Article - Overcoming Presentation Nerves

Article :      Overcoming Presentation Nerves          © 2009. Performance Development Pty. Ltd.

Having been invited to deliver a presentation can be either a source of great pride, excitement and anticipation – or a cause of many sleepless nights through unrelenting nerves and a deep nagging anxiety. For too many of us, the experience is often regrettably the latter

Many of the fears that we may suffer can spring from an overly vivid imagination – for example, thinking that there will be a hostile reception to our message, or that we will be embarrassed by questions that we struggle to answer, or that we will say something stupid and irreparably damage our career prospects within the company, or that our voice will fail, or that the equipment won’t work, or that ……..

Some degree of anxiety around our forthcoming presentation can be productive, because it drives us to more thoroughly plan and prepare for the event. However, we do not want the prospect of public speaking to cause a level of panic that becomes disabling or crippling. Hence we must pay close attention to identifying and rooting out the fears that are unfounded and unwarranted.

So, one important and also surprisingly simple key to controlling the anxiety caused by a forthcoming presentation is to challenge and refute irrational thoughts that are unnecessarily heightening our anxiety.

Over a thousand years ago, a Greek philosopher wrote “There is nothing good or bad, it is thinking which makes it so”. In other words, to cultivate greater confidence as a presenter you need to ensure that you feed your sub-conscious mind with positive thoughts and affirming statements of self-belief. After all, if you had nothing to offer, you would not have been invited to give the presentation in the first place.

Some of the other common strategies for controlling nerves include thorough preparation, focussing your attention on allies in your audience, and deep breathing, combined with tension release through muscle relaxation.

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One final thought. If you have not yet received training in presentation skills, then you may very likely benefit from gaining the direction and encouragement that good training can offer.

A one day presentation skills training course is scheduled in Melbourne for March 20 . see the course description at Presentaion Skills course

OR if you are seeking corporate in-house training in presentation skills for your organisation, then please visit the website http://www.performancedevelopment.com.au/