Episode 189 - How To Deal With Pre-Presentation Nerves

<p class="p1"><strong>Summary</strong></p> <p class="p2">Delivering a presentation is a fear-inducing situation for most of us. This week we look at practical ways to manage pre-presentation nerves.</p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p1"><strong>Transcript</strong></p> <p class="p2">Hello and welcome to episode 189 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at ways to manage pre-presentation nerves.</p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">Most of us will need to give a work presentation at some point. Whether it’s to a group of 5 at a team meeting or 500 at a conference, speaking in public can be very stressful. This applies to online presentations as well. These nerves impact people differently, but many will experience an elevated heart rate, sweating, feeling hot or going red, and struggling to concentrate.</p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p2">If we let our nerves get the better of us we may not present as well as we had hoped. Our fear might even lead us to avoid opportunities to share our ideas in the future. However there are some practical steps you can take to deal with pre-presentation nerves that will help you to be more confident and clear.</p> <ol class="ol1"> <li class="li2">Prepare. Be really clear about what you’re planning to say. I’ve found keeping presentations to three main points works well. Your notes should be bullet points rather than a script. You can start by outlining the three points you will cover, then go into more detail for each of the points, then summarise the three points at the end.</li> <li class="li2">Practice. Run through your presentation in front of the mirror or, better yet, video yourself. Don’t ever let your actual presentation be the first time you’ve said it out loud. I find it helpful to visualise the room I will be presenting in. If you have access to the room ahead of time that’s even better. Run through the presentation until you only need your notes occasionally as a prompt.</li> <li class="l