Overcome presentation anxiety: all questions answered

Would you like to be less vulnerable to stress? There is a sphere of skills which for most people is the key to leading a life where although stress may arise occasionally, it is never allowed to last very long or to reach debilitating levels.

For the fortunate it can form an inherent part of their ‘take’ on life and comes naturally. For others it can be the most significant underlying cause of their vulnerability to stress. These skills include the ability to overcome anxiety. Let’s take a look at the example of a manager who fights the fear of giving an important presentation.

Learn how to develop confidence

Most managers will admit that giving a presentation, especially to a large or important audience, is likely to make them nervous at best or extremely stressed. If their thinking beforehand is fettered by fear of failure, desperation for approval, aspirations of perfection and the rest, then they are making life unnecessarily difficult for themselves and are less likely to give an assured performance. Here are some useful tips.

You are the expert

Constantly remind yourself that you have been asked to do this because you are the expert on the subject and your audience is going to learn from you. For the fifteen minutes scheduled you will be the one in charge and they are lucky to have you!

Get used to the venue

If possible, visit the venue on your own a few days or even an hour or two beforehand. Stand on the dais and imagine the sea of faces in front of you. Get used to the idea of making that territory your own. If you are using any form of equipment, practise using it until it becomes second nature.

Rehearse

Familiarize yourself closely with what you are going to say, especially the start and the finish. Consider the tone you are going to use, the pace, the volume (always pitched for the back row).

What to do when you don’t know the answer

Think through the things which might throw you but not in an ‘Oh help, what if…’ way, but rather as a calm ‘If this happens, this is how I’ll deal with it’ way. For instance it is possible you will be asked a question to which you don’t know the answer. Don’t let your face or voice betray for even a second any sense of panic or alarm. Immediately reply that you’re grateful for the question, you don’t know the answer but that if the questioner would like to give you their e-mail address before they leave, you will be glad to get them the answer within 24 hours. You may think you’ve let yourself down but your audience will be impressed by your calm and authoritative response.

Make sure you are on time

How are you going to get there? You don’t want to risk the hassle of driving hold-ups, so ask a colleague to take you and allow plenty of time.

Decide early enough on your outfit

Don’t leave deciding what you are going to wear until you get up that morning. Make sure it’s all ready the night before.

How to stay calm right before the event

Three or four minutes before the floor is yours, concentrate on breathing slowly and steadily from your stomach area rather than your chest. Crudely known as ‘belly breathing’, this technique will assist you physiologically to stay calm, which in turn will assist your mental state. Also, you are doing something positive and helpful, adding to the feeling that you are in control of you. Similarly, if something challenging occurs during your presentation, try to keep your breathing slow and from well below chest level.

Look beyond the worrying

Finally, it is easy to let all the build-up to the presentation dominate all your thoughts, as if no life exists beyond it. Suppose it is taking place on a Friday, spend some time during the previous few days thinking about and planning for the weekend which follows. This technique of looking beyond the worrying event helps to put it in perspective as just a part of life’s continuum.

If you want to get more advice on how to fight stress, “Stress and Work/Life Balance” is the right book for you.

Download the free eBook “Stress and Work/Life Balance”