The Mindset of a Confident Speaker: How to Mentally Prepare for Your Next Presentation

You’ve spent weeks preparing for the keynote. You know what story you’re going to tell. You even bought a new suit. But you’re still wondering, “Am I ready?”

In my work coaching leaders to give impactful presentations, talks, and keynotes, the biggest struggle I see them have is preparation. Most leaders don’t have a process for how to prepare and therefore don’t know when they’re “done” preparing. The result? Presentations that lack the spark that makes them memorable.

Recently, I spoke with an international speaker (and one of my coaches) Briony McKenzie about how she prepares for public speaking engagements. In this article, we’ll share our best practices for how to prepare for the virtual or live stage and mental frameworks that will help you gauge when you’re ready.

Mental Preparation and Rehearsal

“Mentally rehearsing is better than overpreparing,” says McKenzie, and I couldn’t agree more. You’ve probably heard about how mental rehearsal is the way athletes prepare for big competitions. Preparing for a presentation is no different. Mental rehearsal helps create and strengthen neural pathways associated with the task, translating into better performance.?

“Mentally rehearsing is better than overpreparing.” —Briony McKenzie

I used to over-script everything out of fear. I remember being asked to speak in San Francisco for International Women’s Day. Excited, I spent days scripting every word and memorizing it. But when the big day came, I stepped on stage, looked at the audience of 50 women, and froze by the third line. I restarted twice, beads of sweat forming on my face before I finally pushed through.

That experience taught me something crucial: I’m most effective and eloquent when I’m not scripted. Now, my rehearsal focuses on building excitement about sharing with my audience and rehearsing just the first five minutes of my talk. Why the first five minutes? Because that’s when your heart rate is higher and you’re most aware that people are looking at you.

Shifting from Anxiety to Excitement

When nerves hit, many try breathing exercises to calm down. While breathwork and meditation are powerful tools, they often don’t match the high energy of speaking live or on camera. Your body knows when you’re on edge.

Dr. Allison Wood Brooks of Harvard Kennedy School discovered that trying to calm yourself before speaking doesn’t work as expected. Instead, it’s more effective to match your high energy with positive anticipation by saying, “I’m excited to present this!” Nervousness is a negative story about how you’ll perform, while excitement is a positive one. Flip the script—focus on your enthusiasm.

I always think about my audience. I picture one person I know will be there and say, “I can’t wait to teach Jeff—he’s going to get so much from this.” This shifts the focus to serving others, and that’s when you come alive.

Confidence and Sharing Your Content

Your content is set, and you’ve rehearsed. But how do you know you’re truly ready? For me, it’s when I feel excited instead of anxious. That shift from “What if I mess up?” to “I can’t wait to share this!” is key.

For McKenzie, it’s all about a “full body yes.”

“There’s a feeling in my gut when I’m ready. It’s like, it’s time to share this now. I just feel congruent.” —Briony McKenzie

This kind of confidence means you trust your ability to handle whatever comes up, whether it’s a question or an unexpected audience reaction. You’re ready to roll with it.

Lose Yourself in the Service of Others

It’s normal to feel nervous before speaking, but focusing too much on yourself makes you self-conscious. I often guide people to remember Gandhi’s advice:

“You find yourself when you lose yourself in the service of others.” —Gandhi

When you stop making it about your performance and start making it about connecting with the room, that’s when you’re ready to make an impact.

Preparation goes beyond rehearsing words—it’s about aligning your message with your purpose, building confidence through your experiences, and genuinely connecting with your audience. By mentally preparing and shifting from anxiety to excitement, you can transform your speaking experience into something truly memorable.

Watch the full interview with Briony McKenzie here.

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