7 tips to boost your confidence while presenting
Delivering a presentation for the first time? Here are some tips to boost your confidence!
Stage fright is not a myth. It’s a reality that each one of us faces every time we have to present ourselves in public. Subsequently, modern-day education not only focuses on children’s’ intellectual development but their social and emotional well-being as well. Public speaking is a skill to be mastered. With time and effort, one can minimize the fear of speaking in front of an audience.
If you are delivering a presentation in your class or in office for the first time and feel apprehensive about the repercussions, let’s have a look at these tips to maximize the chances of presenting impeccably.
Do your homework
This entails getting fully equipped with all that is required. Acquiring command over the topic to deliver will escalate your confidence level. When you have full proficiency over a topic, you can add on points not present on the slide, which also leaves a positive impression on the audience. Be prepared ahead of time, from a selection of your clothes to the gestures you are going to use during your PowerPoint design presentation, all should be decided prior to the day of your presentation.
Watch and learn
As a first-timer, you need to learn the basics of public speaking and presentation skills. Read about it and jot down important points to remember. Watching and listening to presentations online can guide you in many ways. You can even search for similar presentations as yours to learn exactly what to do and what not to.
Present to the mirror
Memorize the main points of your presentation and keep presenting them in chunks and as a whole in front of the mirror, making eye contact with yourself. This is a conventional technique used to boost confidence.
Get a double check
When you are fully prepared to present, get verified by presenting in front of a senior to take their opinion. They can assist you in getting better with mistakes like the repetition of certain words, using a disruptive gesture like an excessive hand or head movement, voice tone, high or low volume, or providing tips for improvement.
Arrange something to distribute
You can always bring in something to handover to all members of the audience to keep them engaged, consequently diverting their whole and sole attention from you. This might make you feel less nervous and more comfortable. This might also help you to refer to the given handout if a sudden display error arises or you become blank at some point.
Focus on the Golden Shine
A confident start to your presentation will set the stage for you. You will gain the audiences’ attention when you start confidently showing your command over the topic. It is better to address the audience as a whole and not to make eye-contact initially as it might make you nervous. The golden shine technique comprises of focusing on a golden shine emerging from the wall behind the audience as a rainbow curve. It keeps on heading towards the presenter as a sign of boosting his confidence eventually allowing him to make eye contact with all of them once the shine reaches their heads gradually.
Eye to eye contact
When you make eye-contact with the audience they feel valued. Each member sitting in the boardroom develops a sense of being respected and valued by the presenter when he looks at them while speaking. If it’s a large number of viewers, this might not be possible though; however, connecting with the front sitters or at least trying to look at as many of them should do alike.
If you are looking for assistance with your PowerPoint design presentation, connect with Sami Kayyali right now!