Have you ever experienced anxiety, panic attacks, short breath, sweating, fumbling, stammering or excessive breathing, just by thinking about presenting in front of a crowd?
If so, you suffer from what is commonly referred to as "PRESENTATION ANXIETY".
I'm going to share with you all today one such incident that many of us face while giving presentations in the office.
As I was sipping my morning Chai, I was enjoying every drop. I'm sure you would agree that the taste of "Chai" can make your day brighter.
While I was enjoying my chai, my phone began to ring. I was wondering who else could it have been, but my sister living in Boston.
I picked up the phone and the first thing that happened was that she burst into tears.
I asked her if everything was, OK?
She replied "No, nothing is perfect. I messed up my big presentation with my CEO. I do not know why I became so nervous and so anxious, but I forgot everything I had to say in the presentation."
(She recently joined this company)
I told her to relax as I tried to calm her down, but nothing was helping to sooth her.
In her frustration she said she has to present the issue again next week and asked me to help her handle her presentation anxiety.
In my mind, I thought to myself, why not share with her some tips that I have tried and tested countless times with my clients who join my courses?
After that, we discussed the technicalities of it for some time.
A week later, when she called me to tell how amazing her presentation session was, I was feeling so self-satisfied that I could help her and made her confident to crack her big day.
I would share them with you all here as well. Here are few tips I gave to my sister which helped her in excelling into her next presentation. Get to Know the Surroundings
By visiting the place, a little early and imagining yourself speaking to your audience, you can easily get acquainted with its surroundings.
Make Sure You Understand Your Content
Remember, you are the king/queen of your content. Preparing yourself for your speech will allow you to deliver your message with ease, as you will already understand the content of what you plan to speak on.
Prepare Yourself
Make sure that when you practice your presentation, you organize the frameworks you will need in order to make your presentation. Do not be surprised if there are changes that might occur during the presentation.
Don't Stress Yourself Out
It is important that you take a deep breath, try tongue-twisters or reverse counting prior to going to the stage and direct your energy toward something that will assist you in staying calm.
Create A Vision for Your Success
The first step to succeeding in the presentation that you are giving is to picture yourself being successful as this will help you become enthusiastic about your presentation. Being enthusiastic during your presentation will help you succeed.
Let's Take a Minute to Reflect
When you are unable to recall what you were going to say, take a moment to calm down and gather your thoughts. By pausing for a few seconds, you can reflect on your thoughts.
You can't become a perfect presenter without practice, so as you use these tips over and over, you'll become more relaxed.
Is there a tip here that resonates with you? If so, which one?