Most people, when asked how they most want to feel when giving a presentation, is that they want to feel more ‘confident’. So what is it about presenting confidently that makes it so difficult for people to achieve this when standing in front of their audience? Is it lack of practise? Lack of training?
Many people suffer the following reactions when the present: sweaty palms; fidgeting; losing track; mind going blank. If we took everybody’s symptoms and put them all in a list you’d probably be surprised at just how many there are. And you would probably be amazed at just how many ‘confident presenters’ have actually experienced some of these feelings as well.
So how do we create the confidence required to control these nervous habits? what can we do to improve our presentation skills? What effective confidence building techniques can you use to help you move into a more confident state when you are about to present.
Lets be clear, there are many different strategies that people use to become more confident. You need to try them out and then choose which work best for you. Here’s three things to start you off.
Do your preparation. Know your audience, what makes them tick.Research your audience thoroughly. Then ensure that your presentation is designed with them in mind.
Have a succinct structure to your presentation. Always keep it simple with a definite beginning, middle and end. And limit your key ideas to three in total. It will help you to keep track and make it simpler for the audience to understand what you’ve got to say.
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 tendency is always there to rush through things. But if you think ’slow down’ when you first start you will actually be more in control and this will give you more confidence and self assurance.
If you dont already use these tips - why not try them out. And as a result you should be more confident and successful.
Click the resource link if you want to find out more about confident presenting and how to present with PowerPoint.