Many business people are affected by nerves when speaking in front of an audience: especially one which is made up of their colleagues! This can result in fluffed lines, hesitant body language or a shaky voice. Communication skills training can help to address these challenges and the following tips can also help to prevent and overcome the most common concerns.
1) The power of preparation
Prepare well and you will have much less to be nervous about. If you have taken the time to understand your audience, created clear and memorable messages, and rehearsed your presentation, you will feel very comfortable with your content. You will also have answers planned for the most likely - and toughest - questions. This thorough preparation helps to combat nervousness and breeds confidence.
2) Remember that you are the expert
You have been asked to communicate about a particular subject because you are deemed to have expertise in it: take heart from the fact that you know more about this subject than anyone else in the room or on the call. What is certainly true is that no one except you knows exactly what you are about to present – so they certainly won’t notice if you miss out one or two points that you had intended to make, or deviate slightly from your “script”. This knowledge means that you are in control!
3) Adopt a positive frame of mind
When a golfer stands over a championship winning putt, he enters “the zone”: he calls to his mind vivid memories of previous successful putts, he clearly imagines that feeling and visualises the ball rolling perfectly into the hole. This technique of visualisation creates a positive and confident frame of mind which in turn increases the chance of success. You should adopt the same approach before an important presentation.
In the three minutes before you begin to talk, banish negative thoughts or fear of failure and focus instead on some of the very best presentations that you have ever delivered. Remember how good you felt and visualise the audience’s nodding heads, smiling faces and clapping hands. Tell yourself that you will deliver the best presentation of your life: you know and believe you can do it.
Of course, it can be difficult acting as one’s own coach, but it is a powerful and proven technique. The alternative is to begin your presentation with negative thoughts and fear of failure at the front of your mind: what do you think the likely outcome will be in this situation?
4) Release tension in your body
When we are nervous, we become physically tense and this can constrict our voice, making it sound strained or high-pitched. To combat this, try to release tension in your body in the few minutes before you are due to speak. To do this, roll your shoulders and then raise and lower them to relax your muscles. Gently roll your head to ease the tension in your neck. Slow down your breathing and relax. Warm up your facial muscles by opening your eyes wide, and moving your mouth and lips. Releasing the tension in your body will make you feel calmer and enable you to talk more confidently.
5) Warm up your voice
Just like our muscles, the voice works better when it has warmed up. Never begin a presentation first thing in the morning without having used your voice for at least five minutes beforehand to loosen the vocal chords and lubricate the throat to prevent croaks! Find any excuse to talk in the few minutes ahead of your presentation: hum, sing or talk to the wall to ensure that your voice is ready to go. Try to avoid drinking coffee before or during a presentation as it tends to dry out the mouth. Regular sips of water can help to keep the mouth lubricated during a presentation.
6) Begin with confidence
With your warm up complete, you are ready to address the audience. Remember to fill your mind with positive thoughts, stand up, make sure the room is quiet, pause, look at your audience, and begin. Make your opening statement engaging and impactful and say it like you mean it. Beginning the presentation well breeds immediate confidence for the rest of the presentation.
An element of nerves is an important part of any presentation: it shows you care and it raises your adrenaline. Many world famous actors still suffer from nerves, but it doesn’t prevent them from delivering brilliant performances. Follow the guidelines listed above and invest in some communication skills training: you may not win an Oscar, but you can deliver a performance of which you can be justifiably proud.
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