Preparing Mentally
Preparing Mentally
Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed
– Michael Pritchard
Introduction
In so many cases, the anticipation of an event is the most emotionally charged part of it. The “athlete” analogy is a good one. If you allow yourself to think too much about the bad things that might happen, it becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. Do not go into the meeting or conference room with a sense of foreboding and a strategy of damage limitation. All that this will do is invite problems – problems which do not need to be there.
You have already done most of the work – actually delivering the presentation is no more than the final ten per cent. Once you are in the “zone”, momentum will take you to the end.
What many people actually do, and it is something that can be destructive if you allow it to be, is anticipate being nervous. The more you think, “Oh, the nerves are going to get to me”, the more they will. Accept that nerves are a part of public speaking, and channel those nerves into making your speech come alive.
Anyone who claims not to have been nervous the first time they spoke in public is almost certainly lying. It is something that is very hard to pre-imagine accurately, and in most cases, the nerves dissipate after the first few minutes. Accept that you will be nervous, and concentrate on delivering a good presentation. You will learn to love those nerves.
Some advice for participants on mental preparation:
- Like an athlete preparing for a big game, you need to keep yourself positive as you prepare for your own important contest. Think of all your successes in life – all the worthwhile things you have done. Remind yourself that you have prepared for this presentation, that you know what to expect.
- Think about similar experiences you have had. How have you responded in similar situations in the past? If you’re like most people, your feelings of anxiety will gradually go away as you work your way through your presentation. You have probably been through things like this in the past – an initial period of nervousness and anxiety that lasts only a short time.
Overcoming Nervousness
It’s OK to be nervous. In fact, it’s probably a good thing. If you are very calm before a presentation, you may be underestimating the difficulty of your assignment. If you’re calm because you consider the topic an easy one (a “no brainer”), you may not project enough interest in your subject.
If you’re not nervous, you may have a hard time projecting the energy and enthusiasm that you will need to win your listeners’ attention. Nervousness can be a tool to communicate enthusiasm.
Channel your nervousness by forcing yourself to speak clearly and to make eye contact with your listeners. It cannot be stressed too often that the element of balance is important in delivering a speech.
Come across as too relaxed and you will sound a little bit bored. If you are bored, then the audience will expect to be bored as well, and they will need very little excuse to start mentally running through other things that they have to do later on that day.
Conversely, if you come across as too nervous, they will wonder why you are giving the presentation rather than someone “competent”. Also remember that although eye contact with your audience is good, staring at them will just make them apprehensive – or worse yet, amused.
A Visit from the Boss
Suggested responses to statements from the boss
I know you’re going to do a great job on this presentation. Thanks. I’m ready to go.
This is a very important presentation. Are you ready? I’ve spent a lot of time preparing. I think it will go well.
You might run into some strong opposition in this meeting. I’ve thought about the objections people might have and I’ve prepared responses.
Do you think you can handle this presentation? I know what I’m going to say and what kinds of questions people will have. I’m ready.
Sometimes even the best bosses have a tendency to put pressure on you when they would swear they are simply trying to help you. Words of encouragement may well feel as though they are loaded with other meanings.
To a nervous presenter a phrase like “I know you’re going to go out there and give a great presentation” seems to be silently followed with “I know this because if you don’t, I’m going to fire you at the first opportunity”. This may not be what was meant, but nervousness does not always follow a logical path.
Should your boss deliver any of the above phrases of encouragement, leave aside for the time being any other meaning that they may have had. Accept their words of encouragement, and allow your boss to see that you have prepared well for the speech, and anticipate that you may run into some opposition.
As part of your preparation, you will have included your responses to any difficulties that you anticipate. Allow them to remain at the back of your mind. If you go into a presentation on the defensive, then you will find it very hard to win the approval of your audience and may even appear paranoid.
Nervousness can be energy. If it is appropriate, you may even refer to how nervous you feel and ask the audience to be gentle with you.
The work of your presentation has already mostly been done. What you are doing now is merely its culmination, so remember that you know what you are talking about, you know what you will say, and you have every right to say it.
Techniques for Physical Relaxation
Two Relaxation Techniques
Deep breathing:
- Sit up straight, cross your legs at the ankles or keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Take a long, slow breath in through your nose. Pretend that you are breathing into your abdomen.
- Allow your abdomen to expand.
- Exhale slowly and evenly through your nose. As you exhale, allow your abdomen to go in.
- Continue to breathe in this way for five to ten breaths.
Progressive Relaxation
- Tense a group of muscles so that they are as tightly contracted as possible.
- Hold them in this state of extreme tension for a few seconds.
- Relax the muscles as you normally would.
- Consciously relax your muscles further so that you are as relaxed as you can be.
Being Self-Assured in Front of a Crowd
Personal organization: notes,visual aids, and handouts
A speaker who fumbles around with his materials gives an impression of poor organization and lack of interest. The audience suspects that such a speaker hasn’t put much effort or thought into preparing for the presentation.
Allow yourself enough time to organize all your materials before you begin your presentation. Being well organized can also improve your self-confidence.
Remember that there is no reason for the people in the audience to feel anything but well disposed towards you. Even if they may not agree with what you have to say, as long as you do not say it confrontationally they will accept your right to say it.
One of the most famous strategies to deal with nervousness when addressing an audience is to picture them all in their underwear. However, this is more a joke than a serious strategy. Those who have seriously tried it have found that it distracted them more than anything. It is much better simply to look out into the audience, smile in a relaxed way, and introduce yourself.
The chances are that many of your audience will smile back, and you can then address parts of your speech in their direction in order to feel supported.
The most important thing to remember in order to deliver the most confident presentation you can is to have an awareness of your surroundings. If you move around, bear in mind the positioning of things in the room. If you walk into something, pass it off with a brief joke about people planting things to put you off your stride, and simply allow your speech to flow.
Practical Application
Peter met with his manager, Diane, to prepare for his presentation. At the end of the meeting, he asked her, “Is it normal to be quite nervous before a presentation?”
Diane said, “I think most people experience some stage fright from time to time.” She asked, “What do you do to decrease your nervousness?”
Peter had to think for a moment. “I try not to think too negatively. I try to remind myself that there’s no reason for the audience to be anything but well-disposed towards me.”
Diane nodded. “Those are some good ideas. Have you ever tried deep breathing exercises?”
“Not really,” Peter said. “Are they helpful?”
“Very,” Diane answered. “Let me make you a copy of a handout on deep breathing exercises for you.”
Peter practiced deep breathing the night before the presentation. In the morning, he felt noticeably less anxious and gave an excellent presentation.
