How To Present Like A Pro

Do people really fear public speaking more than death? We’ve heard that quote many times, but does it really mean that at a funeral, more people would prefer to be in the coffin than deliver the eulogy? Of course at the heart of the fear of public speaking is really the fear of rejection and perceived lack of worthiness. We all harbour these fears, but somehow they seem magnified when we are asked to stand at the top of a room.

No one purposely sets out to deliver a poor presentation, yet poor presentations are all the same, too long, poorly prepared (under or over-prepared!) overly reliant on slides crammed with text and delivered in a tone that saps the energy from even the most enthusiastic audience member.

Here are three essentials to get right, three concepts that are central to delivering an impactful presentation.

1. The right mind-set – setting a conscious positive intention

‘I hope I get through it in one piece.’ ‘What if they ask me a horrible question?’ What if I go blank?’ For many presenters these thoughts dominate. They are part of the body’s self-protection mechanism that fuels a fight or flight response and the sensations of anxiousness and stress in the body. Whilst these intentions may be unconscious, the end result will be a rushed, disengaged presentation where your nervousness is contagious to the audience.

If you want to feel more comfortable at the top of the room, you have to focus on confident inducing thoughts, or at a minimum, not dwell on stressful thoughts. So what would be more useful? Imagine the difference if you focused on these questions in the run up to your presentation.

• How can I relate well to the audience?
• How can I remain confident, yet relaxed throughout the presentation?
• How can I enjoy and learn from this experience?
• How can I tap into my reserves of courage and simply give myself permission to be my authentic self at the top of the room? (My personal favourite for getting into the right mind-set!)

You may not be able to answer these questions purposefully, but they set your intention. The very fact you are asking them determines your focus and your focus fuels your feelings.

2. The right heart-set! – Engaging the audience at an emotional level.

Audiences will forgive a presenter for most things apart from being boring. They will forgive a presenter for being a little nervous or having to check notes, but audiences have little tolerance for a presenter who doesn’t try to relate to them at an emotional level or simply to create rapport with them. Audiences want to know that you understand where they are coming from and that you are not literally talking over their heads.

Emotional engagement is critical. If someone at the top of the room is just regurgitating facts, there is little hope that the audience will feel anything (apart from bored) let alone have that positive, feel good factor that they need to feel in order to be positively influenced. Presentation skills is not just about mind-set, it’s also heart-set.

So how do you engage an audience at an emotional level? It means looking for the story behind the facts. What analogies, anecdotes and personal experiences can you share that will bring your message alive and make your information more meaningful and relatable? As a professional motivational speaker, part of my job is not just to inform the audience but to entertain them, or in modern parlance ‘enter-train’ them. I’m seeking to leave the audience in a better state at the end of my presentation than they were in at the outset. Truth be known, this is the common goal of all presentations.

3. Having the wrong result (or no clear result at all!)

Presentations are always a means to an end. What is the end? What do you want the audience to do with the information you are sharing with them? How will you know when your presentation has been successful? What will be the evidence of your success? Unless you are clear as to what the purpose of the presentation is, there is little hope the audience will be. Also when you are clear as to the true purpose of your presentation it will be easier for you to structure it because you now know the target you are trying to hit.

If you are nervous prior to a delivering a presentation it’s because you care about what you are doing. Let’s not forget that a little nervousness pumps adrenaline into your body keeping you alert and responsive. The opposite is complacency and we never want that.

Impactful presenters give themselves permission to be the best of themselves at the top of the room. Not only does this create a more engaging and effective presentation, you are not trying to be someone other than who you are, and that is the ultimate antidote for all fears, including the fear of public speaking.

James Sweetman is the author of five books, a motivational speaker, coach, trainer & columnist. www.jamessweetman.com

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