How to present fearlessly

Public speaking is a common phobia that sends shivers down people’s spines. There are valid reasons for this — fear of fumbling, fear of being judged and social anxiety. It’s totally normal for people to feel nervous before presenting in front of others.

I used to be an incredibly nervous public speaker. Fortunately, I’ve learned a lot from pitching to large audiences and from receiving professional presentation coaching. I’ll share some tips that helped me become a more confident presenter.

Preparation

I’ll start with the obvious: being prepared helps you deliver presentations better. The more prepared you are, the more seamless your presentation will be.

Mentality

Your audience wants you to deliver a great presentation — not necessarily to make you happy, but to make listening to your presentation worth their time. Treat them as friends, don’t be overly formal, sprinkle in some humour and be enthusiastic. Finally, I like to tell my inner self, “I can’t wait to share this” to channel any nervous energy into excitement.

Warming up

Before actors and singers perform, they warm up to be ready to perform. Similarly, as a presenter, you are a performer. We can borrow techniques from them to get yourself ready:

  • Slow heart rate down: inhale for six counts, hold for three, and exhale for six. This will help you relax and be more composed.
  • Get a buzz of energy by shaking out: Stretch your arms upwards and stand on your tiptoes. Then shake your hands and legs 16 times, then 8, then 4, then 2, then 1. Each time, count out loud.
  • Project better using the lip trill technique: Take a deep breath, then blow through your lips. Repeat this a few times.
  • Better pronunciation: Use tongue twisters to loosen your lips, like ‘Cinnamon Synonym’ and ‘Unique New York’.

I don’t always do these exercises, but when I do, it genuinely helps me. You may look a bit ridiculous doing them. If you’re self-conscious about that, then find a private space, so people don’t think you’re crazy.

Project your voice

A common mistake is presenting too quietly. Instead, project your voice loudly to capture your audience’s attention. Remember, it’s rare that presenters project too loudly, but very common for presenters to not speak loud enough.

Experience

As with any craft, practice makes perfect. The more presentations you do, the better you’ll be. if there aren’t many opportunities, then I recommend being part of a Toastmasters club. What’s the worst that would happen if you give a bad speech? Maybe you’ll be embarrassed. So what? The truth is that nobody really cares. It’s much better to deliver a poor presentation than to not present at all because you learn a lot more from those experiences. The main thing is to get as much feedback as possible — from your peers, your manager, Toastmasters or a coach — to improve your skills.

Thanks for reading and let me know if there are other tips you recommend for presenting.

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© Ali Sarraf 2024