Presentation Skills - Simple Strategies To Help You Take Control Of Your Nerves When Presenting

Whether it’s presenting to your manager, a team of colleagues, or pitching for new business the success of any presentation is dependent on structuring a clear message and delivering that message with confidence and conviction.

Obviously, confidence is a crucial element but if for you (like many others), the mere thought of having to give a presentation can lead to nerves taking over, what then happens to the clear, well structured message that you were hoping to present?

This enlightening article by Liz Banks provides some simple yet highly effective strategies for overcoming the fear of presenting - to ensure that you are in control of your nerves when you get up to present. And as a result, are able to substantially increase the chance of delivering a successful presentation.

Three Simple Strategies to Help You Take Control of Your Nerves when Presenting.

• Little or no experience of speaking in public?
• Does the very thought of presenting fill you with fear?
• Still suffer anxiety attacks before you present?
• Would you like to be more in control when delivering a presentation?

Read on if you'd like to do something about it today...

Whether it’s presenting to your manager, a team of colleagues, or pitching for new business the success of any presentation is dependent on structuring a clear message and delivering that message with confidence and conviction.

Obviously, confidence is a crucial element but if for you (like many others), the mere thought of having to give a presentation can lead to nerves taking over, what then happens to the clear, well structured message that you were hoping to present?

Fear of public speaking takes on many guises

Just about every day of the week we have people asking us if we've ever had to deal with their particular problem and if we can help them eliminate their fears of public speaking.

The phrases they use to describe this feeling of dread include:-
"petrified" ... "very nervous" ... "anxiety attacks" ... "throat dries up" ... "avoid it at all costs" ... "afraid" ... "get panic attacks" ... " shake like a leaf" ... "voice goes" ... "mind goes blank" ... " feel physically sick" ... "totally stressed" ... "feel like an idiot" ..."face goes red" ... "heart is pounding" ... "can hardly breathe" ... "out of body feeling"
Do any of these phrases ring true with yourself or others you know?

So is there a medical term for this feeling of dread?

There may well be a medical term for the most severe of cases, but the first thing you need to know about this is that the feelings described above are actually quite normal. Its simply what happens when there's a rapid increase of adrenaline running around our body - and we sometimes go into what I'd call almost a state of shock.

Generally speaking you are experiencing some physical reactions to a fear induced state of mind.

Not great for you personally if your next job promotion hangs on you're being able to carry this presentation off. Or if its during an interview that you've just been asked to give an impromptu presentation.

But you can change things if you are willing to try.
Both our beginners and intermediate level courses focus a lot on helping to overcome these fears, and to build confidence and improve your presentation delivery skills.

However there's also some things that you can do on your own if you have the time and the desire to give them a try.

You really can start to take back control of your nervous energy.
Note that I didn't say you'd always be able to eliminate all your nerves. In fact its actually good to be slightly nervous - as long as you are in control of things - because then you are more alert - have more energy - and can be far more convincing than if you were just totally laid back and didn't have a care in the world!.

Being in control of your nerves is what's important.
So how do you do it?

Three simple practical strategies to use

Remember that feeling nervous is natural but there are some simple strategies you can apply before you start to speak to help control the nerves and make you feel more relaxed. Here are a few of my favourites:-

1. Take in a couple of slow, deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, before you start to help control your nervous energy and to slow you down before you start.

2. Clench and stretch your hands and then shake them out. This helps to release tension and to control any fidgeting gestures that can occur when nervous.

3. Imagine chewing a very large toffee to exercise facial muscles and reduce any tension in the face.

But do they actually work?

As you've probably just realised none of this is rocket science. These techniques however can be incredibly effective.
Why not try and put them into practice yourself?

For one, the breathing exercise can probably also reduce your baseline anxiety level and blood pressure if used regularly. In fact one US company has an FDA approved product called resp@rate that helps people do just that by helping them to use regular deep breathing to reduce their blood pressure.

We're not suggesting for a moment that you need to buy this - but just trying to show that breathing exercises can be an incredibly powerful way of reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure. And of course help you take control of presentation nerves!

Remember stress balls?

Ever used a stress ball in the past?
Clenching your fists and then straightening your fingers until taut several times is simply another tried and tested technique that I personally use to help prepare for a presentation. It's also something that you can do in almost any situation - without being spotted!

Remember to focus your mind on what you are doing and make sure that when you clench your fist you put a lot of power into that movement and then when you straighten out your fingers, your fingers and the palm of the hand are as taut and as solid as you can make them. i.e. again you are putting as much effort as you can into this tactic. Focusing your attention and physical energy on this activity helps you relax a bit and gives the adrenalin another means of escape!