Overcome your presentation nerves

Submitted by Dee on Thu, 01/12/2011 - 12:35
Don’t panic! Present yourself in the best light.
 
When’s your next presentation? Next month? Next week? Tomorrow? ...Tomorrow! Don’t panic, I can calm nerves when presenting.
 
Help is at hand with these tips to control your fears
 
Be prepared and take public speaking as seriously as you would any other part of your business, because when used well, it’s an incredibly powerful FREE marketing tool.
 
Why ignorance is definitely not bliss
You can bury your head in the sand, but that 9.00am meeting next Monday won’t go away. This is when what I call your Public Speaking Monkeys® (PSMs) will swing into action. These are the voices in your head that tell you:
  • “Uh oh, Monday’s coming, panic!”
  • “You’ll look really stupid.”presentation tips
  • “You're rubbish!”

Tip 1: Listen to your worries and concerns. Don't ignore your public speaking fears

They will affect the way you present. People think that quick fix presentation tips are the answer but unless you deal with your Public Speaking Monkeys® first you won't necessarily be focusing on the real problem. 

Tip 2: Understand the underlying reasons for presentation nerves

These nerves are symptoms of the underlying causes. Why is it we spell check our presentations endlessly and revise fonts, without concentrating on the fact we’ll have to stand up and face an expectant audience?

Tip 3: Challenge and undermine the foundations of your anxiety

Is it really true that you can't stand up and speak in front of an audience? Sometimes we tend to focus on the negative voices and blow our fear of presenting out of all proportion.