Many people are terrified of speaking in public. Here are some tips to reduce your nerves and improve your presentations.

By David Jordan

It’s something we all have to do from time to time but for many, most perhaps, it’s an ordeal we could well do without. Speaking in public is one of our greatest fears and most of us avoid it whenever we can, but the fact is as we climb the management ladder it’s something we’re expected to be able to do and what’s more we’re expected to be good at it. Sadly most of us are not.  The average business presentation usually goes something like this.

The speaker comes on stage and apologises for being there; “Jim couldn’t make it so I’ve stepped in at the last minute,” etc, etc.  Then comes the risqué joke, just to warm us up … not a titter.  Then the slide show begins. Seemingly endless PowerPoint slides full of tiny writing, which the speaker reads to the audience.  Why do they do that?  They might just as well put the thing onto automatic, leave the room, and come back in when it was all over.  I sometimes wonder what would happen if the projector bulb decided to go on the blink in the middle of the performance?  With no hard notes - most speakers don’t bring any - I guess the show would be over.  Not good if you’ve travelled half way across the world to see it. After a half hour or so, the whole thing fizzles out and the audience, who’ve not really known whether to read, listen or nod off, sit and wonder what it was all about.

So, what can the reluctant speaker do to turn the tide and start giving presentations people actually enjoy and they enjoy delivering?  Well, like any other skill it doesn’t come easily and there is no magic potion that will turn someone who’s a quivering wreck on stage into Barack Obama overnight. In general the more you do it the better you get, but there are things you can do to short circuit the process and lessen the pain.

Strangely, despite all the management training course executives are put through these days, public speaking is not usually one of them and few people ever have any professional training. For most of us it’s a case of ‘in at the deep end’ and do the best you can.  So, you might want to invest a little time and money and enrol on a course, even a one-day workshop will introduce you to some of the techniques used by the professionals and set you on the road to becoming a more confident speaker.  Alternatively you could get some one-to-one coaching, this could be helpful if you’re due to speak at an important event and need to brush up your skills in a hurry. A good coach will help you plan your presentation for maximum effect, identify your strengths as well as your weaknesses, and help you build the confidence to make a positive lasting impression on your audience.

If you really don’t have the time or inclination to do either of the above you could always buy a book on the subject, there are lots of them out there, but remember there is no substitute for practise whichever route you choose. Make a point of taking every opportunity you can, however brief, to speak in public, the more you get used to being the centre of attention the more comfortable you’ll feel.

However, no matter how experienced you are it is only natural that you’ll feel nervous before going on stage.  Professionals get pre-match nerves too – the trick is to keep them under control. 

Here are some tips to reduce your nerves:

• Ask yourself, what is the worst that could happen?  Learn to live with that, then move on.
• Remember! You know more than your audience – that’s why you are speaking to them.
• Have a high opinion of yourself.  You have earned the right to speak to this audience.
• Give yourself a pep talk before you go on stage.  Convince yourself that you are the best person for the job.
• Focus carefully on the previous speaker. 
• If you are nervous, admit it.  You will feel less so.
• Remember!  You will always appear to be stronger and more confident than you feel yourself.
• Act confidently and you will become confident.

Ten top tips for improving your presentations:

• Know your audience and be clear on what you want to achieve by giving your presentation.
• Start with a strong opener to get your audience's attention.
• Don't use jokes unless you are a born comedian and know the audience very well.
• End with a strong message, tell the audience what you want them to do.
• Don't try to cover too much. Decide what is important and what can be left out.
• Time your talk out loud in private and add about 10%. (It always takes longer to deliver in real life.)
• Don't outstay your welcome, or run into the next speaker's time.
• If you're using PowerPoint, don't use the screen as your notepad. Reading from the screen will bore your audience and make the screen the centre of attention instead of you.
• Don't overuse visual aids, only use slides if words alone are not enough to get your message across. If your point needs more power, use PowerPoint, otherwise leave it out.
• When taking questions at the end of your presentation be careful not to lose control of the audience. Maintain the same style and set a time limit before you begin.

David Jordan is the deputy editor of The Mover and a partner in Speakeasy, the public speaking training company.  Over the last 10 years David has helped many people feel more confident on stage allowing them to promote their ideas, campaigns, companies and themselves to full effect.

For more information go to: www.speakeasy.gb.com.