Working with Nervousness

1. Working with Nervousness

2. What did you learn about yourself from giving your oral briefing? • My strengths as a speaker: • What I need to work on:

3. Nervousness is normal. • Learn to accept and work with your nervousness. • Let it give you energy to plan the presentation. • Let it give you energy during the talk. • But control it!

4. To overcome nervousness in the days before your talk . . . • Rehearse with your visuals. • Rehearse in front of people, if possible, and in the same space. • Check all equipment. • We’ll do this for you, but you still need to arrive early. • Practice makes you feel prepared.

5. Practice answering questions. • Brainstorm possible questions. • Practice answering questions as part of rehearsal (ask a friend to help). • Practice responding to questions calmly and politely.

6. Prepare by rehearsing with someone else. Ask them to critique these items: • What is my greatest strength as a speaker? • What is the weakest part of my presentation? Why? Then, ask yourself: • What, specifically, can I do to improve? • Exercises? Practice techniques? Organizational strategies?

7. To overcome nervousness the day of your talk . . . • Try exercising before your talk • Avoid caffeine that day. • Get everything in order (prompt cards, visuals on disk or on Web) and then relax!! • Get to the presentation site EARLY!

8. Relax just before your talk. Replace negative self-talk with positive.

9. Consider using techniques like these: • Deep breathing • Positive mental imaging (similar to what sports coaches suggest) – visualize your talk as a success.

10. Positive Mental Imaging

11. More techniques . . . • Word games and image games (to take your mind off yourself) • Say the alphabet backwards • Count the chairs in the room • A tip from my experience: • Talk to people on your way up to the podium.

12. Delivering your talk • Take a moment before speaking to get relaxed and adjusted to your audience. • Remember, your audience wants you to succeed! • We’d much rather be listening to you than reading some long report or set of instructions!

13. Tips for Presenting • Stand with your feet far enough apart to feel centered. Don’t stand mostly on one leg or half-turned toward big screen. • Breathe deeply whenever you can. • Notice which faces give you positive feedback and look toward them often (but not exclusively). • Don’t be afraid to slow down or even fall silent for a few seconds. We like the break!

14. Tips for presenting with a partner (see chapter 7, pp. 138-139): • Divide up preparation according to individual skills. • Divide up speaker roles according to individual strengths. • Rehearse often and seek constructive criticism. Practice the choreography. • Work on transitioning smoothly between sections. Pass the baton smoothly.

15. Q & A: Don’t assume that tough questions are hostile questions. • You’ve probably gotten someone really thinking! • If question is long, offer to speak with questioner privately after the talk. • If question is difficult, do not try to bluff an answer. Admit you had not “thought of [or studied] that.” • Q&A can be the most valuable part of the talk for you.

16. Appearance • Always err on the side of being overdressed for your presentation.  • Remember that your primary reader (the policy-maker) is in the audience.  • You don't have to wear a suit, but please wear at least "business casual" attire, e.g., shirt with collar, long pants (not jeans), no sneakers or sandals.  • A tie always looks professional for guys.  • Women have to be careful of having too much dangly jewelry.

17. Working with nervousness • Check resources on the Web: • articles from business advisors • newspapers • training materials • universities