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Dealing With Presentation Panic
In this article, Simon Tupman offers some handy hints to help overcome the fear of public speaking and to connect confidently with an audience
Hands up those readers who get nervous when asked to stand up on your feet and say a few words in front of an audience? Quite a few of you perhaps? Don't worry, you are not alone. It is widely accepted that fear of public speaking comes only second to fear of death. However, your fear is easily overcome if you take the trouble to follow these easy steps.
First, ask yourself 'what am I frightened of?' I bet you are saying to yourself things such as ""I want everything to be perfect. I'm frightened I'll be lost for words. I'm wondering if I'll look nervous. What will they think of me?" Certainly, these are the typical anxieties I hear when teaching people in business how to connect with an audience. If you share similar anxieties, then you need to think differently about the whole concept of presenting. To help you overcome your anxieties, follow these tips and then put them into practice. You will notice a difference.
1. Focus on the audience not on yourself
Presumably the principal reason for you being asked or required to present is because you have earned the right to present either through reputation, expertise or simply because it comes with the job. Stop worrying about having to convince an audience about your credibility. Every audience has a minimum threshold of expectation; - that you know what you are on about and that you will be informative and interesting. You do not have to be funny. Every audience wants to see a presenter do a good job and can often be embarrassed for the presenter if he or she stumbles. The more you worry about your own performance the less likely it is that you will have the desired impact. Instead, focus on the audience, not on yourself and change your thought patterns so that you say to yourself: "I'm thinking about the audience. I want them to enjoy and remember this presentation and I know they will because I'm prepared, I've got something interesting to say and I'm relaxed.
2. Ask about your audience
When accepting an invitation to speak, find out as much as you can about the audience. For example, who will be in the audience? how many people will be attending?, what is the male/female ratio? The more you can build up a mental picture of the audience in advance, the better. Sometimes it can be a good idea to obtain the names and phone numbers of two or three people who are due to attend and to ring them up in advance and ask them some questions relevant to your speech. Brief yourself about any sensitivities and gauge their expectations about your presentation.
3. Ask about the event
It is important you have as much information about the event surrounding your presentation. Different events present different challenges for a presenter. Speaking to an audience of 500 can be quite different compared with speaking to an audience of 50. Find out whom else, if anyone is speaking at the event. If you find you are on the program just after a famous fluent keynote speaker then ask to swap places so that you present first! Find out how much time you have got to give your presentation and make sure you stick absolutely to the time allocated. One of the biggest sins you can commit is to overrun on time.
4. Ask about the venue
This may sound obvious but I have heard of presenters who have dashed off to give a speech without having checked where the venue is and arrived at the wrong place! Assuming you don't make this obvious mistake, you should try to visit the venue in advance of the day of your presentation. Check out the room, be clear about the layout, and find out what audio-visual requirements will be available on the day. Introduce yourself to the floor manager. You need to be in total control of your presentation, so plan to set the platform up just as you require. Will you require a lectern or not? Will you require a lapel microphone or a hand held microphone or none at all? Will you require a flipchart? Will you be using PowerPoint? If so, don't assume that the venue will have the necessary equipment.
5. Prepare your presentation
Do not leave it until the last minute to get ready for your speech in the hope that you can 'wing it' on the day. Chances are, you will fall flat on your face, have a horribly embarrassing experience and be even more terrified of presenting next time! Do the research for your speech in advance. Remember it's not just what you say but how you say it that is important. Imagine you are with guests at the dinner table at your home and you have to relate the information to them. Be natural, be interesting. If the topic is complex, by all means use notes to guide you but try to avoid reading your speech. The ultimate insult to any audience is to read your speech if it is transcribed in any handout material. In such a case, why should they waste their time listening to you practice your reading skills?
6. Practice your presentation
Once your presentation is prepared practice it in the way that suits you. I like to prepare alone and mentally rehearse while walking along the beach near my home. Sometimes I rehearse aloud even though other beach walkers might be forgiven for thinking I just escaped from an asylum! However it works for me and it's amazing how creative you can get when out in the open with nature. Other presenters like to rehearse their presentations in the company of friends or colleagues. Personally I find this technique artificial, but if it works for you then do it!
7. Eat well in advance.
Presenting will stimulate your adrenalin and soak up your energy hence it is important to have given your body a dose of energy before you present. However, try to have eaten well in advance of your presentation to prevent you from any embarrassing moments! Believe me, it can happen! Try to have some water handy when you are presenting just in case you get an attack of 'dry mouth'!
8. Introduce yourself to members of the audience before your presentation
One of the reasons presenters get nervous is that they are talking to strangers. It is much easier to present to people you know or have met. I was 21 when asked to give my first best man's speech at a wedding. I hardly knew anybody and I was nervous. I recall walking from table to table at the reception and asking people if they were having a good time. This enabled me to meet several people audience on a one-to-one basis and in so doing, enabled me to bridge the gap between audience and presenter. It is a technique I still use today. It helps me to make eye contact with those people when presenting and creates an impression of confidence. Try it; it will work for you too!
9. Be ready to make some mistakes.
Yes, that's right. Don't try and give a perfect presentation as I guarantee it will never go as planned. Expect for the unexpected. Just as TV audiences like TV bloopers, presentation audiences can be amused when things go wrong or you make a mistake. But if that happens, don't be flustered. Your ability to take it in your stride will endear you to your audience. You will turn a potential cringe into a laugh. Remember that you're only human and your audience will be forgiving because most of them would hate to be in your shoes anyway!
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