Off Topic: How to Calm Nerves During Presentations

[bmm5530]

Hi guys,

I'm giving a presentation tomorrow for one of my classes and I'm nervous to say the least. I've never liked public speaking and have always dreaded it but this is my first presentation in front of a big class (I go to PSU and my class has 100+ students in it.)

Any help or tips you could give me to calm my nerves and help me get some confidence would be great.

Thank you

 

[johnjuanb1]

I had a horrible fear of public speaking. I used to drop a class if an oral presentation was on the syllabus. Now, I speak everyday in front of large groups of people. Take your time, slow down, and have fun. Enjoy the experience. Tell yourself, I'm the greatest ever at this. Believe it, and you'll kick ass!!!

 

[Marvin Martian]

JJ - GREAT advice!!! Become great at this and separate yourself!!! I have to speak a lot and the more confident you are the better!!

 

[W8Train]

Toastmasters has a list of 10 tips for public speaking which addresses nervousness. I would've cut and pasted it here for you, but not sure that's allowed.

 

[Zomb131]

beta blockers

 

[Deleted member 121863]

know you material inside and out so if you get off track it doesnt matter, just bring it back on track. With a large group it can be easier, just look out to the masses, no real eye contact, just speak it like you were alone. Own that shit, and know that many others watching you don`t wanna be up there, but you are, and are doing it, well

 

[Aliendogstar]

beta blockers

Zomb is right. Many take these for this very purpose. I'm not 100% on this but you can probably get a doctor to prescribe these. You're probably not going to get these by tomorrow, so JJ's advice is your best bet for now.

 

[Queefer]

Pretend that everyone in the audience is naked.

 

[lestatgear]

Beta blockers as some listed do help. Someone also mentioned Toastmasters. If you have a big fear of public speaking they are a great group to work on your skills and overcome your fears. I would see if there is a charter near you.

 

[flexdurden]

Personally, I try to not get hung up on specific sentences... I have speaking points I want to hit but do not try to memorize specifics. I make sure I know the material inside and out and when I can just talk about it without a script I appear much more confident.

Use the audience. Walk back and forth in from of the audience and keep your head up, focused on them. I often give myself several focal points in a room and look at each focal point as I speak. It can be an empty chair, a friend...etc. and shift your eyes across the audience using your focal points.

Speak with inflection and passion. Even if you mess up something, if you say it with passion it will come across that you know what you are talking about.

Be interesting. Think about if you were in the audience, what would keep your attention

Use positive self talk before speaking as it will improve your confidence

 

[heavydeadlifts]

20-30mg propranolol taken the morning of a presentation will cure you....seriously

 

[GottaGain]

When I remember to take an antihistamine for allergies it always seems to calm me down and alleviate stress/anxiety.

 

[Scotte0057]

Bump JJB and Mentalflex's responses. One trick I've always used was to have someone give you a random word to work into your presentation. It could be anything, rhinocerus is one of my favorites. The trick is that you become so focused on using that word in your presentation that you don't think about how nervous you are.

 

[JustWannaBeHuge]

Personally, I try to not get hung up on specific sentences... I have speaking points I want to hit but do not try to memorize specifics. I make sure I know the material inside and out and when I can just talk about it without a script I appear much more confident.

Use the audience. Walk back and forth in from of the audience and keep your head up, focused on them. I often give myself several focal points in a room and look at each focal point as I speak. It can be an empty chair, a friend...etc. and shift your eyes across the audience using your focal points.

Speak with inflection and passion. Even if you mess up something, if you say it with passion it will come across that you know what you are talking about.

Be interesting. Think about if you were in the audience, what would keep your attention

Use positive self talk before speaking as it will improve your confidence

As long as you know your material and are prepared for it, the 100% worst part will be the before. What do I mean by that? I mean this, when you start talking and knowing what you're talking about... it's going to flow.. all that nervousness will disappear and the after you'll be asking yourself why you were so nervous when it was a grandslam.

