Many people choose to die instead of facing the audience. Yes, stage fear is the top most fear among individuals. People are afraid to speak in front of public. There are many reasons why people choose death over public speaking. Some of them can be as follows:
- People laughing at you
- Fear of being blank on stage
- You do not have effective communication skills
- Loosing the image in front of public.
- Questions like How do I look, how would people react etc.?
This article will describe a few tips that you can follow to overcome stage fear as well as to deliver effective presentation.
- Be careful of how you dress up
Before people start listening to you, they first notice your outer appearance. Make sure to wear formal attire which is well ironed. Check your shoes before you go on stage. Yes, audience notice you from head to toe so make sure to carry the outfit which is formal as well as comfortable to you. The dress is the first thing that gives you confidence to go on stage.
“Dress like you own the Bank, not like you need a loan from it”.
2. Stay Calm and Relaxed
It is very difficult to keep calm and relax at the time of presentation. Even the well experienced public speaker gets nervous on stage. It is okay to be nervous but accept this nervousness and try to come out of it. Before your presentation try to do the thing that you love doing. For example, listening to your favorite music. This will help to divert your mind from trepidation and will make you cool and relaxed.
3. Do not over think
Thinking too much can ruin the situation. If we let our mind free then it will take you all around the world within a fraction of seconds. You won’t even realize that the result of your presentation is already been formed on your mind. Most of the times it is negative. So refrain yourself from thinking too much about the presentation.
4. Prepare Well
The first thing that you should do a couple of days back your presentation is the Preparation. Read as much content as you can till you feel confident about your topic. Prepare thoroughly regarding your topic. Gather more examples, facts and figures, statistics regarding the topic. Let your audience know that you are well prepared with the topic by delivering relevant content. Be sure to deliver only important and relevant points at the time of presentation.
5. Eye Contact
This is very important when you give presentation among audience. This shows that you are interested in your audience. Let them feel important by making an eye contact with each and everyone. Make sure to know the difference between gaze and eye contact. Making eye contact with your audience is a sign of respect towards them. This will also let you know the insight of your audience and help you to make your discussion better.
6. Be Open and Confident
While delivering the presentation, you should be open towards your audience. Keep your hands opened rather than folded or keeping inside pockets. Your hand movements, stage movements try to instigate interest in your audience. Moreover body language is also a form of communication. This shows your confidence level also. Try to keep yourself away from the podium and move more towards the audience if possible.
7. Make Stories
In order to let your audience be connected with you during the presentation then be sure to engage them by telling stories. People remember stories for a long time. Let your audience understand your topic by forming a story around and keeping it easier to understand.
8. Include Pictures
Try to include more graphics or pictures within your presentation rather than texts. This gives interest in audience to look up to the slides and understand the presentation. People remember and understand better from pictures, images or graphics instead of textual information.
9. Ask Questions
To let your audience present not only physically but also mentally, the best practice is to ask questions in between your presentation. This will keep them alert during the presentation. Remember that the biggest fear is speaking in front of mass public. So ask question and let the audience realize too that it is easier to sit and laugh but much difficult to present in front of public. This will also let you know whether people are understanding your point correctly or not.
10. Summarize
At last summarize the important points that you delivered during the presentation. This will help to retain the content in audiences’ mind. Thank everyone in the public of being patient and supportive. Ask them if they have any question related to your presentation. Try to answer their questions in polite way and encourage them to ask more.
Guy Kawasaki 10-20-30 Rule of Presentation
This is an important rule to be practiced while delivering a presentation. This means:
- Make sure to have a maximum of 10 slides presentation.
- Deliver your presentation within maximum of 20 minutes.
- Use a 30 point font size in your slides.
I hope these points will help you deliver an effective presentation. For more updates, stay connected with Englishneed.
