Whether you’re speaking in front of your office or presenting at a real estate conference, sweaty palms, shaky hands, and an accelerated heart rate are pretty common reactions. In fact, more than 70 percent of adults fear public speaking. But you don’t have to let that anxiety hold you back from delivering a strong, influential presentation. Here are five tips from marketing expert and speaker Marc Gordon for keeping your cool and captivating your audience.
Have a conversation with the audience. Approach your presentation as you would a personal discussion with a client or colleague. “Many speakers go into auto pilot, sounding like a pre-recorded message, never changing pace or acknowledging the audience,” Gordon says. To be more conversational, welcome questions during your presentation and either answer them right away or let the audience member know you'll come back to it shortly, he says. Adding humor can also lighten the room and make your presentation more compelling. “If you say something funny and people laugh, stop talking and let them,” Gordon says.
PowerPoint should be your assistant, not your boss. Don’t overload your slides with a lot of text and read everything verbatim. Images and simple bullet points will give you the freedom to go off script and support the conversation you’re having with the audience. “A simple picture that supports your point will be much more influential and visually interesting,” Gordon says.
Don’t bore people with too many statistics. You’re going to lose your audience if you’re only presenting dry figures and numbers. You can share those in a handout or by email. “People want to hear ideas and stories that capture their attention and lead to a conclusion,” says Gordon. The good news is it’s easier to tell a story than to memorize data. Just keep your main idea in mind as you’re developing your presentation and create content that helps you get to that point.
Slow down. “When people are nervous, they tend to speak fast. Speaking too quickly makes the audience feel rushed,” Gordon says. The rule of thumb is to talk slower than you would in a normal conversation. “It might sound weird to you on stage, but to your audience you'll sound relaxed and confident.” If you find yourself getting nervous, flustered, or overwhelmed, just pause and take a deep breath, he says, because the audience won’t mind waiting.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. No one is expecting a Broadway show. Your presentation isn’t supposed to be an award-winning performance, Gordon says. “In most cases they’ll be happy if they’re not bored to tears,” he says. “So relax, have some fun, and know that everyone in the room wants you to succeed.”
Source: “Five public speaking tips for people who fear public speaking,” April 1, 2018, Marc Gordon
