Sweaty palms. Racing heart. Shortened breath. Those infamous butterflies fluttering inside your stomach. All signs that public speaking isn’t your forte… Yet. Giving a public performance is no small task. And although some are more adept at it than others, it is estimated that 75% of people grapple with speech anxiety. But according to speaking coach Sally Koering Zimney, 80% of delivering a presentation or speech is mental. She even developed a comprehensive guide of 3 public speaking mindsets to change the way presenters approach events and audiences. You can get your mind right and improve your next presentation by…
1. Getting excited
Driven by an intense passion for the subject or topic of his or her presentation, the excitable speaker squelches presentation anxiety. When starting the presentation production process, ensure that the content you are creating involves aspects that motivate you personally. From there, the excitable speaker walks onstage with enthusiasm for the content he or she is about to impart on the eager audience.
Presentation Tip:
Sally suggests talking to yourself prior to the presentation – walking through the parts of the speech that inspire you. If that isn’t enough to calm your nerves, continue concentrating internally by controlling your breathing through various techniques.
2. Practicing flexibility
The amount of flexibility a presenter has is typically a direct result of the total hours of meaningful preparation put into a presentation. It’s about putting in the work, while also accepting the fact that things will go wrong – or not according to plan. The more you prepare, the better you will pick yourself up after you fall down. Sally believes that the way a speaker responds to a situation gone awry is paramount to presentation success.
Presentation Tip:
A flawless transition that exudes confidence, a little humor, and grace goes a long way for your audience. If you experience presentation failure, don’t dwell on it during the presentation. The best thing a presenter can do is recognize weaknesses, improve planning efforts, and perfect adjustment techniques – all post-presentation mishap strategies.
3. Being responsive
An audience-first mindset will position any speaker or presenter in the best place for success. But an audience focus is much more than crafting useful content according to Sally. Audience focus runs much deeper, to your heart and mind. By shifting focus away from yourself and towards your anticipatory audience, you’ll likely concentrate less on your presentation anxiety and more on demonstrating interest in the crowd and responding to their needs, desires, and wishes.
Presentation Tip:
Sally says to perceive your primary role as a mere vessel, solely responsible for transporting the message. Placing the message first instead of yourself relieves some pressure and stress, while also indirectly causing you to adopt an audience-first mindset.
Conclusion
Take a cue from Sally and alter your presentation mindset to ease anxiety and give your most successful presentation yet. To learn more about presentation failure and how to deal with the aftermath and overcoming presentation anxiety, check out the following resources:
The Mindsets of a Moving Speaker
