It is said that public speaking is feared more than actual life-threatening situations. So how do you overcome this when you have to take center stage whether it be giving a presentation at a conference or a smaller presentation in the boardroom? These are some of the best ways to be ready to do your best and be most effective when you need to own the room.
1. If you can’t make it, fake it
Walking into a room with your head held high, your shoulders back and with a smile on your face can give everyone the impression that you know exactly what you are doing. Even if you are secretly terrified and completely faking your confidence, this works. In fact, if you fake your confidence enough, it becomes genuine.
This is similar to having a fear of heights. At one of my jobs, there was a huge wall of windows that looked down on the lobby of the building. These windows looking down went up ten stories. Working on the tenth floor and having to walk the hallway where the windows were the only thing between me and what I perceived as an imminent fall made me constantly take other avenues to get to where I needed to go. One day I decided to look down. I only did it for a moment, but the next day I did it for a little longer and the next and the next. I got to the point that I got used to looking down and eventually it didn’t phase me. Other colleagues never got to that point and avoided the view. Faking confidence can follow the same pattern if you think about it.
When you take the time to acknowledge you are nervous internally, but make yourself outwardly confident, it becomes easier in time and then dare I say it, natural and normal. People are more apt to listen to and agree with someone who acts like they know what they are doing and are confident in their presentations. That confidence tells people:
- You are capable.
- You are trustworthy.
- You can solve their problem.
- You are a leader
2. Be Likeable
It doesn’t matter if this is a one on one meeting with your boss or if it is a presentation in front of 500 people. While confidence is key, likeability is a close second. So how can you be likeable in these situations. There are a lot of things you can do, but the most important thing you can do is the simplest. Smile. Walk in the room with a smile and energy and people will have a first impression that you are kind, approachable and yes this aides in confidence as well. Practice this on anyone. People are very receptive when someone is smiling. I have been in presentations with 500 people and the first thing I do is make sure when I go on that stage I am smiling and greet them genuinely to start the presentation. It sets the stage for a more involved audience because they liked me. I was approachable and there was less to fear when they wanted to ask question.
I have done presentations for many years, I learned quickly what works and what doesn’t. What doesn’t work 100% of the time is when someone comes up with a dry power point to present on a dry subject and reads each slide walking off the stage with a muffled applause that is mandatory, but not genuine. Not only is this extremely boring for your audience, nothing is accomplished by this. The message is lost the retention for the audience is nullified.
3. Be Different in Presentations
I have done presentations for many years, I learned quickly what works and what doesn’t. What doesn’t work 100% of the time is when someone comes up with a dry power point to present on a dry subject and reads each slide walking off the stage with a muffled applause that is mandatory, but not genuine. Not only is this extremely boring for your audience, nothing is accomplished by this. The message is lost the retention for the audience is nullified.
I cannot stress this enough. Be Different. I would present the driest material about financial investment compliance. Getting on stage, I could hear the grumbles from the audience. They had never had a speaker that did more than the minimum and they expected to be bored. Do more. Walk out there confidently, smile and come up with how to best present while making the message important to your audience. One way to do this is to have real world examples of what your are talking about and don’t put them on your power point. Step away from your presentation and say “True Story” or “Let’s Put this in Perspective”. When you physically step away from your presentation, the audience will notice something is happening and it will peak their interest.
Add humor where appropriate as well. Break up your presentation with some relevant humor to your topic whether it be a well placed comic in your presentation or a well timed joke that can tie into the topic. Don’t be afraid to do this and if they don’t laugh, shake it off and tell them something like, “well this is why I’m presenting this topic and not at the comedy club.”
Being different will get you noticed. People will better remember your message and remember you. Doing a good presentation is a perfect opportunity to stand out at your company.
4. Be Prepared
You knew this was coming. You know this is the best way to impress. Research your topic and know your content backwards and forwards. Also, this helps with that whole confidence part. Practice your presentation. Practice with someone you trust will give you honest feedback. Putting something together and never going through it will lead to a lackluster presentation.
In addition to that, let’s talk about the preparedness that is necessary before any presentation. Every presentation I have ever given, I have gotten to early. If you are presenting at noon, be there at 11:00 and make sure everything is perfect for you. Test all electronics you will be using. If you can’t get the projector to work, have presentation copies for your audience and remember you should be able to give this presentation without the big screen behind you because you know your stuff. Remember the actual presenter is you, not your slides.
Use things to make your life easier. The best thing I ever used to be prepared was a hand cart called the UpCart. It was the best item I have ever purchased as an executive. The UpCart is a cart with three wheels on each side and it literally helps to go up and down stairs and the uneven terrain… such as all those wires everywhere on the floor when setting up. The UpCart held everything I needed from the projector to the handouts (and kept my hand free to shake). Silly as it is, when I walked into a presentation with this cart and walked up the steps on stage or even just into a big room, it helped my first impression. Picture yourself walking into a presentation loaded down with papers, projector, computer and all the other things you need. Make a powerful first impression by walking head up with the UpCart having everything you need organized behind you. I will say I loved when I had to go up steps on stage with my materials, people always asked me where they could get an UpCart. Not to mention, it saved my back many a time. Another nice part of using the UpCart was that as soon as I emptied it, it would fold flat and fit easily away so there was no distraction. Definitely a great item for making a professional impression.
Remember having the opportunity to present at your company is an opportunity for you to be a leader and become better know at your company. The more you present, the better you will become. Take the time to be ready and be open to coaching from your peers or trusted friends
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Best Ways to Impress in Presentations appeared first on
UpCart Blog.
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