Consider a few techniques for reducing stress and nervousness so your audience can better receive your message.
It takes time for leaders to develop strong presentation skills. Early in their careers, many tend to be nervous, impacting their ability to effectively deliver their message. There are many reasons people feel nervous, of course, but one of the most often cited is the sense of “a thousand eyeballs upon them.” It is a natural reaction to feel anxious when we believe we are being stared at, sized up, and judged. Surely, in most cases this really is not happening. Too often, because of a lack of good presentation skills, the audience is bored and not really listening anyway. They aren’t evaluating every move you make nor the misstep in words you use that only you would recognize. It is also true most people are not nervous when having a conversation like they are when presenting. Therefore, turning your presentation into a conversation can help as discussed in this blog post.
Asking questions and having a conversation benefits a nervous presenter just like they benefit the audience. For the audience it creates interest. For the presenter, it reduces nervousness as you direct people to focus on your topic, reducing the sense that they are evaluating your “performance.” This technique is particularly helpful at the beginning of a presentation when you are likely to be most nervous and want to take the focus off you and put it on your message, where you want it.
A great deal has been written on how to present well and with a litany of recommendations for how to reduce nervousness. In addition to turning your presentation into a conversation, here are a few approaches I found to be most helpful over the years:
- Slow your breathing before you begin. Take a deep breath and slowly let it out. This well-known practice creates a calming effect.
- Tell a joke / say something funny as you begin (make sure it is at least amusing). Laughter alleviates stress and, if you are a person whose voice shakes when you are nervous, this can stabilize your voice. Please note, also, even when you feel like your voice is shaky, the audience usually cannot tell. We end up putting unnecessary strain on ourselves, believing everyone can hear our nervousness or sense our instability as we begin. They can’t.
- Take a piece of paper and fold it in half lengthwise. Write your speakers notes on the halves of pages. Hold the paper in one hand and put your other hand in your pocket. For females wearing a dress or other clothing not conducive to putting one hand in a pocket, keep your arm straight but comfortably to your side at times and shifting it to hold the paper. Having the paper in one hand provides for natural movement while you are speaking and allows some of your physical energy to be absorbed through that.
- Find a friendly face to return to. Many times, we present to teams with people we know in the audience. Find a friend and come back to the person regularly to create a sense of calm.
- If you cannot look audience members in the eye for fear it will make you nervous, look over the tops of their heads. Everyone will think you are looking at the person behind them, but you are taking the pressure of being looked at out of the equation, removing the “thousand eyes upon me” feeling that makes many uncomfortable.
- Move around a bit rather than standing still. Releasing energy through movement makes it easier to quickly get past nervousness. Even a few small steps help. Just don’t run back and forth across the stage.
Together with asking questions, these techniques can ease your mind and release physical energy, thus reducing stress and nervousness. And when that happens you will better deliver your message and, more important, your audience will receive it more effectively.
Share your thoughts below.
Are you or have you been a nervous presenter? What techniques have you found to be most helpful you become a better presenter?
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