Public speaking, presenting, giving a speech or a talk…it’s probably one of the most dreaded events in most people’s careers (and personal lives!) and even for those of us who don’t HATE public speaking, it’s something that can still cause a little bit of anxiety and nerves, especially if we’re not well-prepared.

I haven’t always been a confident public speaker, but from fairly early on in my career it was something that I knew I would like to become more comfortable with, as I saw successful people in senior positions giving presentations and felt that this was something I wanted to emulate.

So, I challenged myself to do more of it, to step outside of my comfort zone (you can read more here in Helen’s article about why this is a good thing to do!) and take opportunities for public speaking when they presented themselves, even if it wasn’t something I absolutely HAD to do.

Over the years, I’ve done everything from speaking at a conference of people from a completely different industry to mine and presentations at my own team meetings when I was responsible for leading a large team, through to giving a speech at my parents’ golden wedding party and making leaving presentations when someone has retired or moved to a new job.

Interestingly, the most nervous I have EVER felt when presenting was when giving a presentation to a group of my peers when I was in a senior role in a large organisation. I’m not sure if it was my imposter syndrome coming out, or whether I felt that group might be particularly judgmental towards me, but I definitely felt the pressure that day.

Even now, with lots of practice and experience under my belt, I still get nervous before speaking in public - but it’s a healthy level of nerves that I can deal with and overcome, and a lot of that comes down to knowing now how to prepare properly for the event and the confidence that comes with knowing you’ve got the basics covered and can just focus on getting on with the job in hand! 

Here are some of the things I’ve learned that have helped me over the years.

1. Know your subject - This may sound obvious, but if you’ve agreed to speak on a particular topic, make sure you know about it! Even if you’re tempted by a guest speaker opportunity, unless you feel confident in the topic, it’s best not to put your hand up for it. Likewise, if you’re giving a presentation at work, which is far more likely to be based around your area of specialism, make sure you prepare yourself fully and get up to speed with the latest developments on your topic. Even if you don’t get asked any difficult questions in the end, it’s better to be prepared in case you do - otherwise you’ll be worrying about getting caught out, and it might put you off. If you’re doing something like a leaving presentation, make sure you know at least a little bit about the person you’re presenting to - so that you can say some genuine nice things about them that are personal. Speak to their close colleagues and friends if you need to! The other good thing about feeling really well-versed in your topic is that if the dreaded imposter syndrome creeps in, you can remind yourself that you probably know far more about the topic than most of your audience.
   

2. Who, what and why? - Following on closely from the first point, it’s important to know who you’re presenting to, what you want them to take away from the presentation and why you’re there. We’ve all seen people who are clearly very confident public speakers, but if they’ve missed the mark with knowing their audience and having clear objectives for their presentation, it can fall flat. This is where doing your research beforehand, especially into your audience and their level of understanding of your topic, and having a clear plan for your presentation or speech, including key messages, really pays off. Once I’ve thought through the who, what and why, I tend to start off by putting all of my key points onto post-it notes, then group them together so that themes start to emerge. This helps me build a structure that I can then work through when I’m writing my notes and developing my slides.
   

3. Familiarise yourself with the tech and the room - If you’re using technology, have a trial run, and ideally have a contingency plan in place. If you’ve saved your slides on your laptop, maybe email them to someone else beforehand so you’ve got a backup if your laptop doesn’t work on the day. If you’re walking out onto a stage or a platform, try and do it before the room fills up. The first time I presented to a really large audience, I got a bit of a shock when I first saw the view looking out from the stage as the room just looked so big! If you can have a look before you start, it’s one less thing to worry about. If you’re presenting online, it’s even more important to be very confident with the technology, so make sure you’ve tested things thoroughly beforehand, even if you have to rope in a friend or family member to be your test audience.
   

4. Wear something that you feel good in - If you’re trying to focus on giving a presentation, you don’t want to be put off by tight clothing or uncomfortable shoes, so make sure you choose an outfit that is comfortable, but also makes you feel confident. On a practical note, if being nervous makes you perspire, wear a dark colour that won’t show telltale sweat patches, and if you’re prone to getting a rash or flush on your neck when you feel anxious, consider wearing a scarf. Of course, no one SHOULD be judging us for things like rashes or sweating that are perfectly normal, but they are things that can make us feel self-conscious and take away our focus from what we are doing.
   

