I’m guessing you feel nervous about giving presentations? Unless you’ve had LOTS of practice – either through experience or training – you probably feel uncomfortable speaking in front of people.
That’s normal for us as human beings because we want to be accepted by the group. We don’t want to look bad or say something embarrassing when everyone’s eyes are on us.
The good news is that we can learn to overcome the symptoms of nervousness – pounding heart, dry throat, sweating – and give clear, confident presentations.
All it takes is training and practice.
Anyone can be a good – or even great – speaker.
And having a high TOEIC score isn’t a requirement! You don’t have to use 100% correct English grammar, have perfect pronunciation, or use sophisticated words.
But what happens when you’ve prepared and practiced for your presentation, and then something unexpected happens?
Have you experienced this? The PowerPoint slides won’t work. The handouts are incorrect or unavailable. People turn up early. People turn up late. Fewer people than expected turn up. A lot MORE people than expected turn up.
All these have happened to me over the years. Sometimes – in my early days – I wasn’t ready to deal with the unexpected and my presentation didn’t go well. I felt terrible.
Now, I deal with change quite easily. It’s almost like a fun challenge.
My most recent experience of this was speaking at Waseda Business School, where I teach a class on Strategic Thinking and Communication. For the new academic year, I was expecting around 15 students.
When I entered the room early to set up the equipment, it was already half full and ultimately over 60 people squashed into the room.
I had to think quick because some of the activities that I’d planned, such as each student standing at the front of the class for a self-introduction, weren’t practical for such a large number. Listening through over 60 self-introductions would take time and be difficult for them to stay focused on. Instead, I split them into six groups of around 10 and they stood up and did self-introductions in circles. It worked well, with everyone fully engaged.
What’s important in cases of unexpected events is to take the focus off yourself – it’s easy to think, “Oh, no! I can’t deal with this. It’s not like I planned. People will think I’m no good.”
Instead, focus on the audience or participants. What’s best for them? How can you keep them engaged and give them what they need?
Ultimately, the class was high energy and fun.
And at the end, one of my students from last year’s class dropped by to say hello. Apparently, he and his classmates had been telling other students to come to my class. That was why we had the sudden HUGE increase in popularity (and because I won the Waseda Teaching Award – I share another presentation tip about that here).
Well, if I can help more people in Japan to think strategically and communicate clearly and confidently, that’s a GREAT thing.
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Would you like to build your presentation skills and confidence?
The tips that I share above will definitely help you when you use them. At the same time, they’re just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to online presentation skills.
If it’s important for you to be clear, confident, and convincing when you speak with clients and colleagues online, I have GREAT news!
At last, the Speak Like An Expert Online course is ready for you.
>>> Click here to discover all the ways the self-study Speak Like An Expert Online course can guide you step-by-step at your own pace from being an Uncertain English Speaker to a Confident Global Communicator.
If you are interested in joining intensive coaching, please contact me.
I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. And if you’re ready to go ahead, my fabulous assistant Yumi will coordinate with you about the dates and payment, which you can make either by Japanese bank transfer or PayPal.
There’s no time like the present to give yourself the gift of clear, confident presentations.