How To Get Ready To Deliver A Presentation

As a leader or manager, you are going to give a presentation to a meeting, team, suppliers, customers and even maybe the general public at some point.

For many presenting is a real challenge. In fact some claim that presenting is the thing people fear most. Interestingly it is also claimed that death is number 6 on the things people fear most.

So when you are getting ready to deliver a presentation, how can you get in the zone and deliver at your best time and time again? The truth is it will vary from person to person but here are a few options to consider.

  • Take a Brisk Walk
  • Now this might not work for everyone but what I have found that taking a brisk walk is a great way of getting in the zone. If possible give it a try.

  • Do Some Tongue Twisters
  • It is really easy to get tongue tied in a presentation. Using tongue twisters can be a great way of reducing the risk of getting tongue tied. Basically you repeat a phrase over and over, getting faster each time. Two of my favourites are ‘Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Pepper’ and ‘She Sells Sea Shells on the Sea Shore’.

  • Deep Breathing
  • Taking a really deep breath in and exhaling slowly can slow down your heart rate and calm you down. This is really helpful if you know that you have a tendency to gallop through your presentation.

  • Visualisation
  • Many people mentally go through and visualise themselves giving a great presentation. This is very common in sports but can be applied just as well to presentation preparation.

The truth is there is no right or wrong way to prepare for delivering a presentation and the key is to find what works best for you.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps professional people become great leaders and managers. Sign up for his free audio e-course, Leadership Success, at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk

About the Author Duncan Brodie

Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.

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44 comments
Tom Mellor says 30 December 2011

Years ago I did the Dale Carnegie course, which is mainly public speaking. They told us that, 30 seconds before you start you’d rather be shot that stand up. 30 seconds after you’ve started, you’d rather be shot than sit down. I’ve found this to be invariably true.

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