Many people experience anxiety before giving a group presentation, whether it is for work, school, or a personal project. Anxiety can affect your performance, confidence, and enjoyment of the presentation. However, there are some best practices that can help you reduce your anxiety and deliver a successful presentation. Here are some of them.
One of the main sources of anxiety is the fear of being judged or misunderstood by your audience. To overcome this, you need to know who you are presenting to, what they expect from you, and how you can connect with them. Research your audience's background, interests, needs, and preferences. Tailor your content, language, and tone to suit them. Anticipate their questions and concerns and prepare your answers. By knowing your audience, you can build rapport, credibility, and trust with them.
One of the key things I learnt was then when asked a question on the spot and you dont know the answer to it, it's okay to tell the audience that you will get back to them on that. Not everything needs to be addressed in the presentation itself. Allow yourself the time to formulate a good response
I think a lot of people tend to concentrate on what they're saying or what they're going to say when presenting to an audience. I believe that equal consideration should be given to listening to and watching your audience in the moment. Almost any input from others should be welcomed and encouraged if possible, even if they're disagreeing with you or expressing a misunderstanding. Their input may give you an opportunity to further clarify your message, or give you and the rest of your audience an alternative view of the topic. Active listening is key to good communication.
One major practice would be adequate preparation for the group presentation. Lack or inadequate preparation would most likely exacerbate the nerves. Practice your presentation with friends or in front of a mirror until you are comfortable with your words and posture. In my experience, mastering the act of slow breathing before the task works magic.
In general, most of the nerves and anxiety come from uncertainty - not being fully prepared, or not knowing what might come your way. Practice, practice, practice and practice some more! Turn it into something comfortable. Reflect on the topics and questions that your presentation might raise. While you might not be able to anticipate all of them, you'll be comfortable, and better prepared to say something like "I haven't come across that and I'd be interested in learning more about this. What are your views? Let's have a chat during the break", for example. What I tend to do is practice in front of a mirror, reading my body language and how I can tweak it to enhance my confidence and credibility.
La chose la plus importante à mettre en évidence dans ce contexte est de commencer par changer le besoin de réussir par le plaisir d'apprendre ... Ce besoin de réussite est la principale source de la "Peur de faire des erreurs", en dépassant ce besoin on fait dispara?tre cette peur et on la substitue par une volonté d'apprendre à chaque fois de nouvelles capacités suite à l'expérience de vie qu'on est entrain de mener. J'ajoute que la confiance naisse en avan?ant et pas au début comme on nous a fait croire, c'est à dire qu'il faut sortir de l'idée qui stipule : "Fais-toi confiance et avance ..." Et se dire plut?t " J'avance et je gagne par la suite ma confiance ..." ??.
Another way to reduce anxiety is to practice your presentation as much as possible. Practicing helps you memorize your key points, improve your delivery, and identify any potential issues. You can practice alone, in front of a mirror, or with a friend or colleague who can give you feedback. You can also record yourself and watch your performance to spot any areas for improvement. The more you practice, the more confident and prepared you will feel.
Don’t try to memorize word for word - try to memorize _the essence_ of your presentation. Use a mindmap or similar to capture the keywords and the main principles behind your presentation. This gives you more purpose in your delivery, drives you to focus on the important points and also makes your presentation more alive and genuine, instead of being just a rehearsed speech (which easily can become tedious and monotonous).
I my experience, the best way to handle anxiety is to have a few practice session before the actual presentation. Objective is not to memorise what you will be speaking in the actual presentation but to get yourself familiarised with the flow and content. If possible, nothing is better than a mock presentations to reduce your anxiety.
Remind yourself that you're doing a presentation, not performing open-heart surgery, it's ok to not be perfect each and every step of the way.
While practicing is paramount, one thing my experience has taught me is that at the end of the presentation, there will be the presentation you practiced, the one you delivered and the one you wished you gave. So, to reduce the variance between these three, I recommend you spend time understanding the subject matter and not just practicing the presentation to memorize it.
