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If public speaking
makes you extremely nervous, try practicing your presentation with
the television on in the background.
Without a doubt,
the most important thing that you can do to help you deal with your
nerves is to rehearse extensively. That means practicing your
presentation out
loud so much that you could perform under any
circumstances.
Practice Until You're Ready
People often ask us
how they can know that they’ve practiced enough. Unfortunately, we can’t give
a guideline that fits everyone. For some people, practicing the
presentation out loud twice is enough. Others may need more
practice. We worked with one nervous presenter who practiced the
entire presentation 25 times. She did great.
One way to know if
you’re really ready is if you can do the presentation in spite of
distractions. Indeed, anxiety is a major distraction that derails a
lot of presentations.
Create Your Own Distraction
So why not create
your own distraction and see how you do? One of our coaches likes
to rehearse big presentations with the television on. “I find that
if I can nail it while the television is tuned to CNN, then I’m
ready,” she says.
So next time you’re
preparing for a big presentation, turn on the television. If you can nail your presentation while Larry King is
interviewing a movie star, chances are you’re ready.
At Speechworks we
help our clients learn how to communicate in a way that connects and
persuades. If you’re interested in becoming a great communicator
give us a call at 404-266-0888 or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net. |
