What are effective strategies to reduce nervousness when giving a business presentation?

We are naturally wired to respond to fear and anxiety but we can change our body's responses so they don’t impair your ability to communicate effectively. I call this method of managing fear Command, Control, and Change. Here is an excerpt from my book, Enter, Enlighten, and Exit. Command Your Thoughts • Focus on the goal. Remember this presentation is not about you; it’s about the goal you have set out to achieve with your speech. This in turn means it’s about communicating to your audience what’s in it for them. • Visualize yourself doing a great job. The audience is loving it and you’re having fun accomplishing your goal. Fear is not alleviated solely by “knowing the material.” (If you don’t know the material, don't present it!)

It is critical to reduce nervousness during a business presentation to produce a confident and successful presentation. --> Thoroughly research for your presentation. The more familiar you are with your content, the more assured you will feel. Prepare by researching your topic, gathering statistics, and organising your information. --> Learn about your target audience's expectations, interests, and degree of competence. You may enhance your confidence by tailoring your presentation to their needs. --> Use effective visual aids like presentations, charts, and graphs. Visuals that are well-designed can help you keep on course and give a reference point during the presentation.

Some key strategies that I use in my business presentations are as below: 1. Wearing comfortable clothing contributes to my relaxed state of mind. 2. Initiate casual conversations with stakeholders before the formal presentation starts to establish a rapport and become familiar with the audience. 3. Thoroughly prepare my content, ensuring I am well-versed in the domain. 4. I spend more time in building the content and then beautifying the presentation slides. 5. I prefer to take questions in the middle and not at the end, as it gives me a confidence and a connectivity to talk for the next slides. 5. Use each presenting experience as an opportunity for growth.

+ The first thing We can do is practice our presentation multiple times to become familiar with our content, structure, and timing.
Rehearse in front of friends or colleagues or if possible at the place where we need to give a presentation to get the feel of the environment and build confidence.
We can visualize or imagine ourselves delivering a presentation where our audience is engaged. + We can try to communicate with our audience with the help of questions to create two-way communication or to create a supportive atmosphere. + The more practice or presentation we are giving we will feel confident. + It’s not a good idea but for the backup or last-minute support, we can have notes as a backup plan.

Preparation and understanding your audience are key to giving a successful, and nervous-free presentation. - Do you know what your audience is looking to take away from your presentation? - Do you understand the content you are delivering and speaking to? - Can you point to keywords on the slide and elaborate if there are questions - the key here is not regurgitating the information on the slide, but rather having an understanding of the concept or idea so you feel confident speaking to this off-script. - If you don't have an answer to a question, no sweat - the best response I've heard and used is, "That's a fantastic question, let me take this away and get back to you with an answer".

Here's what I do. I ask God to speak through me for the first 5 minutes. Then after that, I will take over. It works every time.

This is indeed a valuable strategy to reduce nervousness and deliver a more engaging presentation. Understanding your audience's needs and preferences allows you to tailor your message effectively, ensuring it resonates with them.

People tend to fear that anxiety is a bad thing, but it’s really our body preparing us for being uncomfortable. This can be a good thing before presentations, because it helps keep you aware and perform with some fear. Many times, feeling like “ I’ve got it” ends up making my presentations lack luster. Having a few jitters before keeps me focused and helps make the presentation better! Take some slow breathes or do a short meditation before an intimidating presentation. Similar to an athlete, train yourself to have a pre-presentation ritual. Listen to music, sit in a safe space, or distract yourself! Try different options until you find what works for you! Just don’t fear getting a little nervous!

Practice incorporating pauses and controlling your pacing during the presentation. This can help you maintain a steady and composed delivery, giving you time to collect your thoughts and stay composed. Acknowledge that it's normal to feel nervous before a presentation. Embrace this feeling and use it as a source of energy and motivation to deliver an impactful and engaging presentation.

The most natural thing is to see a crowd and forget the purpose of why you’re standing there. Remind yourself of what you’re trying to do. It’s definitely not to look good, it’s to deliver the message. When you actively remind yourself and focus solely on the delivering the message, the stress from being in front doesn’t matter anymore

Plan your Work & Work your Plan. Anticipate as many possible questions from your audience and find solutions rather than mere responses or rebuttals. Once the audience perceives you as a solution poser rather than a problem poser, they'll get on board and add to your presentation rather than scrutinize and look for loopholes.

