Presentation Skills: Practice and Confidence

• It is natural to feel nervous about presenting something you've worked hard on.
• There are strategies to build confidence and reduce fear before public speaking.

Practice

• Practice until comfortable with the material.
• Rehearse out loud in front of a mirror, record yourself, or practice with family and friends.
• Breaking the presentation into smaller parts makes it feel less overwhelming and will assist with feeling comfortable.

Visualize

• Close your eyes and imagine walking confidently onto the stage, speaking clearly, and the audience applauding.
• Envision the audience smiling and nodding to help boost your confidence.

Start Small

• Practice presenting in front of a small group like close friends and family.
• Ask for feedback from trusted people so they can point out things you might not have noticed.

Message

• Focus on sharing your message, not on being perfect.
• Shift focus away from worrying about how you look or sound.
• Concentrate on how meaningful the message is, and let your passion shine through.
• Remember why the kenning was written and what is so special about it.

Breathing

• Deep breathing will calm your body and mind before going on stage.
• Take slow, deep breaths: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds; repeat a few times to steady nerves.
• Use this technique right before going on stage.

Acknowledge Nerves

• Feeling scared doesn't mean you're not ready; it just means you care about doing well.
• Acknowledge fear and use it as energy to perform better.
• Acknowledge jitters and use it to fuel your performance.

Connect

• Make eye contact with friendly faces in the crowd.
• Imagine you're talking directly to people in the audience, rather than speaking to a big group of strangers, to make the experience more personal and less intimidating.
• If looking at people makes you uncomfortable, focus on a spot just above their heads while still engaging with the audience.

Celebrate

• Getting on stage is a huge accomplishment.
• Regardless of the result, remember you were brave for trying.
• Every step forward builds confidence.
• Reward yourself after the presentation to celebrate your hard work.

Audience

• Audiences are usually supportive and want to hear your story.
• Think of them as supporters, not critics.
• The audience is usually made up of encouraging people who want to rally behind you.

Trust

• Trust that you know your material and that your voice deserves to be heard.
• Say positive affirmations, like “I am prepared,” I am brave,” and “I've got this!”

Final Thoughts

• Being nervous shows you care about doing your best.
• Take a deep breath, remind yourself of how proud you should be, and step onto that stage knowing you're sharing something unique and special.
• You have already taken the hardest step by creating something beautiful!