When Jerry Seinfeld heard most people feared public speaking more than death, he replied,
“This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”
Here are my TOP 10 PRESENTATION TIPS for the TERMINALLY TIMID:
- Know your audience before you start so you can shape your presentation to their perspective.
- Prepare a summary of your points as a handout for them – that’s what they take away with them no matter how your talk went.
- Practice! Practice! Practice! In particular, memorize your first few slides no matter how nervous you are at first.
- Bring a bottle of water with you. Don’t drink coffee before or during; it’ll make you sweat!
- Take three slow deep breaths before you start to relax.
- Start your talk by telling the audience what you are about to tell them.
- Connect with the audience either during or at the end of your talk with questions and answers.
- When it comes to mistakes of any kind, laugh and the audience with laugh with you.
- If your talk is after lunch when everyone feels sluggish, turn down the thermostat a degree or two. You don’t want to see their breath, just enough to keep the audience feeling refreshed.
- Finish your talk by reminding the audience what you just told them – with a big smile!
Check out my article, HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS, on page 143 of:
2015 Writer’s Market: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published
by Robert Lee Brewer
Link: 2015 WRITER’S MARKET