How To Present Beautifully If You’re Scared Of The Audience!

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of senior leaders about harnessing talent in an organization and as I was preparing for the session, it got me thinking. I have been presenting for a long time now and it’s something I love to do (though I still feel the butterflies before I go on stage!) yet standing in front of a group of people can make many utterly terrified and if they were asked to present, they would run screaming in the opposite direction!

Is this you?
And what makes it even more terrifying is if you’re scared of the audience. It’s very easy to feel intimidated if you feel the audience might try and trip you up or know more than you. So what do you do in that situation? A number of years ago, I ran a development programme for a group of people who aspired to become front line managers in an organization. As part of their project, they had to present their findings to senior managers and this one 30-minute presentation was the bane of their lives!

To help them prepare, these are the 5 strategies I shared with them:

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare – “fail to prepare, prepare to fail”. There’s nothing worse than trying to ‘wing’ it especially if you are scared of the audience. Certainty is something you want to feel in front of the audience and preparing will give you that.

2. Know your stuff – if you’re worried people will try to trip you up, make sure you know your stuff but don’t try and guess all the questions they may ask. You’ll only get yourself more worked up and more nervous. Instead get comfortable saying “I don’t know but I can find out for you”.

3. Practice. There’s no shortcut to this one – practice as much as you can especially your opening and you will feel a lot more in control and confident.

4. Ground yourself. Place both feet on the ground. Imagine you’re a tree with strong roots to help you feel certainty in your body and what you’re saying. That’s not to say root yourself to one spot but imagine you are completely grounded and the earth is there to support you at all times.

5. Give yourself the gift of the pause. When you’re feeling nervous, avoid the temptation to speed up. Slow down and allow your words to sink in. Let the pause be your friend and if you need to have a quick look at your notes, the pause will give you the space to do it.

The truth is even the best speakers in the world are nervous before they present and for many, the audience can be very scary. But it’s all part of the process. For me, it’s part of my buildup and if I don’t feel nervous, I worry I’m getting complacent (which can be truly disastrous!).

So the next time you have to present, accept that you’re going to feel a little nervous – embrace it and let it help you be the best you can be. After all, the world needs to hear you and your message so go get ‘em!
Blessings

Yasmin x