How would you calm your nerves before a high-stakes presentation?

1. Think about your audience when you create your presentation: who they are and what they care about. 2) Only allow a couple of bullet points per slide. Your slides goal is to support your speech, not to become an essai. 3) Make your presentation engaging by telling a story or ask question to your audience. Practise with a timer over and over until you can present confidently without reading your notes. 4) Ensure you don't go over the allocated time and there's room for questions in the end. 5) On the D-day, dress comfortably for succees. The last thing you want to focus on in that moment is how you look and feel in your clothes. 6) Stay hydrated, keep a water bottle with you, take some deep breath and go kill this presentation!

While people can give their suggestions and inputs on how to present well and sail fuss free through it, I am telling you by experience, you got to prep well and prep to a level where no one can lay an iota of doubt on your prep and that’s the battle won right there! People get anxious because they are thinking what if doesn’t go well, what if I freeze? Everything is secondary if you’ve prepped well, and by prepping I mean doing multiple rounds of your presentation in front of your partner / family / friends / your team and that will give you loads of confidence to pull this off in the best way possible! Hope this helps! 🙌

Before every important presentation, follow simple steps to become calm and stay positive. Dress appropriately which gives you a comfortable and confident moment. You may wear your favourite one as this adds more energy. Create an acronym, as this would give you confidence about the presentation and helps you in remembering every single point of the presentation.

Before I have any presentation I write ✍️ my 3 or 4 points I need to make and add them to my log book and to the slide script When facilitating I write the stepping stones - where do we as a group need to go to enable all voices to be heard and get to a place of agreement and common agreement of the outcome actions Then 10 minutes before I check them- I never change them at that point I feel calm knowing I have prepared and on some occasions I have not needed them during the session and realised I am calm in control of my emotions

La visualización es poderosa. Durante mi carrera he tenido la satisfacción de capacitar y entrenar a mas de 35,000 personas. Poco a poco he aprendido varias técnicas para calmar mis nervios antes de una presentación y la mejor de todas es la Visualización. La técnica es muy sencilla : Ser muy detallista, imagina el escenario, la ropa con la que uno se vestirá, la comunicación no verbal a utilizar, el público, la luz, y por supuesto como harás la declaración de tu presentación. Cuando uno hace esto, nuestro cerebro lo vive. El día de la presentación tu cerebro pensará que ya lo vivió y que esta será una segunda vez,por lo tanto no sentirá temor o sentirá menos temor y tus nervios serán mucho menor. Pruébalo !

Here are some techniques and tips for effectively visualizing success: Set Clear Goals: Clearly define what success means to you. Whether it's achieving a specific career milestone, personal accomplishment, or financial target, clarity helps in visualizing the end result. Create a Mental Image: Close your eyes and visualize yourself already achieving your goal. Imagine the details vividly - where you are, who is with you, how you feel emotionally and physically. Engage Your Senses: Make the visualization as realistic as possible by engaging all your senses. Imagine what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch in this successful scenario.

Sempre que for ao teatro, cinema, show, igreja, no final suba no palco, e se veja fazendo sua palestra. ambientes que conhece te ajuda a se sentir mais solta e confiante. A visualização é uma técnica poderosa, utilizada por atletas e artistas para reforçar a confiança antes de grandes eventos. Dedique um tempo para imaginar sua apresentação com ��xito — visualize-se falando com clareza, envolvendo o público e respondendo perguntas com destreza. Esse ensaio mental condiciona sua mente para o sucesso e cria uma expectativa positiva, preparando-o para o desempenho em situações desafiadoras.

As you go through practicing visualize yourself giving a great presentation by imagining the entire process going smoothly, from your opening words to the final applause. Picture yourself confident, clear, and engaging. And, hey, if you know your stuff, everything is gonna be alright.

Lembre que até o cantores para alcançar as melhores notas, respiram. O controle da respiração pode ter um impacto significativo na redução do estresse e da ansiedade. Antes de sua apresentação, pratique exercícios de respiração profunda para acalmar seus nervos. Inspire lentamente pelo nariz, mantenha o ar por alguns segundos e expire pela boca. Repita esse processo algumas vezes para diminuir a frequência cardíaca e relaxar o corpo. A respiração controlada não só ajuda a acalmá-lo, mas também assegura que sua voz permaneça firme e clara durante a apresentação.

