Sales Presentation Skills Training in Malaysia | How to Get Ready Before The Presentation
You’ve done everything to properly prepare for your presentation. You’ve done your research, you’ve got great slides, you think you have a pretty good idea about what your audience expects. Now you are going to actually deliver the goods. Here’s where you put it all together. To make sure all your preparation pays off, the following will help you give a great presentation.
Butterflies
The first point to cover in this chapter, and often the first point in any book about public speaking, is those legendary butterflies that swarm around in our stomachs as we get up in front of a crowd—or sometimes even just think about doing so. Whether you call it butterflies, stage fright, or whatever, it’s fear.
This fear is perfectly normal—but that’s probably not much consolation when those butterflies start churning. What can you do to reduce or eliminate that fear? You start by understanding it. Presentations defines it as “the fear of the unknown in a situation over which you may have no control.” So, to conquer that fear, you work to minimize the unknown and maximize your control. Here are some suggestions to help you do just that.
In advance of your presentation:
Practice—a lot. Don’t just think your presentation through: act it out, in front of friends, family, or col- leagues. Time each section of your presentation and develop a schedule.
Memorize the first two minutes of your presentation, so you breeze on through the time when the butterflies are most active. But don’t try to memorize your entire presentation: then it won’t seem as natural and you’ll worry over forgetting your lines. (If you feel better memorizing something, memorize the organization and the key points and concepts of your presentation.)
Develop notes, either on index cards or on sheets of paper. (More on this later.)
Get enough sleep, especially the night before you’re making your presentation.
In the hours before you present:
Think positive thoughts: visualize yourself feeling at ease with the audience.
Use affirmation (e.g., “I’ve got something they need or want” or “I can do this. I’m prepared. It will all go well.”).
Eat light.
Avoid coffee and alcohol.
Make sure all the equipment is working properly.
Remember that the people in your audience are human, too, just like you. They want you to succeed.
When you enter the room:
Focus on making your movements fluid and confident, neither too slow nor too fast.
Find a few friendly faces in the audience, for reassurance.
Smile. Show that you want to be there.
Be yourself.
We’ve emphasized the importance of preparation—of planning your presentation, of preparing your slides and handouts, of knowing as much as possible about the people and place. If you plan, you minimize problems. If you anticipate potential problems, you can virtually eliminate them.
This includes being prepared for the effects of fear. If you make a mistake at the beginning, don’t be afraid to just start again. If something happens later, simply apologize. It’s no big deal unless you let it become big.
Most presenters become less nervous with experience — or at least better at overcoming it. When we’re nervous, it’s rarely as obvious to others as we think it is. Your audience will not notice the small changes in your voice or any little mistakes; if you remember that fact, you’re more likely to appear calm and confident.
One last thing: don’t expect to get rid of those butterflies. The best public speakers, people who seem so relaxed in front of crowds, still feel the fear. But they use it to their advantage, turning that nervous energy into a dynamic presence. And what works for them can work for you.
