Solutions for public speaking stress

12 Tips for Better Presentations

You're in a new level of leadership and can't avoid presenting. You're returning to work at the office and after two years on zoom, you're not sure you remember how to present to a room full of professionals. You're self-conscious and dread your next presentation. If any of these sound like you, read on to see how I answer the following question from one of the executives I coach.

Q: "Within the last couple of weeks, I received a (fair though harsh) critique, from a high-level executive at my company, of a presentation I conducted. My delivery (littered with uhms detracted from the quality and content of the presentation is what I was told).?I know public speaking is anathema to many, and has typically been for me as well. As a child I stuttered for a while, and even now when I get highly anxious, there is some stammering during presentations. During my tenure, I’ve done some public speaking and its been mixed-- when I’m confident in the material and know the audience, I tend to have fewer issues. But by and large, I’ve been able to minimize the amount of presentations I do. I don’t think I will be able to avoid that in my new leadership position, and with the feedback I received, it’s probably high time I tackle the public speaking and presentation issue head on. I was wondering if you might offer some recommendations?"

A: You are not alone. Jerry Seinfeld summed it up best, “at a funeral, most people would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy!”?Presenting is important for leadership, and there are many strategies to help.

Here are 12 tips for your consideration. Use what’s helpful to you, disregard the rest.

1. Mindset of service: what does your audience care about? What do they need to know? Who do you need to be in order to add value or contribute to that?

2. Flip the switch of your awareness from self to other: if you notice you feel nervous, your attention is on yourself. Shift away from this by focusing on connecting with whoever you are speaking to.

3. Think of it like a conversation. You are already masterful at those. Sometimes it helps to pick one person in the audience to speak to as if you were in a 1:1 conversation with them. Find a friendly face at the back of the room and make eye contact throughout your talk.

4. Ground yourself before you speak. Breathe low and slow. Feel the soles of your feet in your shoes, feel the ground beneath you literally supporting you.

5. Keep ahold of your ultimate message or most important point. Plan ahead of time if there is only one thing that you want your audience to leave your talk knowing, believing, doing, thinking, or being, what is that one thing?

6. Find people you know who do it well and observe them or ask for mentorship?and feedback during practice sessions prior to giving your talk.

7.?Keep slides to colorful, clear, large visual images if possible (better for brain integration since left hemisphere is words and right hemisphere is images). Avoid slides that are all words or cluttered charts. Definitely do not read slides aloud.

8. Prepare your talk in modules. Taking a modular approach allows you to find your place easily if you get lost in mid-stream, and it allows you to adjust content for time or audience need on the fly.?

9. Use your senses. Before your talk, get yourself present by noticing how the air feels, if you have a table or podium to touch notice the smoothness and coolness of the surface, notice any smells or sounds, notice if you taste anything. Look around and identify 5 things you see.?

10. Empty your pockets of keys/coins and remove any bangle bracelets. If speaking with a microphone those times will jingle loudly and distract your audience.

11. If you are prone to ums and uhs, practice silence in those places. What feels like eons of silence to you as a speaker will in reality be only a nanosecond to your audience and won’t distract them from your content.?Try this: record video of yourself speaking (just use your phone if that’s easiest) and watch the reply for the purpose of identifying what you are doing RIGHT. Build on those strengths. What we focus on expands.?

12. Self talk (that's positive) helps! Manage your internal dialogue. Notice when you are giving voice to fears, doubts, anxiety, and consciously and intentionally replace those thoughts with ones that serve you and your mission. Choose your thoughts and don’t believe the automatic ones.?

You've got this!