how can i be confident in a presentation

How to be confident during a presentation

• 1. Prepare your presentation Prepare your presentation in advance, and ask the meeting organizer for the time limit. ...
• 2. Create a strong opening Develop a strong opening to get your audience's attention immediately and make a good first impression. ...
• 3. Practice ...
• 4. Visualize success ...
• 5. Get plenty of sleep ...
• 6. Check the meeting space and equipment ...
• 7. Do light exercises ...
• 8. Practice power poses ...

Full Answer

How do I gain confidence in my presentation?

How to be confident during a presentationPrepare your presentation. Prepare your presentation in advance, and ask the meeting organizer for the time limit. ... Create a strong opening. ... Practice. ... Visualize success. ... Get plenty of sleep. ... Check the meeting space and equipment. ... Do light exercises. ... Practice power poses.More items...

How can I be confident and not nervous during a presentation?

During the presentation:Focus on your material, not the audience.Don't fear silence.Speak slowly.Take deep breaths and drink water.Smile.Remember the three "audience truths"12. Collect feedback.13. Don't beat yourself up.

How can I calm my nerves fast?

But here are 9 calming techniques that do work – and they work quickly at that.Just breathe. ... Close your eyes and count to 10 slowly. ... Chew a piece of gum. ... Phone a friend – preferably a funny one. ... Smell lavender. ... Curl up with your cat or dog. ... Listen to calming music. ... Exercise your body.More items...•

How can I hide nervousness?

Here are some great ways to hide your nervous behavior so you can tackle any nerve-racking event in your life.Breathe. Being nervous can disrupt normal breathing. ... Don't Admit It. ... Speak Slowly. ... Relax Your Body. ... Maintain Eye Contact. ... Ask a Question. ... Be Yourself. ... Still Struggling?

How do I stop my voice from shaking when presenting?

You can easily eliminate a shaking or cracking voice by slowing your speaking rate and gaining control of your breathing rate. Focus on someone comforting in the audience. Intentionally slow your speech, inhale, and lower the pitch of your voice as you continue.

Why do we get nervous when presenting?

The fear often arises when people overestimate the stakes of communicating their ideas in front of others, viewing the speaking event as a potential threat to their credibility, image, and chance to reach an audience.

How do you reduce stress before a presentation?

6 Ways to Reduce the Stress of PresentingBless, don't impress. I discovered that much of my stress was more about my motive than the event. ... Rehearse, but don't obsess. I've learned to discern when over-rehearsing is counterproductive. ... Create rest stops. ... Make it a conversation. ... Know thyself. ... Breathe.

How do I stay calm during a speech?

How to calm nerves during a presentation (by harnessing your nervous energy!)Walk into the room like you own it. – Tall, confident, in control. ... Smile (a genuine smile) ... Connect with your audience. ... Keep your voice tone natural and conversational. ... Use gestures. ... Embrace movement. ... Be authentic.

How to project confidence in a presentation?

1. Study your material. The key to projecting confidence during a presentation is to have a comprehensive knowledge of the topic. When you feel like an expert on a particular subject, you are more likely to project that expertise and knowledge to your listeners.

How to make a presentation more comfortable?

Smile. A warm, inviting smile will convey to your audience that you are at ease and are comfortable. Your smile will make you appear and sound more pleasant, and you will come off as responsive and composed. Studies have shown that smiling can help reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and your heart rate, all of which will put you at ease while giving your presentation.

How to project your voice?

Practice using your diaphragm to project your voice. Lie down on your back, and keep your abdominals and stomach relaxed. Keep one hand on your abdomen, and think about moving it up and down as you breathe in and out. Find out in advance if you will be using a microphone for your presentation.

How to make yourself appear nervous when giving a presentation?

When you are giving a presentation, try to move around the stage. When people are nervous or apprehensive, they are inclined to close off their movements, stand with their feet together, and hide behind a podium in an attempt to appear small and unnoticeable. This can make you appear inexperienced or anxious.

How to make a presentation in front of a mirror?

2. Rehearse it in front of a mirror. Position yourself in front of a mirror and practice giving your presentation. Pretend that you are in front of your peers and colleagues, and try to imagine that you are on the stage or in front of a classroom while speaking.

How to show trustworthiness in a presentation?

