How can you prepare to present without feeling nervous?

Firstly we need to accept the fact that nervousness is a positive sign. You get such feelings when you wish to be heard well and want the audience to have some takeaways. That feeling in the stomach or the trembling feet are temporary signs that come in the first few instances. Later as one learns to understand his style of presentation and 'prepares well' and delivers 'authentic content', this feeling goes away naturally. An important trick that worked for me is to keep a bottle of water handy in the initial part of the presentation.

Practice is key. Rehearse your presentation multiple times, focus on your key points, and anticipate possible questions. Familiarity breeds confidence. Always go and check the place where you will be presenting.

Purpose drives enthusiasm, if there is no purpose then the presentation would be all in vain. When there is enthusiasm then there is no scope of nervousness because you have inner zeal to teach people what you think and stand by through your presentation. When the purpose is clear, content, structure, and delivery automatically follow

Feeling nervous before a presentation is natural, but preparation can turn those nerves into excitement! Start by knowing your material inside out - this builds confidence. Practice in front of a mirror or with friends to get comfortable. Remember, it's not just about the words; it's how you say them. Pay attention to your body language and tone. Visualize success - imagine the audience engaging positively.

I have found that the nerves dissipate when I focus on the audience and remember this precious time is about them, not about me. I get a valuable opportunity to add value to their lives.

Practice practice practice - I always do my best to memorize the entire presentation and rehearse it so many times that I can feel free on stage to diverge if the moment calls for it. It also helps to have slides that can trigger your main points and keep you focused as you go. When it comes to nervousness though, I think a little nervousness is helpful as long as it's not the debilitating kind. A little nervousness indicates you're excited to get on stage and you're not overconfident, which can kill a presentation.

Begin preparation for your presentation as soon as you receive it; organize details, create and begin working on your outline. Work on your presentation on a daily basis so it isn’t too overwhelming. Prepare to discuss points within your presentation to a level you are comfortable and practice several times before the actual day. Remember, you are the subject matter expert of your presentation… you have this in the bag!!!!

When getting ready for a presentation, practising and rehearsing are crucial. since it fosters the development of self-confidence, which is necessary for presentations. To build that confidence you have to practise your presentation in front of your colleague, a family member or anyone you are confident in talking to. A common error that many people make is that write the entire presentation on paper and try to memorise everything in it. From my experience, it won't help you to do a good presentation. What you really should do is memorise the key points and the flow of your presentation. And the other main thing is to have a better understanding of your presentation and the slides. So you know how the story flows.

Prepare prepare prepare. Know your audience. Memory joggers in presentation always helpful. Always have a few jokes prepared.

First try might be “hard”, second try might be “not too hard”, And you keep on practicing… In the end you realize that “it is not that hard anymore”

Nerves are natural. Confront them during the presentation. My go to is to crack a joke or make a lighthearted comment in the first minute. This allows my nervous system to flush positive energy throughout my body and put focus on what content I want to deliver. Also remember, you are only as nervous as you think - no one person knows your nerves - they cannot feel them. And if all else fails, simply tell your audience you’re nervous, then you can move on and present.

2 Easy ways to avoid being nervous during a presentation are: 1. Preparation. The more time you have spent running through a presentation the more comfortable you will be delivering the content (and you will come across more effective and confident). You probably notice that if you deliver a specific presentation dozens of times, you have very little nervousness on the 25th time versus the 6th time. For delivering a presentation where it might include brand new content, make sure to practice it in the manner you would for an audience at least 3+ times. 2. Mindset. Come into a presentation with the understanding that your audience wants to see you succeed so they can get the most out of it. Everyone is rooting for you!

Managing stress plays an pivotal role in daily life process. It is a human thing to get nervous while presenting in large group of audience. But the message which has to be conveyed to the large crowd must be to the point that the presentation makes interesting. Practicing the keynote of what must be delivered to the audience and the essence of the presentation point must be delivered in such a way that the stress and negative thoughts are vanished and audience will engage in the presentation process.

A little bit of nervousness can be a good thing. I'm always a tad stressed when presenting, despite doing it for over a decade. Try to channel that energy. You are not a robot and neither is your audience. Emotions make us human and if something goes wrong, own it, admit it and in most cases your audience will sympathise with you.

I always found it helpful to try not to block out nerves but to acknowledge the nerves and use them to your advantage. Nerves means that you care about your work, so try and see them in a positive light. You're about to embark on a challenge and your nerves will give you the energy and focus needed to do it well.