It is necessary to better understand and explain the content of “preparing thoroughly for your presentation”. Your mastery of the subject you are going to explain is the most important parameter that will reduce your nervousness. If you try to explain a topic that you cannot assimilate, no matter how hard you study, you will only make a memorized presentation. Your chances of managing possible reactions and answering questions quickly will be very low. The most important parameter in this case is that you embrace the subject you will explain in all its aspects and stay away from rote didacticism.

Rehearse. Every time you practice your presentation, whether alone or in front of a supportive audience, it can act as a form of exposure therapy that reduces your anxiety during the actual event. Rehearsal will also help you find the thin or repetitive parts of your presentation and tighten it up.

Know your content, environment, and audience. Try to anticipate what could go wrong (e.g. links not working in your deck) and plan for it as best as possible. Anticipate what questions you may be asked and be prepared to respond.

If you'll be presenting in an office meeting room or boardroom, book a few advance sessions in the same room so you can practice in the environment you'll be in. This contextual framing of the presentation will help you visualize and mentally prepare yourself. It will also give you the chance to see how your slides look on the screen in that room. Sometimes a very bright meeting room (and a projector that's not very powerful) can result in watched out slides that lack clarity and contrast. Test closing blinds and adjusting lighting until it looks its best. It's much better to have gone through this a few times by yourself. Also make sure you know how to get the audio working if you have A/V in your slides. The IT person is your friend.

Rehearsing is fundamental, but don't try to memorize the exact words, because if you forget a word you freeze and go into panic. Memorize the key sentences and let the rest flow naturally, so that if a synonym comes out of your mouth instead of the original word, no one will know.

In my experience rehearsing thoroughly is an absolute must. Exactly like an actor who is playing in a theatre, we must memorise our part, practice our delivery, etc. over and over again until we can speak it backwards. Now we do not have to focus on what we are saying that much and focus on how we are saying it. Now we can focus on tonality, delivery, and improvisation knowing that if we run out of ideas we can always fall back to the script. Now we can focus on our audience, to read their reactions in real-time, to ask questions, and to tailor our presentation accordingly. We then automatically become less stressed, as we are in control of the conversation, and we are sure the audience is engaged instead of bored.

- absolutely agree with thorough preparation. The key, imho, is to prepare well enough to avoid the ‘uhhs’ and ‘ummms’, but not too much that you come across robotic - for me, transitions are key. I make sure that the last thing I say about a slide flows effortlessly into the first thing I say about the next slide. - include a little bit of humor every now and then if possible. I find that that keeps the audience engaged

Know Your Material: Be an expert on the content of your presentation. Understand the key points, data, and examples so you can discuss them confidently. Rehearse: Practice your presentation multiple times. This will help you become familiar with the flow and timing, reducing anxiety. Visual Aids: If you use slides or visual aids, make sure they are well-prepared and easy to understand. This will boost your confidence during the presentation. Know Your Audience: Understand your audience's expectations and concerns. Tailor your presentation to address their needs.

It is crucial not to memorize what you're going to say. Attempting to do so might increase pressure due to the fear of forgetting certain parts. Instead, structure your presentation with key points and prepare by reviewing or reading important concepts in advance.

In my experience, use the room! Walk around and talk. Get that nervous energy out by moving. Be careful not to look like a dog running circles around a fenceline! Using movement can break the audience from staring at slides, can help you get out those butterflies and in general bring energy to the room!

The easiest way that I relax mentally and physically is to control my breathing. Smooth abdominal breaths relax my core and give my voice more power. I also decide that the nervous energy will give me a strong, open, and upright body. Making that choice makes the nervous energy my friend.

Breathe Deeply: When you're nervous, your body's fight-or-flight response can kick in, causing shallow breathing and anxiety. To counter this, practice deep breathing. Here's the 4-4-4 technique: - Inhale for a count of 4 seconds. - Hold your breath for 4 seconds. - Exhale slowly for 4 seconds. This technique helps to regulate your breath, reduce anxiety, and promote a sense of calm. You can repeat this process a few times before your presentation or even during it if you start to feel nervous. It's a simple yet effective trick for managing your nerves.

