What Usain Bolt taught me about stress-free presentations!

Really?  Is Usain not better known for sprinting at the Olympics and World Championships I hear you ask? Yes, you’re absolutely right, but I try to find inspiration for excellence everywhere. If we were to adopt strategies that a world class athlete uses to help him succeed, I wonder where we could find ourselves?

Here are my thoughts on the matter. Are you ready? Steady? Let’s go! The big P is so important, that is preparation. Usain is not likely to hit the track without preparing fully so why would you not prepare for that presentation you need to give? 3 points to consider:

1. Research your topic, your audience, your venue so you can be as well prepared as possible. Know your topic well, then you won’t be tripped up by questions from the floor and will come across as the true expert you are. 
2. Know your audience and their needs and wants, then you’ll be sure to give them what they need which will keep them alert and interested. This is a double whammy – if you are truly focused on your audience’s needs, guess what? You won’t be focusing on yourself and that helps keep the nerves at bay.
3. Know your venue then you’ll know in advance how far you’ll need to project your voice and whether or not you may need a microphone. Leave that to chance and you’re enhancing the possibility that your stress levels will increase, minimising your chance to really enjoy what you’re doing.

So the next time you need to give a presentation, no matter how large or small, adopt these tactics and see how Usain Bolt has helped you too. Find these tips useful or interesting? Do you worry when you have to give presentations? Then I would love to hear from you.

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