Presenting Like a Boss

Whether it’s at university, work or some community activities, it’s inevitable that one day you’ll need to do a little speech or some presentation in front of everyone. And we all get stressed over the possibility to look stupid in front of so many people. So here are a few helpful tips to help you out of such situation

1. Do not wear skirts, shorts, tight pants or anything that will show your legs. Most people shiver when they’re stressed and it’s easy to spot shaky legs if they are not covered. Go for long pants, preferably not tight ones and choose firmer fabric. It will make you feel more secure knowing not everyone is staring at your shaking legs.

2. Do not try to do anything specific with your hands. Again, most likely your hands will be shaky too so forget about using a mouse/pointer to point at things. The pointer is really sensitive and will clearly illustrate every shake your hand makes. If you absolutely need to use a pointer, then make sure you do so towards the end of your presentation when you’re likely to be calmer.

3. Memorize the first 1 minute of your presentation. Quite a lot of people start talking in pitched voices at the beginning of the presentation because they are insecure. The high pitch voice means panic. So, to avoid this embarrassment, simply memorize word for word the first 1 minute of your speech. That way when you begin, you will be stressed out but you will keep talking with a normal voice since that’s how you practiced it. After the second sentence, you’ll be much more confident and the high pitch voice won’t reappear.

4. Do not look at the audience. Instead, look at the empty space just over everyone’s head. That way you won’t be distracted by smiles, frowns, yawns, bright pink ties, etc, yet it will appear to the audience that you are looking at them. Just make sure you’re really looking at the space right above their heads and not in the sky.

5. Have a glass of water. Even if it’s only 10-15 minutes, most likely you are not accustomed to talking for so long using a clear diction and voice. This will tire you and dry your throat. It’s even harder to speak that way so get a glass of water to smooth things out. Do not drink during the first 7-8 minutes as you will show you are rather stressed. 

Well, hopefully, these will help you out to do a wonderful, stress-free presentation. Come back for more presentation tips next week.