Regardless of the number of people in the crowd, presenting for the first time can be a tremendously stressful experience.
Most likely this speech involves your current career in some way. Know that this could open a lot of doors for you and taking the time to get it just right could pay off big.
I will say that like most things, the build up to the event is likely more stressful than the actual event itself. Use this time wisely to prepare yourself and you’ll do amazing.
Here are some detailed tips to help you get ready for your big day.
Body Language
I’m going to point out my own flaw here and say I speak with my hands incredibly too much. I now can usually pick up on when I’m doing this because my audience starts focusing their eyes on my hands instead of looking at the direction of my face or at whatever I am presenting. My fix for this is clasping my hands together and that usually does the trick. At that point I’ll stop this annoying habit for a few minutes until I feel like it’s time to start using my hands periodically again.
On the flip side, you don’t want to be stiff and keep your hands at your sides the entire time. Do what feels natural to you in your normal daily conversations.
Make sure that you stand straight with your head held high. This will show confidence.
Your movements should be natural and not robotic or forced.
Make eye contact with multiple people. I’ve been in an audience where speakers focused on just me for the majority of the presentation and I focused on wondering why they were staring at me directly. At that point, I was completely lost when it comes to what they were trying to communicate.
Smile. Smiles are truly contagious.
Be a social butterfly with your eyes and motions. You are touching as many individuals that you can with not only your words, but also your interactions. The more engaged you are on an individual level, the more you will be remembered.
Appearance
From your head to your toes, everyone will notice what you are wearing while you are presenting.
Make sure to wear clothes that you are confident in. If you have purchased a new outfit just for this occasion, wear it around the house for a full day and look at yourself in the mirror throughout the day so you can see if any odd things happen with buttons, a collar, sleeves, or anything really.
You are most likely going to be on your feet for a bit. Make sure you have shoes that are comfortable and you have worn before. The last thing you want is your heel being cut into while you’re trying to look casual moving around the stage.
If you don’t wear high heels on an everyday basis, do not wear high heels.
Makeup should be minimal. Do not go extreme because you are giving a presentation today. You should be yourself and be comfortable. You do not want others judging your loud makeup instead of listening to the amazing speech you are giving.
Make sure to check yourself in the mirror (preferably a full length one) before you walk out to give the presentation.
Content
You need to believe in your presentation. You’ve been chosen to give it for a reason. You are passionate about it.
Your facts have been researched and proven again and again. You believe and trust in every word you have prepared. If there’s anything in the presentation you are not 100% backing, take it out or rewrite it. You have to be comfortable and confident in what you are saying.
Mix up your presentation. Add in a variety of pictures and/or animation. Different color schemes and changing things up will keep your audience engaged as you move from one topic to the next.
You should never be reading off of a sheet of paper or PowerPoint.
Have brief bullet points that will guide you through each topic. The words you are speaking are not identical to what is on your presentation. If you write your speech word for word in the presentation, people are going to read the speech and not depend or listen to what you are saying.
Your Voice
No one likes a monotone speaker. Try watching a YouTube video with someone who stays in the same voice at the same speed for the entire video. I can’t. I would have stopped it 10 seconds in. That will make your entire audience want to fall asleep, no matter how great your content is.
Don’t speak too quickly. I have a problem with not pausing between sentences. People need to absorb what you are saying. Oprah Winfrey has a fantastic pace to speaking.
Practice emphasizing particular words. Raise your eyebrows when you are asking a question that you’re about to give the answer to.
Speaking in public and acting go hand in hand. Entertaining your audience and keeping them engaged is key.
Rehearsal
The more your practice, the better you will get at this.
Practice with yourself in a mirror. Practice your presentation in the living room while no one is around. Concentrate on your posture, hand gestures, smiling, and moving around the room at a casual pace.
Practice in front of your family, partner, kids, and your coworkers. Ask for honest feedback on all aspects of the presentation.
Record yourself giving the presentation in front of others and watch it back and critique yourself.
Confidence
Make sure you walk out with confidence. No one is going to know you’re nervous, even if you are. Smiling will help wash some of the nerves away.
Rehearsing the presentation multiple times in front of yourself and a variety of audiences will help you gain the confidence to be amazing.
Speak as if you’re speaking to a group of girlfriends. It’s casual. You’re being informative about something you are passionate about. You’re excited about the information you want to give and couldn’t wait to share it with all of them. Your enthusiasm radiates off of you and your likeability is shining through. You know you are amazing and you’re going to kill this!
If you’re also traveling for business for the first time to give this speech, check out our tips for first time business travelers.
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