Glossophobia – the fear of public speaking or giving a presentation in front of an audience. According to Learning Mind, the fear of public speaking is the third most common fear in humans. Almost everyone has to give presentations at some point in their lives, whether in class or at work. Unfortunately, there is no way to escape the dreaded speech. Below are five ways to help combat your anxiety before giving a speech or making a presentation to an audience:
1. Practice.
Practice makes perfect. The more you practice your speech, the more familiar you are with the topic, making it a lot easier to present in front of a group. If you know your presentation, it will come naturally and make you look more relaxed. If you practice in front of a mirror, you will know what you look like, and won’t be afraid of how you look while you’re giving your speech. Another way to practice is by practicing in front of your friends and or family. They’ll give you advice and you won’t be as nervous in front of them.
2. Use note cards.
Writing down your key points that are on your slides will help you greatly. That way, everything is in front of you, and you don’t have to memorize everything, no worries that you will forgot a part of the presentation. Note cards not only help you remember key points to your speech, but also gives your hands something to hold, so you aren’t fumbling around, feeling awkward and distracting your audience.
3. Don’t over-analyze.
One of the easiest things to do before a presentation is fret over whether or not it will be good and if people will like it. If you worry about what people will think, you will have that on your mind the entire time and possibly forget what you’re supposed to be discussing. The best thing before a presentation is to focus on being confident. The more confident you are in your speech and topic, the easier it will be to present. As long as you're prepared, you will do fine.
4. Create an eye-catching presentation.
If your presentation is exciting on screen, your audience will automatically enjoy your presentation even more. Keep the slides interesting with colorful graphics, to hold the audience’s attention, which will keep their eyes on the presentation and not you. Use graphics if you can to discuss a point.
5. Prepare for possible questions.
As you review and practice your presentation, find areas where people may have questions. Be prepared for questions and have answers ready. If you know your presentation, you won’t be afraid of people asking questions, so get familiar with your presentation and get ready for even the toughest questions at the end.
The next time you have to give a presentation in class, or at work, just remember these five practices, and you’ll have the perfect presentation. Don’t stress yourself out about a speech or presentation because chances are, most people, even if they don’t look like it, are just as nervous.
