So you have to give a presentation
Whenever I have to present, I am suddenly 14 again standing in front of my drama class.
Giving a presentation infront of a crowd isn’t easy for everyone and I happen to be one of those people it isn’t easy for…
Eventually, I had to learn to cope with those presentation jitters. This is how I did it:
Practice in the room you are going to present in (if possible)
I like to give at least one run through in the room I will be in. This helps me figure out where I want to stand while I’m speaking and the logistics.
2. Arrive early, but not TOO early
I like to arrive early to make sure my slides are working and all technology is cooperating at the time. I give myself about 10 minutes before people will start showing up. I don’t get there too early or I will give myself too much time to get nervous
3. Know your content
This seems like something really simple, but it’s easy to forget what you’re talking about when you’re infront of a crowd. Know your content so well that even when you’re nervous it’s second nature
4. Have a section to engage your audience
I have a fear of being boring while giving presentations. I don’t like to deliver un engaging whenever possible. For my most recent presentation I had multiple points for “True or False” to see if my participants were picking up the content!
5. Listen to a motivational speech or pump up song
My personal favorite is Successful by Ariana Grande. My college roommate would play this whenever anyone got back good news about a job, it stuck with me ever since.
6. Believe in yourself, you’ve got this
Most of all know that you can do this. Whether it’s 5 minutes or 2 hours, it’s a great experience you can learn from. Odds are most people in the room aren’t paying close attention anyways. After all, you are your worst critic.
7. Don’t wear heels for the first time ever during your presentation
This is just my 14 year old self talking. I dressed up for my drama presentation and ended up tripping over my heels and said “shit” during my poem reciting.
All jokes aside, I was able to overcome my fear and present a training I developed to 300 employees. Public speaking is not easy for everyone, but you can overcome your fears.
