The human psyche is afraid of the unknown. Therefore, feelings that we experience before our first performance can be so strong that we can't sleep and eat. In the future you will understand that these experiences were even useful - they helped you to prepare properly, to feel euphoria after the successful presentation, to highlight the contrast between worrying and enthusiasm.
It's natural and normal.
While you have not started yet, let's talk about what you need to know before your first presentation, to feel enthusiasm and relief, not disappointment, after it.
What to remember first?
Your excitement (that you are so afraid to show) does not look from the outside as strong as it seems to you. The way you perceive your condition is not based on how you look, but on what you feel. People who came to listen to you feel completely different - so they will not notice how nervous you are, unless, of course, you do not faint or try to hit the slide with a shaking hand. But in most cases nothing like this happens.
Do not take the audience as examiners who are going to wait for your failure and shame you to get out of the door. Your audience will forgive most of your little blunders and mistakes – whether won't notice, or will just close their eyes on it. These people came here to listen to you and they are ready to support you. They are not interested in your failure in any way.
What to do at home?
Rehearse as often as possible.Prepare the material at the highest quality level. The better you will know the text of your presentation, the calmer you will feel. You will be able to control breathing and behavior during the speech and ready to answer questions easier. Rehearse MANY times. It is advisable to do this with a timer - during home rehearsals you should fit in 50-75% of the real time which will be assigned to you for the performance. Learn to speak without reading slides. Only practice really helps - train to catch the contents of the slide in a few seconds and speak about it for at least a minute. Practice, practice, practice.
Do special exercises.Speak in front of a mirror: tell the text of your presentation to yourself, it helps to see how you look when presenting to a large audience. Train public speaking skills in front of a chair: put it in the middle of the room and address to it during your speech – it develops skills of making presentations in front of the public. Record yourself on video and audio - in this case you can effectively figure out what moments of your presentation are not good, and fix these mistakes on time.
Pay attention to how you speak. Where your hands are, what kind of facial expression you see in the mirror, whether you draw sounds, or use parasite words, and so on. Imagine that this is a lecturer you came to listen to - do you like what you see and hear?
What to read before starting?
Use our numerous recommendations for presenters that will perfectly help to prepare for your first presentation. We hope it helps!
How to Overcome Your Public Speaking Anxiety
Tips to Improve the Way You Speak
PodioBox: The Brand New Way to Engage Your Audience
What About Your Presentation Skills?
Explore our BLOG for more!
Take care of yourself
In order for your first presentation to be successful, knowing the material and rehearsing is not enough. You need to be here-and-now, without being distracted by inner factors. This means that your body should be in a good and comfortable condition.
Be sure to get enough sleep, try to have a good rest before the day of your performance.
Eat healthy foods in the morning - if you like coffee, you can have a cup of coffee, it will help to cheer up and stay toned. During the day, drink water (and take it with you to the presentation).
Take a walk before the performance to get rid of excess adrenaline and saturate the blood with oxygen.
Smile - and go to the stage. Your audience is waiting!
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