Focusing on your audience is a powerful strategy to mitigate nerves. When you shift your mindset from self-performance to serving your audience, it changes the game. You're no longer the center of attention; your audience is. This approach takes the pressure off you and channels your energy into delivering value to them. You create a two-way conversation, not a monologue, by engaging them with questions, stories, or humor. This interaction captivates your audience and gives you cues and feedback, making the experience more dynamic and less intimidating. When your audience is learning, enjoying, and engaging, you'll find your nerves slipping away, replaced by the satisfaction of making a meaningful impact.

Engaging your audience has always done the magic for me considering they are the consumers of whatever information I’ve researched or I’m speaking on is about! It also creates an entry for input where you get to know what your audience is thinking or thinks about your topic and whether or not you’re engaging them in a very meaningful manner or not! This enlightens you to know where you are at with your audience.

Nervousness means you care. Appreciate nerves as a sign things matter and make them motivators to seek out rather than feelings to try to eliminate.

There are many techniques you can use to engage an audience, but the one that I see used infrequently but I find very powerful is using a slow pace. The slower you are and the more lengthy pauses you use between points the better in my opinion. The silence draws people in and the pauses allow people time to digest and think about what you've said. Presenting slowly is a real skill as the temptation is always to rush through and fill the silence, and what feels slow to you probably doesn't come across as slow for the audience.

The key thing to understand is one must treat a presentation as a dialogue/discussion and not a monologue. You are there to make people listen, but to discuss with them.

1. Don’t be afraid to try something different, try a new approach every time until you know what works best for you and for your audience. 2. Make sure your presentation is exciting for you to look at, if you’re not excited about the presentation and not confident with it you won’t be convincing 3. Understand the value of what you’re presenting, you can’t deliver value that you don’t think exists 4. Don’t be rigid, go out of the box by adding ice breakers, gifs and images. explore new fun softwares such as Prezi. 5. A presentation is a conversation, don’t list all content in your slides, only headlines, and do the talking. Use 3 lines of 5 words max in each slide 6. Maintain sufficient eye contact with everyone, smile and have fun!

Always try and get constructive feedback from people in the audience. Don't just ask them about your content, ask them about your presenting style and if there's anything you can do to improve.

Relax and confidently share your slides with your colleague, supervisor, or an expert for a thorough review and constructive feedback. This will enhance your presentation and make you stand out.

You might reflect immediately after presenting, and if you get a few minutes to do so, then you should definitely try. Think about what you liked and went well, and equally what you didn't like and could be improved. You might find this easier to do later on in the day, or on another day altogether. Either way, ask people for feedback - spectators, colleagues, managers - whoever you can. Taking the time to reflect will help you refine your presentation style, and build confidence for any future presentations.

Rehearsing your slides is like getting cozy with your material and making those slides your second home. The more you practice, the more you own your content, and that confidence shines through. Practice isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a must for nailing your presentation.

Like how rapid the world changes, new information and technologies changes rapidly, so it is important to stay up-to-date with news in your relevant topics. The internet has made it accessible for anyone, anywhere to have access to learning in one form or another; and as a leader in your field it is imperative to stay up-to-date.

Embrace a mindset of continuous learning leading up to your presentation. Thoroughly understand your topic, anticipate potential questions, and stay updated on relevant developments. This ongoing preparation not only enhances your expertise but also boosts your confidence. It equips you to navigate unexpected challenges seamlessly, fostering a sense of control and calmness during the presentation. Remember, the more you invest in expanding your knowledge, the more resilient you become in managing nerves and delivering a polished, informed presentation.

Keep a glass of water handy and take sips from time to time so if you are nervous in middle of the presentation or are unable to manage stress you can take a short pause, deep breath, sip water and deep breath again then come back to presenting!!

Giving a presentation is a continuous learning process. At start, everyone has a sense of fear while presenting but one needs to learn from those experiences. Try to put those examples in the presentation about which you love to talk. This removes the nervousness and you feel more confident.

Power Poses! Sounds cheesy, but it does work. You can trick your brain into being more confident, by power posing and smiling. E.g. take 2min before the presentation, go into a bathroom and take on a winning position- it will help your body to feel more empowered!

Nervousness is energy—leverage it! The best presentations have an undercurrent of “I might forget” or “I might flub this” essentially because you are human! Even when you overstand your subject matter and have prepped for eons, your audience seeks relatability, and they’re often willing to overlook missteps if they occur. Your best bounce back is to retain humility/humor/honesty. I gave a presentation committed to memory, but midway I lost focus. It was to the point where I had a long, very awkward pause. So, I stood there and smiled until I found my prompt, then kept going. Thankfully, the line I’d forgotten was the most hilarious, ice-breaking line. While the message was received, I got extra support being poised under pressure. Whew!

What I tend to always worry about it the “what ifs” of what questions could they ask me. But at the end of the day if you don’t know you can always go back and research and reply with an email. Don’t feel pressured to reply on the spot and risk giving the wrong answer !