5. To script or not to script - Some people like to write and memorise a script when they’re presenting or speaking, and indeed some like to work from notes or a full script. Others, myself included, prefer to learn the ‘gist’ of what they’re planning to say, focused on the main points they want to land, and then have a more freestyle delivery on the day, rather than rehearsing the exact words. I prefer this approach simply because I feel unnatural if I work from a precise script, and it also throws me off balance if I accidentally deviate from what I’ve planned to say. But other people feel much more comfortable and confident if they’ve learned their lines word for word. There’s really no right or wrong approach, but I’d encourage you to work out what works best for you and prepare accordingly.
   

6. To rehearse or not to rehearse - This is another area that’s very personal. Some people like to rehearse, either alone or with a trusted audience - a friend, colleague or family member that will listen and give us feedback if we want it. Others prefer to just go for it on the day. Again, go with whatever makes you feel most comfortable, but if rehearsing is important to you, make sure you put time aside for it, especially if you need to call upon someone else to help you.
   

7. Get your slides right - If you’re using Powerpoint or another presentation tool, it’s really important to get these right. They don’t necessarily need to look fancy, but they do need to be accurate, formatted neatly and with correct spelling and grammar, as mistakes will catch people’s eyes and detract from what you’re saying. It’s worth getting a trusted friend or colleague with a good eye for accuracy to check them through for you. We’ve all experienced the infamous‘death by Powerpoint’ and it can be tempting to put all of your content into your slides, especially since Powerpoint decks are now used for so much more than just presentations and we are used to using them to communicate large amounts of content. However, remember that the bulk of what you want to get across should be covered by what you’re saying and the slides should just be a visual aid, highlighting the key messages, showing graphics or charts or images that you need to show. Too many words on your slides will encourage your audience to be reading them, rather than listening to what you have to say. If you’re concerned about putting too little content in, in case someone asks for your slides afterwards, you can always have a second version with more detail, or including your speaker notes, which you send around after the event. And if it’s a really important event where the quality of your visual presentation is crucial, you could always enlist support from a graphic designer - or use a tool such as Canva to make sure your slides look as good as your presentation is going to be!
   

8. Be yourself! - Probably the most important tip we can give you is to be your authentic self when you’re presenting. You’ll feel far more comfortable and confident if you let your true self come out. If your natural style is informal, bring some of that out in your presentation where you can, perhaps by adding in a personal anecdote or a bit of humour (where appropriate of course!) It can be really tempting to slip into formal language or jargon when you’re giving a business presentation, but unless that’s the norm for you - and the culture of where you work - you’ll feel awkward and uncomfortable, and you may find yourself focusing more on trying to maintain that style than on what you’re actually trying to say. 
   

9. Don’t overthink it - Many, many years ago I did a presentation skills course and one of the things that the trainer did was to video us all speaking then play it back at high speed to really accentuate any physical tics or habits we had - such as fidgeting, waving our hands around or wandering around the stage ‘too much’. All that this did for most of us was make us incredibly self-conscious and way too focused on what to do with our arms and legs so we all ended up standing there rooted to the spot while presenting! Personally I think it’s good to let these habits and mannerisms come out, and I’ve never found them massively distracting when I’ve seen other people present. Likewise verbal tics - um, er, and other ‘filler’ words and phrases just make people more authentic in my humble opinion. If this is something you’re concerned about, though, it’s another area where enlisting the help of a trusted friend or colleague to give you constructive feedback can really help. But don’t get too hung up on it!
   

10. Remember most people get nervous - Even the most confident public speakers get nervous from time to time, or at least feel a bit of adrenaline when they’re about to speak or present. One of the (seemingly) most confident people I have ever worked with confided in me that they barely sleep the night before an important business pitch because they get so nervous about it. Having seen them pitch several times, I never would have realised they were anything other than completely comfortable in that space. But even when I have seen someone that looks a bit nervous or uncomfortable giving a speech or a presentation, all I’ve ever felt is empathy for them and so long as the content of what they’re saying is good, it hasn’t put me off listening to them - in fact, I’ve probably been sitting there willing them to do well and smash through their nerves! 

Of course, everyone handles nerves differently, so these tips may not work for everyone - but they’ve stood me in good stead over the years, and whilst I still get nervous before big events, I actually enjoy public speaking too - so long as I’m well-prepared and confident that I know my subject and my audience. It’s a great feeling when you’ve finished a presentation and you get good feedback or see a positive change as a result, and every time that happens, it’ll make you a little bit more confident.

How do you feel about public speaking? Do you dread it? Enjoy it? Actively seek the opportunity to do it? We’d love to know your thoughts!

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Written by Hannah Poulton

Co-founder of Nonpareil Network.

Hannah is a portfolio Marketing Director. She is also a Non Executive Director for the Welsh Cycling Union and a Lay Member for the British Chiropractic Council. She also volunteers as a Magistrate and is a Lay Member for NHS Blood and Transplant.