In the blog last week, we investigated the challenge of maintaining self and audience management throughout the delivery of a presentation. This week, we will address the potentially debilitating experience of nervousness both prior to and during the presentation.
First, we must all understand that it is normal to feel some apprehension prior to delivering a presentation. Moreover, some sense of manageable nervousness is a motivator that can encourage us to attempt our best in any task, so do not consider this experience as just a threat. Of course, the challenge can be even more daunting when we are required to present in a second language, but the ability to do this will impress the audience as much as the content, so be positive.
So, while several factors can trigger nervousness, especially the experience of being stared at by the audience who seem to be watching our every move, there are simple Dos and Don’ts that can be followed to reduce this uncomfortable feeling, at least to a more manageable level.
The simple actions prior to delivering a presentation
Do create a clear structure to your content and use linking phrases to make it easy for the audience to follow. If the audience cannot follow the logic of the presentation, they can become lost and disruptive.
Do ensure that you have designed the content in a way that will interest the audience and provide new useful information. If the audience gets bored because they have heard the content before, this increases restlessness.
Do make sure to practice the presentation, especially team presentations, preferably in front of an audience of your friends or selected colleagues who can provide constructive comments.
Do avoid leaving everything to the last minute. The worst critical experience is being laughed due to some unplanned comedy routine.
Do hold some simple flash card notes in your hand that list the main sequence of points in the form of a few words, not sentences, to minimise the chance of forgetting what should come next.
Do wear clothes that are comfortable and avoid playing with your hair or accessories as this will also distract the audience.
Do initially select a few friendly faces in the audience to make early eye contact and smile, as this will establish an early positive relationship with the audience.
Do begin the presentation by asking the audience a question about your topic. Involving the audience at the start of the session relaxes them and reduces your sense of anxiety. However, do give them time to respond and never answer your own questions.
Do keep a bottle of water near you throughout the presentation to prevent a dry mouth if you initially experience being nervous. Also, use a short pause to drink some water to give yourself time to think and recover composure.
Do practice positive body language such as walking slowly, standing up straight, maintaining eye contact, and using hand gestures to direct the audience to your presentation slides rather than at you. Note that you are the main visual aid throughout the presentation.
The key behaviour to be avoided during presentations
Don’t begin by apologising for your content as this undermines confidence in the audience.
Don’t try to memorise the content, as this makes you sound like a machine when speaking.
Don’t read from the slides as you can stumble over certain vocabulary while this is boring for the audience. Remember that they can read.
Don’t apologise if you make a mistake or miss something as the audience will typically never notice. You can always return to the issue later.
Finally, remember that the experience of nervousness only typically lasts for the initial 3 to 5 minutes, so just keep going.
So, in the blog next week, we will examine simple techniques that demonstrate a positive response to the audience, especially during the challenging Q and A element of a presentation.
Question 1
Are team or individual presentations more challenging and why?
Question 2
Which is the more demanding stage of an assigned presentation task, the planning or delivery?
Question 3
How can we signal active listening and interest when responding to questions from the audience?
We shall explore Question 3 in the next blog.
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