Conclusion

We have now come to the conclusion of this Blog!! Now that we have discussed all the steps you should take to avoid stage fright, it's time to get out there and put these steps to work.

See if you can get a great presentation going without having to get worried or nervous ever again! By following the three stages of stage fright: Before, During and After your presentation, you can handle any presentation you get. Whether its for school, work, or any other presentation you now have the right keys to succeed in them!

The next time you find out you have a speech or presentation to do, you will have the confidence and that bright smile on your face to go with it! Keep practicing every day and never give up! 

 

 

After Your Presentation

 

Now comes the big question, now what? After discussing what we should do before and during our presentation to over come stage fright,  we move on to the last step which is what to do after your presentation.

One of the first steps is to Distribute Handouts. 

If you prepared handouts to give to your audience, which has all information and data on it, give this to them as soon as you finish.

You then want to Encourage/Repeat Questions.

 If time permits have a question and answer period, make sure to announce this at the beginning of the presentation so the audience can come up with good questions. You also want to set up a good time limit for the question and answer period.
When repeating questions, this is done to ensure the everyone in the audience can hear your answer to the question that was said. You want to begin each answer by repeating first the question. Then direct your answer to the the entire audience.

Next you want to Reinforce your main points and Keep Control.
To reinforce main points, you will want to use your answers to restate the primary ideas. Such things like, I'm glad you brought that up or I'm glad you mentioned that... Avoid becoming debating or defensive to the questioner. In keeping control you want to not allow individual to take over. Always keep the audience involved.

Lastly, End with a Summary and Appreciation.

Before signalling that it is the end of the presentation, you want to say something like, we have time for one more question. As you try to answer the last question, try to work into a summary with it from your main points. Then express your thanks and appreciation to the whole audience for the opportunity to talk to them. 

During Your Presentation

Once you figure out what you can do to help your stage fright before your presentation, you want to start to think about what you can to during your presentation to help you cope with your stage fright. As soon as you start to give your presentation, you want to keep control during your talk. You want to build credibility and keep your audience engaged.  Lets start with the first four steps you can take to eliminate stage fright during your presentation.

First we want to Begin with a pause. When we first approach the audience we want to take a moment to  get yourself comfortable.

The next thing is to Present your first sentence through memory. When you memorize your opening sentence, you can immediately establish a rapport with your audience. Doing this will make you sound knowledgeable and confident.

Next we want to Make eye contact.

 

When looking at the size of your audience; if there is to many people and you start to get nervous on who exactly you should look at, try to pick out 1-2 people on the right and on the left of you to talk to. As you relay your topic keep switching the 2 people you look at. Make sure not to ignore people in the back of the room. Here is a link to a video that helps more on how to make good eye contact at Eye Contact.

You then should control your voice and vocabulary. This means to speak in a moderate tone but loud enough so everyone in the room can hear you. You want to try to eliminate verbal static when you talk with things like ah, er, and you know. Silence is preferred to meaningless fillers when you think of the next idea you will talk about. 

The next four points will touch on other ways to over come stage fright during your presentation. 

1. Putting the breaks on. This relates to those who sometimes when nervous start to speak really fast. Sometimes you don't even realize your speaking fast until someone happens to say they didn't get that. You want to slow down and listen to what you are saying.
2. Move naturally.  If there is a podium or lectern in the room, you want to make sure your not hiding behind it. Try to walk away from it now and then casually and naturally. You want to learn how to use your body in a way that expresses your point. Try not to play or fidget with your hair or clothes.
3. Using visual aids. If you have any visual aids throughout your talk, you want to discuss and interpret each aid for the audience. Use a pointer if needed, but make sure you are keeping your hand steady.
4. Avoiding digressions. Stick to your outline and notes. Try not to suddenly add in whatever comes to your mind in that moment. If it's not part of your presentation, leave it out to stick to the time you presentation needs to be in. 

From these 8 tips/pointers you want to make sure to go over them before you give your presentation to enure your stage fright simmers down, so you can enjoy and give your talk in a strong and confident manor.