Snowboarding with family for my birthday, it struck me how giving presentations and snowboarding are alike.
You may wonder in what way?
Well, I remember just after my first snowboarding lesson at the age of 47, I happily started practicing on the easy slopes.
Then, I followed my husband and daughter (who were more advanced) down a side route.
To my horror, it was steep and curvy and lined with scary trees that were just waiting for me to smack into. There was no way I could continue on my board!
I suddenly felt angry that they’d led me down that way and, in a huff, I took off my board and trudged through the snow all the way down to where the land leveled out again.
I’d completely lost the initial enthusiasm I had for snowboarding, and just wanted to go home.
So, what does this have to do with giving presentations?
Well, through my own experience and my decades of coaching business professionals, I’ve repeatedly seen that people do well by practicing and taking small steps out of their comfort zone – for example, starting by presenting at a small meeting with low stakes and gradually building to bigger and higher stakes situations.
If, before you’ve developed some skills and confidence, you find yourself presenting to a large audience and the outcome is important, you’re throwing yourself straight into the terror zone, and this is likely to set you back in developing your skills.
In Episode 209 of the Sasuga! Podcast, you’ll hear
- 5 ways that giving presentations is like snowboarding (and what you can learn from them)
- 3 essentials to help you quickly feel more confident about giving presentations – even in your non-native language
Enjoy!
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Mentioned in this episode
Your body language may shape who you are – TED Talk by Amy Cuddy
If it’s important for you to be clear, confident, and convincing when you speak with clients and colleagues online, click here to discover all the ways this comprehensive, self-study course can help you.
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