Instead of just drinking plenty of water ahead of a presentation, try adding a few drops of natural elderflower cordial to flavour the water. Elderflower has been shown in studies to have relaxing properties and get you through stressful events. Alternatively make sure you have a bottle of natural stress remedy drops with you. There are plenty of brands on the market. You place a few drops under the tongue and the relaxing effects kick in within moments.

Une bonne musique douce qui nous fait surfer sur les vagues imaginaires de notre nervosité, permet de se detendre et passer sa présentation. Cependant à chacun son tic mais le plus important, il faut que ce tic soit le précurseur de notre detente.

For me to relax into a presentation mentally and physically I need to take a few small practical steps. I take a moment to step away from my screen and breathe. That usually means getting outside into some (hopefully) fresh air, taking a quick walk with my phone on "don't disturb" and a timer set to remind me to get back in time. If I'm presenting on screen I like to have my notes at eye level and in line with my camera so that I don't have to go hunting if I need them and I like to switch off the view of myself (not the camera!).

I agree but nervousness usually kicks in during the presentation for some individuals, therefore, relaxing techniques before the presentation may not be working. I suggest “think it’s not end of the world, you are not in a war or you are not going to die” during the presentation. Smile and make audiences smile ( break the ice, don’t be too funny as they may not take you seriously)

Unfortunately, I suffer from a medical condition called hyperhidrosis, which results in excessive and uncontrollable sweating beyond what is necessary for regulating my body temperature. Throughout my life, this has been both bothersome and uncomfortable. However, I've noticed that my sweating increases when I am more nervous, especially during presentations. Therefore, I would recommend you to relax yourself, try to keep your hands cool, and avoid crossing your arms in an attempt to hide potential sweat marks in the armpits. Instead, before presenting, try to stay as relaxed as possible to ensure good ventilation and prevent overheating.

The most important thing is being prepared enough. This will make you feel confident about what you are gonna talk about. If still feeling nervous, you can have some gadget moving around your hands that can help you reduce anxiety, walk around the audience to feel more connected, and have some card notes just in case you forget to mention anything. This last one just for support, not to read them, don't be one of those. Also an ice-breaker joke with your audience may help you feel more relaxed.

To focus mentally and reduce nervousness during a business presentation, you can use NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) techniques. Set Clear Intentions: Before presenting, define your goals and visualize a successful presentation to boost your confidence. Physical Anchor: Create a physical anchor, like pressing your thumb and forefinger together, to trigger confidence when needed. Mindful Breathing: Practice deep, mindful breathing to stay calm and focused. Stay Present: Concentrate on the current moment and message to avoid distractions. Positive Self-Talk: Use affirmations to boost your confidence and self-belief. Visualize Success: Imagine a successful presentation to build confidence.

Focus on your content and delivering it to your audience in a way that educates or inspires them. Something I keep in mind when presenting is that, someone has asked me to present on a topic and they want to learn about that and are interested in it. Keeping that in mind helps me maintain focus.

While it is absolutely key to be emotionally connected with the message you are trying to get across, it is also important to be aware that things will definitely go a bit wrong, so that when they do it does not move you. Being emotionally ready for mistakes, and setbacks as much as for success is absolutely necessary. This will allow you to move freely and navigate around difficult scenarios easily.

If it's on a public platform or teams, zoom accept the fact that having a certain level of anxiety is normal. Certain things to make sure to have a smooth flow during the entire show are: Get comfortable with the environment where you are presenting whether it be a physical or virtual environment. Be fifteen twenty minutes early to the venue ensure that sound, lights, air-conditioning and pointers and all other things are in place and accordingly setup as a delayed start or any unwanted hindrance during the presentation will disturb your flow and the message won't be as effective as you want it to be. Sometime when we are nervous our vocal cords and the tongue get a bit sticky so hydrate yourself and always carry a smile on your face.

Regardless if you're presenting virtually or in-person, your energy can shine through and engage your audience. Pace your presentation appropriate, use different inflections, and find ways to connect with your audience.