Use hand gestures while giving a presentation. Avoid keeping your arms in a rigid position by your side. Keep your open arms while speaking. Pointing toward the sky can assert an opinion or a fact, while opening your hands can show trustworthiness and inspire audience participation.

How to make your voice more interesting?

Vary the speed, pitch, and volume of your voice. In everyday conversation, your pitch, speed, and volume varies when you are chatting with a friend or sharing a story. A monotonous tone can be boring and may convey to the audience that you are unsure or unprepared. Add interest by playing with the dynamics of your speech. Your audience will be more likely to pay attention to your presentation.

How to be more confident?

Stand away from it. A laptop between you and your listener is a barrier. Set it to the side. If you keep your hands in your pockets, take them out. An open posture takes up more space and makes you feel more confident. If you feel confident, you’ll look confident.

How to get better at presenting?

There’s a simple way to get better at this, but it takes a little work: Record yourself practicing your presentation in front of a small audience. Watch the recording, noting all of the times you look at your slides instead of at your audience. Practice, and record again .

What did Stevenson say to Park?

Stevenson then dramatically slowed down the pace of his speech to deliver Park’s response: “She looked at me and she said, Mmm mmm mmm. That’s going to make you tired, tired, tired.”

How to use gestures in a presentation?

Find areas of your presentation where gestures will come across as natural, and use them to highlight key points or emphasize a concept. If you’re listing a number of items, use your fingers to count them off. If you’re talking about something that’s wide or expansive, stretch your arms and hands apart. One analysis of popular TED speakers, like Brené Brown and Tony Robbins, found that they tend to bring their hands to their heart when sharing personal stories. Your gestures will reflect your feeling toward the topic you’re discussing and invite the audience to engage with you on a deeper, emotional level.

Why do confident speakers use gestures?

Confident speakers use gestures to reinforce their key points. One study found that entrepreneurs pitching investors were more persuasive when they used a combination of figurative language (stories, metaphors) and gestures to emphasize their message.

How long does it take to make an impression on a leader?

Research shows that people form impressions about a leader’s competence in as little as half a minute. This means, within seconds, listeners will decide whether you are trustworthy, and they will do it based on your body language and vocal attributes. What you say and how you say it are equally important.

How long does it take for your audience to make up their minds about you?

Your audience will make up their minds about you in seconds.

How to give a good presentation?

If you want to give a good presentation, get on the bus early and show up beforehand. That would be good.

What to do when your friends don't understand?

Instead of making your friends sit and go through something they don’t understand, try to shoot yourself instead. That would be a very good thing.

How to keep yourself calm in class?

You keep yourself calm from beforehand and don’t scare yourself a bit too much before you have even reached class .

Why is it important to attend other speeches?

Another speaker could also say something that you could pay off in your own presentation later on.

Why is it important to give a speech that is good?

Studies have often shown that giving a speech which is good can help in winning over a quote that is eloquent.

Can you be energetic before a presentation?

Since this is not one of Winston Churchill’s presentation, you can be as energetic as you want to be before you go up on stage. Of course not everyone reacts to caffeine the same way. So keep away from those monster energy drinks as well.

How to prepare for a presentation?

The key to preparing your actual presentation is to remember that less is more. If you want to share your information with people who couldn't be there, try writing an article. Even detailed presentations have something missing. A few common, and good to know, guidelines to a good presentation:

What to do if you have never spoken?

If you've never spoken before, a meeting with a speech coach can really help. They talk with you and get an idea of your style and then offer some specific advice on how to address the crowd, what your particular problems might be, and more. For example, when I went I was told:

What is the best intro to a talk?

People want to know who you are, but they also want to get into the meat of your talk. A quick, solid, and clear intro is better than a meandering joke or list of accomplishments any day. Chances are, most people in the audience know a bit about you already. Keep it slow and steady.

Why is it important to tell stories?

Tell stories. Stories will get your idea across much better than charts and graphs and numbers. They also have the added benefit of helping to engage your audience.

How to make a story more impactful?

Use pictures to get your idea across. They're easier to remember, less distracting, and make more impact. Have stories ready and use imagery to set the backdrop.

Is public speaking stressful?

Public speaking can be very stressful. I know that whenever I get up in front of a crowd I go through a panic moment. It takes a lot of discipline, practice, and preparation to put on a good presentation and even knowing what you need to know can be hard.

