone of voice.
When you’re preparing your presentation, you put a great deal of time and effort into what you’re going to say. However, when you‘re delivering your presentation, you’re communicating with your audience in other ways as well. The audience is picking up messages from your voice and from non-verbal cues. Research indicates that more than 90% of communication comes from body language and tone of voice.
Your voice is a tool. Use a range of high and low voice inflections to communicate differently. Vary the pace throughout your presentation to keep the audience engaged. And use volume to achieve powerful effects by rising to a loud crescendo, or dropping to a low whisper. Effective communicators vary the volume at different points of their message.
Body language is also an excellent tool when presenting. Make eye contact to keep your audience engaged and make them feel that you’re talking to them. Use gestures to add life to your message. And move! Avoid standing rigid with your knees locked and avoid the urge to hide behind a podium. Move around to the front of the room, and out into the audience.
Use visual aids and PowerPoint® slides only to enhance.
Don’t use visuals as crutches but rather as aids. They should enhance the presentation, not distract from it. Keep your slides simple and easy to read. Avoid using more than three colors and keep your fonts at 24 points or more. Animation should be applied to reinforce your message, not to mesmerize your audience. Use clean graphics that are visually appealing, learn to love white space, and avoid clip art.
Always have a plan B.
If you use slides, make sure that you bring a back-up file and/or copies. Never go into a presentation without a back-up plan in case equipment should break, the power fails, or other disasters occur. Having a well-thought-out plan will boost your confidence.
Make your conclusion strong and memorable.
So you have an engaging introduction, a clear objective and a strong message. The challenge is to carry the momentum through to the end. Don’t lose energy and passion. Conclude with a memorable close that reiterates your objective and outlines next steps. Practice your conclusion with resolve equal to your introduction.
Audiences want you to succeed.
Your audience wants you to succeed, and will often become anxious themselves if they sense that you are nervous. Recall a presentation that you attended where the presenter was nervous, fidgety, or ill-prepared. How did you feel as part of the audience? The point is, your audience is not the enemy, but the cheering section.