A pause, should always feel longer for you, than that what you might feel comfortable in. A trick, could be to pause, by drinking a bit of water etc. and then continue. The audience need time to digest, and the pauses is where it happens. So it's important.

According to the 7-38-55 rule from Albert Mehrabian's study, communication is composed of 7% spoken words, 38% tone of voice, and a significant 55% body language. This underscores the importance of how you present yourself and the power poses that can be used to significantly enhance your presentation. Standing in confident postures not only makes your message more credible and persuasive but also boosts your own confidence. An effective technique i like a lot, used by ancient Greeks like the Athenians, involves leaning towards your audience to demonstrate engagement and interest, while maintaining a tall, upright posture to convey authority and confidence.

This is something I always do before a presentation, exam or interview. It’s proven to reduce cortisol and help you be more effective in high stress situations.

If standing, you can stand tall with your shoulders back or your hands on your hips If sitting, sit up straight with your back against the chair, with shoulders relaxed. Infact, beyond confidence, the posture helps you breathe better and feel more composed.

When a superhero poses, they often stare off into the skies, holding their head high. Well, standing in confidence also means directing your gaze to a place you find comfort and hope. One trick I've found helpful is to find a kind or familiar face in the audience and land my gaze in that direction when I need to center myself. Another helpful trick is to find a blank space or marker point along the background that lies just above the line of sight of your audience. The audience will think you are looking at their eyes, when in fact you are looking just above their heads. The superhero gaze.

"you are excited, not nervous" is a mind shift change that can have a profound impact on the speaker. This was in a Ted talk on being an effective public speaker.

Drink water to stay hydrated, as dehydration can amplify feelings of stress -- drinking water keeps your throat lubricated and helps prevent these issues, enabling you to speak clearly and smoothly. You can also have a bottle of water with you during the presentation to sip as needed.

No one likes to hear those weird noises while talking, you know, the ones your mouth makes when it's dehydrated. So, breathe, take your time, have a little drink. I think drinking water will make you look more confident

Sometimes it’s as simple as understanding a simple idea - Nobody cares about you, they care about themselves. Lets break it down: You as a presenter, all you are thinking about is yourself - Do I look good?, Would my slides look good on the screen? Would my voice sound funny on the mic? What if I sound too monotonous? And as you are worried about yourself, the audiences are thinking about themselves too - I hope this presentation is good, I am bored already. Would I look dumb if I ask a question? When is lunch? I hope this presentation ends on time, I have somewhere to be. Everyone wishes for the best, but for themselves. If both your wishes come true, it’s a win-win. This understanding keeps you calm.

Understand that if you are confident about your content , it will automatically translate into confidence about your presentation. Your vocabulary , having recorded yourself a few times so you know which filler words you use , writing a script and following it loosely will all help you with a more impactful choice of words. Practice it a few times. When in front of an audience , read them. Are they friendly? Serious? Academic? Professional ? Bored? Tired? Modulate your tone of voice and brevity of material in accordance if you can .

Some of the techniques I have seen people use are before presentation : - Facial muscles stretching - Vocal exercises - Light jogging/cardio/exercise (not so much that you start sweating) - Breathing exercises - Self Pep-Talk - Any relaxing activity like reading or watching a funny video (not related to presentation)

A mentor once told me it's okay to be nervous before a high-stakes presentation. I actually prefer it because it shows I truly care about doing a good job. Embracing my nervousness and understanding it as a normal reaction helps calm my nerves. It reassures me that my anxiety comes from a desire to perform well, which enhances my performance. When I know I've done my research, prepared thoroughly, and practiced my presentation, my nerves become a positive indicator rather than a hindrance. This awareness allows me to channel my nervous energy into a focused and passionate delivery, ensuring I connect with my audience effectively.

I'd like to share two effective strategies that have worked well for me, the first is deep breathing exercises. Take a moment to close your eyes and breathe deeply. You can even excuse yourself for a quick restroom break to do this. Taking just four minutes to breathe deeply can significantly reduce stress and calm your nerves, and no one will mind the short break. It's more effective than many people realize. The second strategy is to avoid direct eye contact with intimidating stakeholders. Instead, look at their foreheads. This way, you can maintain your composure and continue your presentation without being distracted by their reactions or what they might be thinking.