Practising is for sure important. As said by many you shouldn't learn everything by heart as normally you won't have time and it will sound unnatural. Focus on: 1. Learning by heart the first 3 or 4 sentences. That's where most of the anxiety is, thereafter it will go smooth 2. Have a cheatsheet with the key bullets you want ti cover to memorize and avoid to forget (it's a Linus blanket) 3. Practise and focus on the transitions between the key points or slides. That's where you could forget or get stuck
Visual aids can enhance your presentation by adding interest, clarity, and impact to your message. They can also help you reduce anxiety by serving as cues and reminders for your content. Visual aids can include slides, charts, graphs, images, videos, or props. However, you need to use them wisely and sparingly. Make sure they are relevant, simple, and easy to read. Avoid overcrowding them with too much information or distracting elements. Use them to support your speech, not to replace it.
Keep slides visual. Very little text if any. Abstract and interesting images that support the story you are there to tell is best
It is always advisable to present less information in the slides and try to discuss more on the topic. Making the audience interact during the course will create a healthy atmosphere..
Visual aids are good, but less is more with presentations. Anytime you can use graphics and pictures to clearly represent what you are sharing the more engaged the audience will be.
In my experience the power of visuals is something that if used correctly can move and inspire an audience. It can create a subconscious 'hook' so that even long after a presentation has been given can lead to remembrance of the story that has been told. The presenter, the voice and the message are stored in the conscious and subconscious mind.
The less words on the actual presentation the better! Depending on your audience, pictures can be very helpful and sometimes using something anecdotal or funny can help ease your nerves (if you have the space to include something like that)
Before your presentation, it is important to calm your nerves and relax your body and mind. You can do this by breathing deeply and slowly, focusing on your inhale and exhale. Breathing helps you lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels. You can also try some relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, or visualization. Imagine yourself giving a successful presentation and feeling positive and confident. Relaxing helps you reduce tension, anxiety, and negative thoughts.
After that first set of deep breathes. Do it again after you introduce yourself. If you are one to forget or speak fast… you could even make light of it and say ‘hold on…. I was told I have to breathe more or I’ll pass out…’. Making light of yourself early on also eases yourself and audience.
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Know your topic!! When I had to present about a topic which I did not know too well I was feeling anxious. This helped me when I present about topics I know inside-out: I imagine myself talking to friends about my hobbies or my latest vacation - a large group of friends. It also helps me to assume that the audience is very interested in what I have to say.
If you are stuck or do not know an answer that’s completely fine and you don’t have to have answers ready always ! You can always say “ that’s a great question let me get back to you on that”. Or that’s a good question let me take it away’ .
Inhale;Exhale. Remind yourself of your confidence and remain calm. Trust that you’ve prepared to your best ability and knock it out of the park!
Simple breathing and mindfulness before getting on the stage can help you center urself and calm those nerves. It is also very useful to do some vocal cord exercises before you start presenting. Some chants, voice modulations help balance your tone and give you a confident start. This helps create a presence in front of the audience as soon as you kick-off your presentation.
During your presentation, you can reduce anxiety by engaging your audience and making them part of your speech. You can do this by asking questions, inviting feedback, telling stories, using humor, or making eye contact. Engaging your audience helps you create a dialogue, rather than a monologue. It also helps you gauge their interest, understanding, and reaction. By engaging your audience, you can make your presentation more interactive, dynamic, and enjoyable.
Cognitively reframe. You are not 'anxious' meeting and talking to hundreds of people - you are 'excited'. The earlier you think this way, the better.
Keeping the audiences attention is key and the easiest way to keep them intrigued is to bring them into your presentation whether it’s through participation, quick-fire Q&A or a well timed joke (if the time/place is right)
In engaging your audience one thing is to bring your stories home. By this i tend to use my experiences and my learning curve to engage my audience. Its also great to use humor and dialogue. Once I did a one person sketch to describe an experience to engage my audience and it was an instant winner.
Engaging the audience during the presentation is an indication of two way communication. Doing this not only helps you to have an idea whether you are being understood or not, but you can also get an instant feedback about your words and the pace they are being delivered. This makes presentation more effective, and encourages audience to listen to you with interest.
Start with a simple question to the audience. When replies come try to convert it into a healthy joke. This will create a friendly environment in the hall and people will love to interact.
After your presentation, you can reduce anxiety by learning from your experience and celebrating your achievements. You can do this by reflecting on what went well, what didn't go well, and what you can do better next time. You can also ask for feedback from your audience, peers, or mentors. Feedback helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses and improve your skills. You can also acknowledge your efforts, appreciate your progress, and reward yourself. Learning from your experience helps you grow, improve, and enjoy your presentation journey.
