Believe it or not, some people are jazzed about giving presentations.
On the other end of the public-speaking spectrum are those who have a debilitating fear of it.
For them, the experience comes with a racing heart, sense of dread, or worse.
Some get physically ill, regardless the amount of practice and preparation.
Here are just a few.
Its ultimately wasting a ton of time.
Instead, plan the presentation first.
Invest half an hour and sketch out your key points.
Itll make building the presentation much easier and faster after you have a plan to follow.
This is almost always misguided.
Boil it down and make it concise.
or What are the three most important things people need to remember after the presentation?
This centers your attention on your audience (and away from yourself).
Once you know those three things, your presentation will be easier to build.
verify those points are the most important for what you want to your audience to know.
If your visuals have text on them, avoid long sentencesand absolutely no paragraphs.
Your audience cant read and listen to you at the same time.
The slides should be understandable at a glance, and a picture or graphic is ideal.
As you plan to deliver the presentation, think in similar, simple terms.
Use this age-old public speaking model:
Tell them what youre going to tell them.
(This is your introduction.)
(These are your 2-3 main points.)
Tell them what you told them.
(This is your conclusion that drives home exactly what you want your audience to remember.)
Once you know what to say, practice saying it in front of one or more friends or colleagues.
Have your practice audience time your delivery to help with your time management.
Speaking in public is like any skill: the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Remind yourself of what really matters
Despite all the preparation, nerves will still take hold.
