In lots of jobs or careers, presenting will be part of the role, from office staff to business managers to teachers. It can also be quite common during an interview process to be asked to give a presentation. Being asked to give a presentation can be very daunting and scary, no matter what the situation is. This is why it is important to be fully physically and mentally prepared, from planning the presentation and preparing it, to building your confidence. tips to help reduce stress at work. These are our tips to help you to be confident when presenting.
There are some things that you can do before the presentation:
1 Listen To Your Favourite Music
Listening to your favourite music beforehand can help to boost your energy levels and confidence. Particularly if it is an uplifting feel-good song because when you are presenting you can remember that feeling and replay the song in your head.
2 Take Inspiration
Think about someone that you are inspired by and try putting yourself in their shoes. It could be a friend, a mentor, a famous person or an inspirational speaker. Think about their traits and what it is that you admire about them, and channel that into yourself. This will do wonders for your confidence.
3 Dress Well
We all know that the way you dress can help lift and improve your spirits and confidence. The way you look also makes others believe that you are full of confidence. Make sure you choose something that you are confident in as well. Consider everything from your shoes, to your underwear!
4 Rehearse
This is a given, and we all know that this is the most important part of delivering a presentation. Ask someone to listen while you do a practice run-through and get them to give you feedback on certain areas that they think could be improved on. You could practice in front of the mirror and see for yourself your facial expressions. Repeat this a few times so that you know you have done all you can to know your presentation inside out.
5 Do Something You Love
Although practice is important, try not to let it take up all your time. Before the presentation, take some time to do something that you love. It could be reading, yoga, go for a walk, or spend time with friends. By doing something good for you, it gets you into a good headspace ready for your presentation.
During the presentation try to use our tips below to help with your confidence
6 Give Compliments
It has been researched by psychologists that giving compliments to others can help to improve and boost your confidence. Strong and confident people are rarely shy in front of others, so try to compliment the people you are presenting to, you will feel the benefits too!
7 Posture
The way we hold ourselves gives off a lot of confidence to the people who are watching us. Body posture and body language are responsible for around 60% of our communication. While presenting try to hold your posture straight and avoid overuse of your arms as this can be distracting for the people who are watching you. Keep your shoulders down and back and you will look and appear confident, and it will make you feel it too.
8 Eye-Contact
This is a key part of being confident when presenting. It makes you come across as more confident, trustworthy and approachable. Look directly into peoples eyes and alternate who you are making eye contact with. Try to get a good balance, as staring can be uncomfortable for the people watching, so find a pattern that works for you.
9 Visuals
As important as it is to think about how you look and how you are displaying yourself, it is just as important to think about the way your presentation looks. This then acts as a good compliment to what you are saying and also acts as a good prompt. Perhaps you have a contact who can help you to design your presentation.
10 Be True To Yourself
If you are trying to be somebody you aren’t, then you won’t feel confident when you are presenting. Be true to yourself, and your confidence will shine through. Take this opportunity you have been given to show your passion and values. If you believe in what you are delivering and are fully engage yourself, then your confidence will be obvious.
Remember to keep a work life balance so you do not need CBT for burnout.
FAQs
How Can I Improve My Confidence When Speaking In Public?
The ways listed above will help with this, but there are a few other ways to make you feel more confident such as using gestures to help you emphasise points, matching your facial expressions to what you are saying and try to avoid doing any nervous habits such as fiddling with clothes.
Why Do I Get Nervous When Presenting?
Nearly everyone will get nervous or feel shy when they are presenting to a group of people, this is normal! The speakers that look confident when presenting have found ways to handle their anxiety and worry and use it to enhance their performance.
Why Is Public Speaking So Hard?
This can be because your focus of attention is narrowed when you are having to speak publically. You are having to concentrate on one thing and this brings with it a lot of stress. Your working memory, which is how much information you can hold in your mind at once, becomes less capable.
Interested in ensuring you are looking after your employees? Our Mental Health First Aid Training Course is essential for any businesses that want to look after their employee’s health. For more information, please get in touch.
