Giving Confident Presentations

You can deliver confident and powerful presentations! 

All it takes is a little preparation, some practice, and a winning mindset.

You’ve been given the opportunity to give a presentation. 

Congratulations!  This is your chance to shine. 

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t like presenting very much. 

So, read on for some simple tips you can use to conquer your worries. 

With these simple tips, you’ll be ready to go in no time, feeling confident, and fully prepared.

First, there are a few things I wanted to point out:

Know that you were asked to present, because you can do it—you wouldn’t have been asked otherwise.

No one really likes presenting.  Some of the best, most well known speakers and actors have confessed to this.  So, when you look out at your audience, know that you’re always in good company.

What actually comes out of your mouth is only about 10% of what gets communicated.  That leaves 90% to non-verbals.  That means if your body language, expression and gestures communicate confidence, you will come across as confident.

But just how do you create this confidence? 

Here’s the secret: being prepared; practicing; and having identified beforehand, instant solutions for de-stressing. 

A favourite motto of mine is “If you think you can, you can.” 

So here is how you’re going to get prepared, confidently go in there, and knock their socks off!

 

Confidence builder #1:  Know your content

Identify your key messages—bullet them in order so they tell a clear story. 

Jot down cues for your key messages (e.g. on postcards, paper, etc.). 

Have them ready as back up (but remember to refrain from reading them word-for-word while presenting). 

Enhance your messages with supporting tools, and interesting visuals—it will be a perk for your audience, and it takes the spotlight off of you. 

Be sure to tap into your resources—know a graphic design expert?  Ask for their advice.

Confidence builder #2:  [Content protected for Silver members only]