3 Simple Ways to Combat Presentation Fear

Nothing ruins a visually stunning, narratively arresting, killer presentation deck like a gibbering ‘fraidy-cat murmuring through the presentation with absolute zero confidence.

And maybe that’s what gets us so afraid in the first place: that we’re going to ruin it all. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. The fear of failure is undoubtedly the number one cause of failure. So when we talk about combating presentation fear, we’re really talking about overcoming the fear of failure. Here are 3 extremely simple ways to combat that fear that your next presentation will be a failure:

1. Prepare: Nothing feeds the fear of failure like procrastination and uncertainty. Preparation is how we gain certainty and confidence in our material. In addition to rehearsing your presentation over and over again, you also need to share your message with internal and external allies, people with subject matter expertise like a superior or that loyal client who has become a friend and wants you to be successful. Take the hard knocks early on by getting candid, in-depth feedback before the presentation and you’ll have a lot less to fear on pitch day.

2. Storytelling: Ok, ok: everyone’s going to say that this is our answer for everything now. But it kind of is. In addition to making the presentation more interesting, stories are easier to recall in various mental states than empirical points. If you’ve put together your presentation in narrative form, you’ll always have the story to fall back on—and usually, the story will lead you to the data.

3. Clear your head: If you’re still feeling nervous, you’re probably over-thinking it. To know for sure, you can always write out a list of things you intend to do to be fully “prepared” before the presentation date. If you get to the date and you’ve checked off your list and you’re still nervous, you’ll know you’re ready and just having some wayward nerves. Make time for a good workout, have breakfast or lunch with that encouraging friend or co-worker, or do whatever else you can to fill the time before your presentation with some positive, relaxing “off” time. If you do all the work leading up to the big day, you have a responsibility to unwind a bit so you can deliver the final product in style.

Question: What do you do to beat your fears and nerves before a big presentation?





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