Those of you in the UK who watched the final episode of The Apprentice would have seen Lee (despite a few miscalculations on his CV) win the coveted position with Sir Alan Sugar.
I was a little worried when I was watching him prepare for the final presentation and was willing him on from the sidelines.
As an ex-public speaking phobic, I thought I'd share with you a few tips about how to feel more calm and relaxed when delivering a presentation or speaking in public:
- Steer clear of thinking about what you don't want - many people spend a lot of time 'hoping they won't mess it up' or telling themselves 'not to be nervous'. In focusing on not messing up or being nervous, that's exactly where you attention goes and as soon as you think about such things, neurologically your body starts to respond.
- Focus on your ideal outcome - Focus on being calm, relaxed, in control, eloquent, funny, knowledgeable, or whatever you want to convey on the day. In the same way that you can divert your focus and fixate on what you don't want, the same is true for the reverse, so keep your focus firmly on everything that you want to experience and your mind and body will start to respond appropriately.
- Relax your breathing - It sounds simple enough, but many people literally hold their breath during a presentation. This then has the effect of them stumbling over their words, or blurting out several sentences in between breaths. When you relax your breathing you keep your brain fully oxgenated and this automatically allows you to think more clearly. It also has the effect of pacing and regulating the rate at which you speak.
- Centre your energy - If you are a fan or martial arts or meditation you will know that both have a focus on the solar plexus (the area where your 6-pack should be located!). When you stand up to do a presentation, take a few moments to focus your energy and attention here to keep you grounded and centred. When people have their energy all over the place this is where they tend to sway or nervously pace the stage. Grounding your energy creates a real presence and allows you to feel more focussed and solid in your peformance.
- Get peripheral - Generally you can either be in tunnel vision or peripheral vision. When you are in tunnel vision your focus is out in front and you are working from the sympathetic nervous system which is the fight or flight response, not an ideal state when you are presenting. Instead, get yourself into peripheral vision as this naturally invokes the parasympathetic nervous system which is the body's natural relaxation response.
Play around with these quick tips and let me know how you get on. I do all of these things before going out on stage and now absolutely love presenting, which is in stark contrast to the times where even speaking to small groups was enough to make me lose my voice.
On a future blog we'll discuss how to structure your presentation to ensure that you can connect with your entire audience regardless of their preferred learning or thinking style.
Happy presenting!
Marilyn
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