Mindfulness and breathing can really help but for some speakers putting on some uplifting music or doing a quick exercise or moving the body can help reduce nerves and tension before a group talk. Remember, the audience are rooting for you. They want your talk to go well. Even the most seasoned speakers still get nervous before a talk.
Watching recordings of those whose style you wish to emulate is like an athlete watching game tape. Make observations, take notes, and find elements you can practice embedding in your own presentations. This will not only reduce in-presentation anxiety, but also give you a checklist of skills you can work towards mastering over time.
Incorporating quick peer feedback sessions after presentations or meetings can greatly benefit public speaking skills. The following structured yet simple framework helps ensure comprehensive, actionable feedback: 1) Ask peers what you did effectively as a speaker. This allows you to recognize and repeat successful tactics. 2) Have peers highlight what could be enhanced. This enables focused development on critical skills that need work. 3) Outline next steps using the feedback. This fosters measurable progress. Additionally, offering constructive feedback to peers allows you to learn from their performance too. By analyzing their strengths and development areas, you gain exposure to diverse speaking styles and approaches.
Always, always build on your strenghts. Your biggest critic will often be yourself, so don't be so hard on yourself. Instead focus on building self confidence, look back at your presentation and write down the things you did really well, ask someone you trust that participated that could tell their perspective on what you did really good. Remember that your presentation skills will become better and better the more you do it and the more comfortable you get on stage. Practice handling "mistakes", meaning share it when the audience when it happens, don't we all love when someone happens to be human.
Learning from your experience allows you to improve. Don't be too hard on yourself if something didn't go as smoothly as you would've liked. There will be things you could've done better, as well as things beyond your control. Take all of it as a learning experience and use it to do better next time.
I used to have stage fright with even the simplest of presentations. I learned a simple hack. I arrive as early as possible and engage a few of the people that will make up the audience in light-hearted banter. Once I start the main presentation, I treat them as my visual North star, as if I've just continued that conversation with them, but from the stage or podium and I'm speaking to them alone. That calms me down. It's even better if this person occasionally smiles or nods in response to eye contact. They often will.
Something super simple that we tend to forget is everyone in the room, yourself as the speaker/presenter included is a human being first, we’re people. We’re creatures of community and together-hood. The two best super powers in such a situation are vulnerability and humor. The brain child of the two? Something I like to call vulnerable humor. Your answer to smashing anxiety every. single. time. ?? Share your anxiety with a confidence that accepts your feelings with the authority if knowing you’re presenting for a reason. ?? Be there for your audience not yourself. ?? Open yourself up and most importantly open yourself up to fail, be human, we already have robots in ChatGPT.
Ice breakers - I usually include mindful breathing interludes... This serves not just as a break, but as a secret weapon to maintain composure and keep the presentation sailing. I Aesthetic Visuals-Also ensure that your slides are a visual palette. I let it be professional and aesthetically pleasing to the audience. Story Telling-Includes stories... Better still include your own stories. The audience love to listen to other people's stories and relate themselves to it. Strategic pauses- once in a way, and include silence. It is a powerful tool to emphasize key points and maintain audience focus Ensure that you strike the right balance between professionalism and engagement
Everyone gets anxious before a presentation. Here's my quick self-help guide: ??Hot/sweaty => Hold something cold (e.g., ice water). ?? Cold => Hold something warm in your hands (e.g., coffee). ?? Light headed/short of breath => Do deep breathing exercises (e.g., Physiological Sigh). ?? Shaky => Stretch or bring movements into your presentation. Cup your hands together in front of your stomach. ?? Nausea => Eat something light (e.g., crackers) and drink something soothing (e.g., tea). ?? Worried about the future => Bring yourself back into the moment by doing a tongue twister. ?? All of these at once => Memorize the start of your presentation and practice it 10X. In all cases, get to the know the stage beforehand. ?Remember: You can do it!
Remember that some nervousness and butterflies are normal, and it's okay to feel that way! The same way a baseball hitter might feel coming up with the game on the line or a teacher going in on their first day of school. It means you care about your content and what you are about to do. Important, though, is to let the butterflies help you focus and not take over your emotions or thoughts. The tips above will help accomplish this, and you'll be well-prepared to give excellent presentations