Presentations – YOU be YOU

You’re on stage in 15 minutes.  Your slides are bang on, your shoes are shiny, and your hair is perfect.  You could do with an emergency toilet stop but there just isn’t time.  You’ll treat yourself to that once this is all over.  You stand up and share your pearls of wisdom.  You sound disjointed, there’s no flow, your heart is racing, and you really wish you hadn’t put off that toilet stop. You feel like you’re on a treadmill and you can’t get off.  Never mind, only 20 more traumatic minutes to go.

Sound familiar? We work with lots of people who struggle to present with confidence.  This lack of confidence can be stressful and debilitating. 

So, why does our confidence take such a hit?  There’s lots of reasons, but here’s a few of the key ones:

❌ A lack of preparation

❌ Complacency

❌ A lack of self-belief

❌ PTPD (Post traumatic presenting disorder) Being mentally scarred from previous presentations.

These are all legitimate reasons but, in our opinion, nerves are heightened when the presenter tries to be someone they’re not. They aren’t authentic. They aren’t standing up at the front and being their true selves.

They might try and be like Mark, the amazing presenter with gleaming teeth from Marketing, who doesn’t look nervous and appears to be making it up as he goes along.  Everyone admires Mark, even though he’s actually quite annoying.  You think, “I’m going to be like Mark” (even though your teeth aren’t gleaming).  You march around the stage making it up as you go along and of course, you forget your words, your slides, your name, and even what day it is.

What about the funny one?  That’s Zoe from HR who’s hilarious and has her audience laughing all the way through.  You think “I’m going to be like Zoe”.  You aren’t funny, you’re dying on stage. You try to save the day with your best gag, but nothing, not even a giggle.

As a presenter there’s a danger that you’re putting yourself under far too much pressure.  The important thing to remember is that YOU are YOU. 

✅ Don’t try to be someone you’re not

✅ If you’re naturally funny, don’t try to be

✅ If you don’t use big words, don’t use them

✅ If you have an accent, embrace it

We’re not saying don’t be influenced by other presenters, but don’t copy them and never put off that toilet stop!