Just Don’t F**k It Up!
When I first had to get up and speak in front of dozens of senior leaders I was nervous and whilst even now I say some nerves are good, it shows that you care, real jittery nerves are not. Shaking and panic don’t set you up for success. I asked my then boss’ advice and he simply said ‘just don’t f**k it up!’. Not the most helpful of advice but it did make me laugh and I lost some of the tension.
For those of you who are looking for more helpful advice on presenting her are some of my top tips on presenting with confidence.
You will present better if you have prepared effectively. This does not necessarily mean that you have written out your speech verbatim and rehearsed it until you know it off by heart. In fact, that can make things worse and create panic about getting things in the wrong order or missing out key words. What I mean here is — being confident on what you are talking about. Clear on the message and the points you want to convey to the audience.
Most peoples attention span on things like presentations is short so start by telling them what you are going to tell them; then tell them the story; then tell them what you told them. Planning using this approach should help you define the structure, content, and any visual you may need.
Talking on visuals. Don’t overfill your slides and don’t use reams of text. If a picture encapsulates your message use a picture. The important thing is that the audience is listening to you and not reading your slide!
So now you have great slide and content, let’s move onto the presentation itself. Remember that (unless you are the bearer of bad news) the audience starts on your side. They have chosen to listen to you, learn from you, hear from you and they want to enjoy your presentation. You are starting from a positive point. The occasion is yours to lose.
As the speaker you own the room. You are in control and you, only you know exactly what you are going to say. So, if you forget something, decide to ad-lib or get asked a question that provokes other points and alters what you say – so what? No one knows that its different. Only you.
Breathing is important – obviously! Regulating your breathing will regulate your talking. It’s not a speed talking competition! Pace is important so focus on your breathing to regulate that. I much prefer a lapel mic so that I can stroll about whilst talking, as opposed to being stood at a lectern.
I find the strolling a good way to maintain pace.
Talk out loud when preparing for your presentation. Be conscious of your pitch and intonation. Note how and where to have an effective pause or that moment of silence for reflection on what you said. Increase your volume to get attention and lower your voice to create intimacy. Performing your presentation out loud will really help you to refine how you say what you say.
Finally, on the day. I have heard people say things like ‘when you are stood in front of everyone, imagine them naked’. It doesn’t work for me. It just brings the child out in me and I giggle. I look for some engaging eyes. What do I mean here? Well I have frequently found that that there are always people in the audience, could be 2, 5, 10 depending on audience size that really engage with you. They listen intently and focus on you.
When I present, I am presenting to them. I make eye contact and talk to them. I smile at them and I look for their reactions and responses to the presentation and moderate accordingly. This way it always feels more like a personal conversation than big presentation.
As I said at the beginning its practice. The more you do the easier they become.
Below is an example of Hayley speaking, this is after years of practice have a watch, what do you notice?