Taking Your Presentation Skills From Nervous to Natural

It's no secret that many professionals feel anxiety about presenting or speaking in front of groups. Public speaking can be overwhelming. Combine that with a hefty dose of nervousness and you'll likely find yourself with an extremely awkward delivery. But with the right preparation and practice, you can take your speaking skills from simple to sophisticated. Eric Torres, vice president of channel and community engagement with Pax8, provides guidance to help IT professionals become confident, compelling speakers.

Understanding Your Audience

Improving your public speaking begins with confidence. One of the first steps Torres suggests is understanding who is going to be in the room. Research your participants so that you can keep their attention. Messages should be tailored to your subjects to help increase the effectiveness of your presentation "Do your research and know who you're talking to and a little bit about them," says Torres. "You can better engage them and get them involved when you understand more about them."

Engaging Your Audience

Keeping your audience engaged is key for a winning speech or presentation. Boredom is one of the easiest ways to lose your participants' attention. Develop your body language and create a dynamic presence to keep your audience interested in what you're saying.

Overcoming Your Anxiety

Most people experience anxiety when they're in front of a group. Sources report that approximately three out of four people experience some fear of public speaking. Recognizing that this stems from fear of judgement or failure is crucial to overcoming it. "I still get anxiety depending on my presentation. It gets to people-even seasoned vets," says Torres.

Crafting Your Message

Crafting a concise message is essential in public speaking. You need a clear structure that is easy to follow. Show evidentiary value by including examples and stories to help drive your point home. End with a strong conclusion and call to action. Remember that less is more from a creative perspective so you should focus on creating a clean, appealing presentation.

Strategies for Elevating Your Public Speaking Skills

Over the years, Torres has honed his public speaking and he has some tried-and-true methods for helping even the most nervous improve.

Know Your Material

Effective preparation can be used to combat anxiety. The more prepared you feel, the more authentic and confident you will be. Thoroughly familiarize yourself with the material and practice in front of friends and family. Practice your speech in front of groups. Get involved and take every opportunity you can to practice. "Practice absolutely makes perfect," he says. "I run through it over and over in my head if it's a presentation I've never delivered before."

Visualization Techniques

Visualization can also help you overcome your fear. Picture yourself delivering a confident, error-free presentation. Imagine that you receive only positive feedback and that your delivery is flawless. Feel the pride that will come after a successful speech. "A lot of people visualize," says Torres. "I get a layout of the stage, use visualization techniques and think about what it will be like when I'm on stage, walking off stage and getting feedback from others."

Practice Delivery Techniques

Another way to build your confidence is to pay attention to your delivery techniques. Practice voice modulation and eye contact to create a natural, engaging performance. Move around to help engage your audience and create a dynamic presence. "I move a lot on stage. If I forget what I was going to say, I shut up and walk to the other side of the stage. Nobody knows what I'm doing, but I'm collecting my thoughts. You have to be prepared for anything to happen and master how you're going to handle it," comments Torres.

Be a Storyteller

Transform your message into a story. Insert commonalities into your story and find ways to be relatable. Injecting personal tales and details can also help engage your audience. "I don't have a presentation, I have a tale to tell. Right away people are interested in the story I'm going to tell them," says Torres

Master Body Language

Use your body language to convey confidence. Use hand gestures, make eye contact and stand up tall. Make the audience feel like you're engaging them in a personal conversation. "Body language matters. It does affect the engagement of the presentation. Use your hands. If I'm trying to relate this to MSP sales and presenting a solution, I use these techniques to make sure people are listening to me."

Prepare for the Worst

If something can go wrong, it inevitably will. Think through any possible negative scenarios and have a backup plan. Some common problems include technical issues, audio problems, audience interruptions or losing your train of thought. Be able to pivot in any situation. "I have two of everything, two presentation remotes, cables-things can go sideways so quickly," says Torres.

Perfect Your Timing

Your audience is going to vary, which means that no presentation will be flawless every time it's delivered. Sometimes, the attention span of your audience may lag or engagement might be low. What seemed like an energetic group before lunch may suddenly seem deflated at the end of the day. Adjust your timing for each group to improve clarity and coherence. "The way I adjust is by knowing my halfway point (and ¾) in the presentation and then you know if you're behind and if you need to speed it up," he says.

Be Ready for Questions

Questions are a good thing. It means your audience is engaging with what you're saying. Try to anticipate questions so that you can have a thorough, thoughtful response. This helps to create a dialogue and creates engaging interactions.

Ask for Feedback

While it's not always easy to hear, it's a good idea to ask for feedback so that you can grow as a presenter. Use the feedback to refine your skills and you'll become better over time.

Remember that public speaking is a skill that takes some people years to master. As long as you're working to improve, you'll move from nervous to natural. "Public speaking is a journey. All of us put a lot of time, effort and practice into what we're doing and that is what makes us who we are," says Torres.

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