I used to HATE it, just like JJ said about the classes and wouldn't take a class for that sole reason. One of my very first presentations at a previous job, my co-presenter came to me and said, "Remember, no one here wants to see you fail. They're here to listen to you. You are teaching them, and they're here to absorbed your information. You are the product manager, you know more about this than any of them, show them what you're capable of and knock em dead"

May sound cheesy to some, but his words still stick with me. No one especially in college is there to watch you fail, they want to learn from you, and maybe even get tips on how to handle their own presentation and control their own nervousness. Before I would never go first... now it doesn't bother me to go first and show em how it's done, or go last and know that "saved the best for last" Not trying to sound like an arrogant jerk, but I still need to psych myself up at times and telling myself I'm the best speaker...that helps lol

And like Mentalflex said, I always do a look around and focus on serveral objects/people as I'm speaking so I'm not standing up there looking straight ahead. For the people, I tend to look for friends, or people I am relaxed with. If you don't have friends or people you can relax with in your class, MY opinion is to then look several of the ladies in the eyes... I suggest that because I personally am a flirt... it relaxes me to flirt with women... so if I see a woman's eyes... its all good.

You'll be fine. Know your material, keep faith in yourself and you'll do fantastic.

Let us know how it turned out.

 

[JustWannaBeHuge]

damn, just realized he posted this last night, well, hopefully if he had a morning presentation, it went smoothly.

 

[flexdurden]

As long as you know your material and are prepared for it, the 100% worst part will be the before. What do I mean by that? I mean this, when you start talking and knowing what you're talking about... it's going to flow.. all that nervousness will disappear and the after you'll be asking yourself why you were so nervous when it was a grandslam.

I used to HATE it, just like JJ said about the classes and wouldn't take a class for that sole reason. One of my very first presentations at a previous job, my co-presenter came to me and said, "Remember, no one here wants to see you fail. They're here to listen to you. You are teaching them, and they're here to absorbed your information. You are the product manager, you know more about this than any of them, show them what you're capable of and knock em dead"

May sound cheesy to some, but his words still stick with me. No one especially in college is there to watch you fail, they want to learn from you, and maybe even get tips on how to handle their own presentation and control their own nervousness. Before I would never go first... now it doesn't bother me to go first and show em how it's done, or go last and know that "saved the best for last" Not trying to sound like an arrogant jerk, but I still need to psych myself up at times and telling myself I'm the best speaker...that helps lol

And like Mentalflex said, I always do a look around and focus on serveral objects/people as I'm speaking so I'm not standing up there looking straight ahead. For the people, I tend to look for friends, or people I am relaxed with. If you don't have friends or people you can relax with in your class, MY opinion is to then look several of the ladies in the eyes... I suggest that because I personally am a flirt... it relaxes me to flirt with women... so if I see a woman's eyes... its all good.

You'll be fine. Know your material, keep faith in yourself and you'll do fantastic.

Let us know how it turned out.

When it comes to your job and school, that kind of confidence, at least IMO, should not be perceived as arrogance... you need to feel it in your heart that you are the best or know you are going to ace this presentation or that your speaking swayed a customer or superior to see it your way.

Managers want to promote those who have a little swagger and confidence. They like to see someone who is comfortable with the company and can fit into any environment... Many times I am not confident presenting something, but I fake the shit out of that confidence and smile and laugh and if I know my audience try to connect them and will ask questions of them...

I ask myself, "what kind of speaker would I want to promote?" and that guides my though process

 

[bigboy05]

Well...how did it go?

 

[bmm5530]

Sorry guys, was really busy yesterday with school work but the presentation went really well! Thank you guys for all the advice, because it honestly really helped.

Mental and Justwannabehuge, I really tried to do what you guys said and it made all the difference. I wasn't really comfortable with anyone in the room so I picked out different objects which helped with my nerves. Also, I really studied the material and tried to learn it inside and out so I could talk about rather than trying to memorize. I've tried doing this in the past and when I forget a line, it throws everything off.

So thanks to everyone again and I honestly look forward to using these tips to do another presentation soon!

 

[bmm5530]

Pretend that everyone in the audience is naked.

LOL the class is mostly girls so that would make eye contact a little harder if ya know what i mean :headbang:

 

[Queefer]

LOL the class is mostly girls so that would make eye contact a little harder if ya know what i mean :headbang:

If you pull one of your balls out and let it hang out of your fly, that would help too.