Work Well: How to keep calm and make a good impression during a work presentation
Your mind’s drawing a blank? Feeling nauseated, sweaty or diarrhoeal right before addressing a crowd? Here’s how to overcome those jitters in the third part of the Work Well series.
(Photo: iStock/Edwin Tan)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
There comes a time in your professional life when you’ll be tasked to present to clients or speak in public whether in person or via Zoom. Or perhaps you already do so on a regular basis but still can’t get the butterflies out of your stomach, figuratively speaking. It’s like stepping into the unknown because it’s likely a different group of people each time you address them.
We don’t blame you. The fear of speaking in public is only second to being burnt alive, at least according to The Book Of Lists. You don’t want to look and sound stupid. You worry about being judged negatively. And you most certainly don’t want to draw a blank – and an awkward silence – during the Q&A session.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Whether it’s face-to-face or virtually, it can be stressful presenting to a crowd. Your frontal lobe or memory centre shuts down when you’re stressed. Your stress hormone levels go up and you freeze up. The situation feeds itself into a loop as the more stressed you get, the harder it is to retrieve the information you need from your brain, causing you to become even more stressed.
The anxiety you experience before addressing the audience can also trigger your brain’s fight or flight response. You may experience heart palpitations, chest pain, excessive sweating, trembling, dizziness, nausea, diarrhoea and/or blushing as your brain can’t distinguish between an actual threat to your safety and speaking to a crowd.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
If the fear of public speaking affects you so much that it affects your daily life and career progression, it may be a good idea to seek out professional help from a counsellor or psychologist.
Other than being familiar with your material and being fully prepared, here are other ways you can calm your nerves before and during your presentation:
1. Find out who the participants are
Understand their backgrounds and why they’re attending. This will better help you to tailor your presentation.
2. Visualise the possible scenarios in your mind
Imagine the small talk, progressing into the major topics and the difficult conversations that may take place.
3. Develop and rehearse your responses
This will help you feel confident to take on the various questions that are likely to be asked.
4. Ask for time
If something unexpected happens, don’t be afraid to ask for more time to evaluate.