How long should a presentation be?

If your presentation is longer than 20 minutes , you may have a "mid-talk slump." This is a great time to check in with your audience: Do they understand your message thus far? Pause for a moment and engage your audience with a question or anecdote, or perhaps a patient story. Ask your audience if they have something to share regarding the topic. Change the pace and change the inflection of your voice.

Why is it important to give a clinical presentation?

Giving an oral presentation is a good way to demonstrate work, knowledge base, and expertise. Giving an effective presentation can help obtain recognition of skills and proficiency as an advanced practi tioner or expert in the field. This paper will highlight skills and techniques that can help to improve presentation style and the ability to connect with an audience.

How many words per line of text in a PowerPoint presentation?

Develop your presentation and topic first, then create your slides. The 5/5/5 rule calls for no more than five words per line of text, five lines of text per slide, or five text or data-heavy slides in a row (LearnFree.org, 2017). See Table 4for tips for using PowerPoint.

Why do you add images to a slide?

Adding images to your slides can create visual interest. Pictures of patients with side effects or complications can immediately show the audience what you are trying to communicate. As with data slides, appropriate referencing of images must be added to each of your slides. If you are using clip art to add interest or humor to your presentation, be mindful of possible distractions to your main message. Use these kinds of imagery sparingly.

How to improve your talk?

Be natural with an open-body approach. Keep your hands at your sides if you’re not using them. Avoid pointing; instead, use open-handed gestures. Your posture should be good, with your shoulders back and weight equally balanced on both feet. When you move, move with purpose; do not sway, rock, or pace (Butterfield, 2015).

How does your delivery affect your audience?

Your delivery skills can determine how the audience perceives you and your message. Eye contact, voice, pace, inflection, gestures, and posture are all important aspects of your delivery. Eye contact establishes rapport and a feeling of being genuine. Although you shouldn’t stare someone down, making eye contact while making a statement, then moving to your next audience member and giving another statement fosters engagement. Scanning, which is running your eyes over the audience and not focusing on any one person, should be avoided.

How to present a patient's story?

When giving a medical presentation, advanced practitioners have a wonderful chance to share a patient story or vignette that will demonstrate the medical problem and its impact on practice (Moffett, Berezowski, Spencer, & Lanning, 2014). You can do this easily by showing a patient radiological study or lab values, or a picture of a particularly challenging side effect. The net result is that your audience will be intrigued and relate to your story, especially if they take care of that patient population. Tell the story of the patient and describe the significance of the side effect or disease state. Clinical presentations often benefit from case studies that your audience may recognize from their own practices. Some of the most successful presentations use case studies followed by examples of right or wrong approaches to a patient problem, asking the audience to decide best practice and thereby engaging the audience fully. Tell your audience why this topic is important and why they need to know about it (Moffett et al., 2014). Then, share the data supporting the importance of your story and how your audience can use the information to affect or change practice. You want to capture the attention of your audience at the very beginning of your presentation and then hold it. Humor may also be used for openings, but care must be taken with this and should be directed at yourself and not anyone else. Keep the attention of the audience by developing your delivery skills. Lastly, and perhaps the most important advice, is to "practice, practice, practice."

What is the best way to develop presentation skills?

Effective presentation skills start with posture. And the good news is, this is simple.

How to pause a presentation?

A few important points to note: 1 Pauses always seem much longer to you (the presenter!) than the audience. You’re going to need to practice! 2 Hold the audience in the pause (look around the room with confidence) 3 Don’t restart with a ‘filler’ word (such as ‘so’ or ‘ok’). Start back with another bold statement.

What are the principles of sitting?

And if you’re sitting, same principles. Feet flat on floor, strong central core, hands in an easy resting place (for example on the arms of your chair).

What should each gesture be?

Each gesture should be clean and clear, and then return to you natural resting place (see Posture, above).

How to engage people in a conversation?

Sometimes the best way to engage people is to drop the volume a little, so that people lean in to hear what you’re saying .

How to make a good speech?

Make an important point and pause. Let the audience take in what you’ve said.

What are some examples of gestures?

Simply examples: holding up 3 fingers when you mention the number 3. Or raising your hand upwards as you talk about increased profits.