Nervousness is often the result of inadequate preparation. Here are some tactics to manage those pre-presentation butterflies:
- Realize that you have a message to send, and people want to hear it.
- Outline using the classic format: tell your audience what you’re going to tell them, tell them what you want to tell them, and then tell them what you told them. It keeps you on track, and it helps your audience follow along with strong recall of your main points.
- Know your material well.
- Practice as much as necessary to be comfortable with your remarks.
- Practice a “grounding” tactic. Many people believe that you can condition yourself to feel grounded by repeating a motion frequently while associating it with calmness. This motion may be as simple as pressing your pointer finger and thumb together. The belief is that, if you do it enough and make the association, the motion will bring you calmness in times of stress.
- Still nervous? Take a short walk, reviewing key points and releasing energy as you stroll.
Remember: You’ve got this!
