Lots of presenters when asked what’s the one thing they’d like to do differently, would probably respond with “present with more confidence”. But why is confidence such an elusive quality when standing up and giving a presentation?
Many people suffer the following reactions when the present: sweaty palms; fidgeting; losing track; mind going blank. The list is probably endless but its actually quite normal. And you might be surprised that many now confident presenters also suffered at one time from these same problems.
So what do we need to do to become more confident? How can we enhance our presentation skills? What can we do to get into a more positive state?
There are lots of different techniques you can employ. You need to try them out and then choose which work best for you. Some of the more obvious ones are:
Be prepared. This includes knowing your audience and what matters to them. Make sure that your slides are likely to make an impact with them.
Have a clear structure to your presentation. Keep it straightforward with a distinct beginning, middle and end. And restrict your main ideas to 3 in total. This will help you keep track and make it easier for the audience to follow you.
Try and be more controlled when you speak. Lots of people speed up when they present ? when the nerves kick in. So be conscious of this and make an effort to keep in control. The temptation is often there to rush through things. But if you think ’slow is best’ when you first start you will star to feel in more control and this will give you more confidence and self assurance.
Try out these 3 simple ideas the next time you are asked to present. And hopefully you’ll be more in control and of course more confident throughout!
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