As a nervous presenter seeking feedback is tough. For me it helps to prep some trusted colleagues on what you would like their feedback on. Give them some parameters such as the actual content (Was it clear and understandable? Was it logical and accessible?), how you delivered it (Was I clear and understandable?) and my favourite "What message did you take away from the presentation?". That last one firmly puts the focus on the message, not the presenter and gives you an idea of whether or not you got your point across.

To reduce nervousness in business presentations, focus on thorough preparation and practice to build confidence in your material. Utilize deep breathing techniques to calm nerves and visualize successful outcomes to foster a positive mindset. Know your audience and engage with them to create a more interactive and less intimidating environment. Accept that some nervousness is normal and use it to sharpen your focus. Dress comfortably yet professionally to enhance confidence. Lastly, seek feedback post-presentation to continuously improve. Remember to slow down, speak clearly, and use notes only for key points to maintain a smooth flow.

Be Insightful and Confident 1. Do the research on the accuracy of your data before presenting. 2. Once done with the research, keep in mind that the information you are sharing is based on truth 3. Keep in mind that the audience you are sharing the information with is just here to learn from your insights. 4. Keep in mind that you are sharing the information during presentation to bring positive impact in the society. 5. Speak with heart.

It is important to understand that there is always room for improvement. I have heard from many colleagues who dislike watching their recordings either out of laziness or embarrassment. In my opinion, it is very important to review ourselves during a presentation, as through responsible and humble self-critique, you can enhance your presentation skills. If you don't have a recorded resource, seek feedback from someone you trust, asking them to be as honest as possible without fear of causing offense or anger.

The 1st key to a great business presentation is to know the subject matter you are presenting on. Immerse yourself in it and refresh your knowledge of it. Don't rely on past your knowledge; actually prepare. 2nd, do dry runs. I get one or two people to do a dry run (as many as I need) with me. That helps me to see whether there are any weaknesses in the positions I am putting forward. The feedback from my dry run audience(s) also helps me to strengthen my positions and determine where to lay emphasis. Finally, if I get nervous (which I often do just before a presentation), I shut my nostrils and count up to 15, breathe deeply and repeat the sequence 3 to 5 times. This helps to regulate my breathing and prevents my voice from shaking.

Some additional tips: 1. Recognize you don't appear as nervous as you feel. 2. Even if they do notice you're nervous, 99% of people will empathize & support you 3. If you're presenting from a big stage (conferences, etc.), try to meet some of the people in the front row before your session. It gives you familiar, supportive faces to focus on instead of the crowd 4. If your anxiety is really high or you have a brain freeze, simply acknowledge it ("Wow. I'm a lot more nervous than I expected!"). Your audience will chuckle (because they've gone through it themselves) and it will cut the tension. 5. Anxiety tends to peak the moment you start speaking and then starts going down. So spend extra time practicing your first few minutes.

I actually disagree with the premise of this article - trying to reduce nerves usually doesn't work. When you fight anxiety, it fights back and often gets worse. And, if you put your energy into fighting nerves, that gives you less mental space for the presentation. Instead, I recommend trying to use it. Reframe the nerves as excitement, and have it be your friend instead of a thing you try (and fail) to ignore.

- I have found that the best presentations are the ones where the speaker clearly enjoys their work - they slow down a little bit when something interesting/important is coming up. And even vary the volume of their voice. - sometimes they include a smile and a pause to check if the audience is still with them after making a critical point, especially if they are explaining something complex - body language is a huge component to giving a talk

One of the most impactful ways to reduce your nerves is to remember that from the neck down, anxiety and excitement are the *same* physical sensation. Close your eyes, take a breath, and say to yourself "I feel excited to give this presentation." As soon as you name it, the feeling starts to shift a bit. Bring that energy with you into your presentation!

Boost your confidence by dressing for the occasion: wear comfortable clothes/accessories/shoes appropriate for the event where the presentation will be made.

If you struggle with persistent stage fright or performance anxiety, talk to your doctor about medications that might help. Some medications will lower your heart rate and reduce some of the physical symptoms of anxiety, clearing your mind and relaxing your body. Ensure you work with a doctor or psychiatrist who knows your medical history.

Just imagine the real situation, your audience and then practice in advance once or twice in front of the mirror. Moreover, before the presentation, think of some possible qustions from attendees, or collect some updated data and you will be more satisfied with yourself to share some recent information to the society, in my opinion that helps !