Ask the Expert

Question submitted from one of our members:

In a previous post, you talked about practicing a presentation. I always tell myself I’m going to practice and prepare, but end up reading my speech. How can I motivate myself to practice out loud?

Sheri’s Response: Plan to give yourself a tangible reward for practicing. As silly as it sounds, we like rewards. You will particularly like the reward of being less nervous when it’s time to present. PRACTICE is the single most valuable tool in reducing nervousness.

Give yourself positive affirmations after each practice. Even if you think that you had a bad practice, affirm that you are improving. Pick out the areas you will concentrate on for your next practice and affirm that you are making progress. Telling yourself you are good begins the subconscious process of delivering a compelling presentation.

Question submitted from one of our members:

I have to give a presentation and I’m really nervous! Do you have any tips about the best way to practice?

Sheri’s Response: You should make a goal of having at least three complete practice sessions. Practice with your visual aids, not your notes. Do not memorize your speech. When practicing, expect to deliver the information in a slightly different way each time. Be sure to stand and speak out loud. Practice in 30-minute segments. It is better to practice 2-3 times for short intervals than one time for 2-3 hours. Ask friends or colleagues to attend your practice session. This will commit you to practicing and create a more realistic environment.

Depending on the time available, you should allow at least three days prior to a major talk to practice and to make any changes. Go through key points of the presentation at least once a day. Schedule more practice time than you think you need. It is one of the best guarantees against being nervous!

Question Submitted from one of our members:

I always hear that the best way to be successful is to visualize your own success. I think it sounds a little odd, but I’m not sure how to go about doing this. Do you have any pointers?

Sheri’s Response: It’s true that visualizing your own success is a very powerful tool. The best time to visualize is right before you go to bed or first thing in the morning. This is when your subconscious mind is most open and relaxed. Being in a relaxed state is the key.

To relax your body, breathe deeply and slowly concentrate on each part of your body until you feel the tension release. Once you feel like you’re in a relaxed state, you can begin the visualization process.

Visualization is a conversation with yourself. Write out positive statements and read them out loud. Concentrate on these statements for ten uninterrupted minutes. Re-training your subconscious mind is not always immediate, but it is easy. Your state of mind does control your actions!

Question submitted from one of our members:

Often times when I deliver a presentation, there are refreshments for everyone in the room. I generally drink a cup of coffee, but I’m realizing that it makes me too jittery. Can you offer any tips regarding what works and what to avoid at a typical morning buffet?

Sheri’s Response: Believe it or not, water at room temperature with a slice of lemon is best. That’s it.

Coffee isn’t a good idea before a presentation. In fact, you should stay away from caffeine all together, even if you don’t normally react to it. Your natural adrenaline kick plus additional caffeine will give you the shakes or a nervous stomach.

Be careful of ice water, it can constrict your throat. Avoid dairy products because they make your mouth dry and coat your vocal cords. You should also avoid sodas. Sugar dries out your mouth, caffeine can give you the shakes and carbonation might make you burp!

Lastly, be sure to keep your drink away from your visuals and your computer!

Question submitted from one of our members:

In a previous blog, you suggest telling a personal story to grab the audience’s attention. I’m having a hard time with how that would work for me. Could you provide some additional detail?

Sheri’s Response: People love to listen to stories. Here are some key tips on the best way to tell a story in a business presentation.

Relate: Make sure the story relates to your topic. The story should make a point that helps emphasize your position.

Own: Tell your own story. This is important because you can relive the event. It will allow your personality to shine through during your talk.

Short: The story should be short! Keep it under two minutes.

Enthusiasm: The best stories are ones that are lively and fun. People enjoy listening to your experiences. It helps the audience get to know you and like you.

Personalize: When providing a lot of information it is important to humanize the material. You can share how this information helped a client or colleague.

Question submitted from one of our members:

I often have a hard time getting my audience to pay attention. The information I have to present isn’t terribly exciting, but it is important. How can I grab my audience’s attention?

Sheri’s Response: You’ll want to open your presentation with an attention-getter. This is a great way to open a presentation and to emphasize a point. Attention-getters allow you to be more natural and open to the audience. Here are a few ways to grab your audience’s attention:

1. Personal Story/Anecdote: The goal here is to create excitement for your audience. Relive the story as if it were actually happening. Try to paint a visual picture for your audience. Tie the story into the point you are making for your presentation.

2. Startling Statement: Make a statement that will shock or surprise the audience. It is very important not to insult your audience, but rather to provide a piece of information that will have them sit up and want to know more.

3. Challenge: Ask something of the group in exchange for a reward.

Question submitted from one of our members: 

I have to deliver some bad news to a group of people. What is the best way to do this? 

Sheri’s Response: People often talk to me about the challenge of presenting bad news. They struggle with how to be honest versus stating what the company wants them to state. Here are some suggestions to keep you focused on your audience during these difficult times. 

1. Give the challenging information in small chunks using short decisive sentences. After each piece of information, immediately tell them the reasons why this change was necessary and how it will impact them directly. Make sure you have the audience’s interest in mind by verbally stating empathy.

2. After you make the challenging statements, leave plenty of time for people to vent or state their feelings. You do not have to have all the answers at that moment but you will want to demonstrate you understand their concerns. 

Question submitted from one of our members:

How to I avoid the stress of feeling and looking unprepared while giving my presentation?

Sheri’s Response: You need to take your time when you are feeling stressed and under-prepared. Be especially aware of pausing and breathing throughout your presentation.

1. Before your first words, take a nice deep breath and then start talking.
2. Present your first sentence to one person. Preferably a friendly looking person sitting near the center of the room.
3. Slowly begin to move your eye contact to a second and then a third person. At the end of each thought, take a nice breath and slowly move your eyes to another person and resume speaking. Be aware of taking a breath at the end of key points.
4. Slow eye contact and breathing will keep you feeling and looking calmer.

Question submitted from one of our members:

I have 45 minutes to give a presentation that has two days worth of information. How do I determine what to put in and what to leave out?

Sheri’s Response: Editing is very challenging when you are personally involved. Ask yourself these key questions to determine what to edit:

1. What is the purpose of the presentation from the perspective of the listener?
2. What do they need to know for the future?
3. How can my information help them do their job more effectively?
4. How can this information help meet their goals?

These questions will help determine the importance of your information from the listener’s perspective. It is not always necessary to give all the background of a situation; most audiences will want to know only the perceived benefit or take-away value of the information.

Take a section of your text and ask the above questions. If the answers are not easily determined, you should consider deleting that information.

Question Submitted from one of our members:  

When I give a standing presentation, I feel really uncomfortable and don’t know what to do with my hands. Can you share any tips? 

 

Sheri’s Response: It can be difficult to gesture naturally when you are nervous. So, it’s important to create the best forum for allowing them to occur naturally. Here are some tips to allow that to happen: 

1. Keep your hands out of your pockets. Leave them at your sides to start and they will eventually begin to naturally gesture as you speak to one person at a time. 

 

2. Keep your hands unlocked. If you hold or clasp your hands, it locks up your energy and can make you look and feel more nervous. If you notice that your hands are locked, calmly unlock them and let them fall to your sides. They will begin to come up and gesture naturally if they are free to move. 

 

3. When you notice that you are not gesturing at all, consider the following: Body language is a reflection of your own conviction for the message. You will need to push your vocal energy by speaking louder and with more enthusiasm. The more excited your voice, the more your hands will be up and moving. The lower the energy in your voice, the lower your gestures will be. So, get excited!