Do you have a magic pill for managing nerves? That’s a question I often get asked by my public speaking coaching clients and if I did, I would be very rich by now!
Unfortunately, there is no magic cure for managing nerves. There are however some things that you can do that will help. You’ve probably heard before that
- being prepared is really important and
- breathing through the diaphragm rather than the chest is really important
I completely agree and recommend you implement both points above.
DON’T VISUALISE WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL
Something that you may not have heard of before that an acting teacher said to me once is, ‘Don’t visualise what you can’t control.’
Now, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t visualise yourself doing really well and use the power of positive thinking. What it means is, don’t have a set idea of how the presentation is going to go. Because small things can then throw you off. For instance, if you practice your presentation in a room where you have the front row of chairs quite close to you, (imagining the set out of the room you will be presenting in to be similar). Then you arrive at the space where you’re presenting and the first row of chairs are a few metres away, all of a sudden you can feel extra exposed and the nerves can escalate.
If you practice your presentation in lots of different ways in different settings, then you have that flexibility on the day to know that you know your stuff, you are prepared. You know how to do the correct breathing, and you can deliver in any setting and it’s not going to throw you off.
It’s so simple and something that most people won’t do in preparing for their presentation. So if you’re feeling nervous and you have an important speaking engagement coming up, give this a go, you really have nothing to lose.
Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you start unlocking your potential so that you can become clear, confident and compelling in front of your audience:
- Join our IS Rehearsal Room and connect with other leaders and business professionals: It’s our fast growing Facebook Community where driven leaders and business professionals are leveling up their Presentation Skills – it’s FREE to join.
- Join us on the inside where you will gain access to our members portal Rehearsal Room. Here you will find invaluable body language and vocal techniques, as well as tips and tricks sure to help you increase your influence in your next presentation.
- Work with me and my team to immediately start elevating your presentation skills. If you’re sick of putting up with where you’re at now and want to make sure you’re ready to do it better next time, let us help you create and deliver a presentation you can be proud of. Apply here and we look forward to understanding more about you and your goals:
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