When people ask me if I am nervous about giving a presentation, my answer is always “yes.” I like to joke that the only people who answer “no” are the people that you wish would be more nervous, and spend a bit more time preparing their remarks.
Being nervous about presenting doesn’t mean that you fear speaking in front of people. Often, I feel like I am nervous to present because I want to accurately and effectively communicate my message, and capitalize on the opportunity to have my ideas heard.
Speaking in front of a group of people is nerve-wracking enough, but what about when you are asked to give a last-minute presentation and can’t follow your usual preparation techniques?
If you have ever been stuck wondering “how will I ever prepare in time?” you can try this next time:
Rehearse the Story, Not the Words
Many times, when I prep for a presentation, I like to write down a script of what I, ideally, would like to say. This allows me to try out a few presentation flows, before finally deciding the best way to communicate my message. Unfortunately, when it’s crunch time, you don’t have this luxury.
When you have to make a last-minute presentation, you need to focus on the story and not the words. This is because it is much easier to start fumbling words than it is to completely forget the story you were trying to tell. Your goal with any presentation is to tell a story, so if you are conveying the main message, the words are not as important.
It is also helpful to invest the time to prepare a specific sentence to start and finish with. This helps you start the presentation off confidently, and then know exactly how to end things if you are rambling. You can think of it as adding bookends to your story.
Limit Yourself to a Few Key Points
Presentations are an opportunity to convey information, but trying to fit in as much information as possible will have inverse effects. This works to your favor when you have to give a last-minute presentation, because you reduce the amount you need to prepare. Instead of going broad on 10+ topics, you go deep on just a handful.
A good rule of thumb is assuming your audience will only be able to absorb around three key points before they get distracted or lose track of what has been said. So, when you have limited time, focus on knocking those three points out of the park, rather than trying to incorporate more content. Narrowing the scope of your presentation will reduce your stress during preparation and ensure your that audience walks away with your main messages.
Lean on Your Non-verbal Communication
As you’re prepping for a presentation, especially one that is in front of a large audience, remember that you have more in your arsenal than just the words you plan to speak. You have non-verbal communication, such as your facial expressions, emotion and confidence that can shine through.
Exuding confidence will ensure that your message comes across as authoritative. Engaging with your audience, and looking like you are enjoying being in front of the crowd, makes a big difference, too. Non-verbals can even act as a placebo and give you the courage and energy needed to make the rest of the presentation flawless.
As I said, presentations are hard enough, but when a presentation comes up last-minute, things get even more stressful.
We want to do a good job, and accurately communicate our messages, so we should remember to focus on the story and not the words, limit ourselves to a few key points, and lean on our non-verbal communication. These tips can help us leave a strong impression, and make our key points stick, while minimizing the stress we place on ourselves to deliver an impressive presentation.
