I’d  like  to  be  able  to  tell  you  something  comforting— “It’s going to be fine!” or “You’ll do great if you just  believe in yourself!” I wish I could tell you to just chat  positive  affirmations  or  picture  your  audience  naked  or  visualize a standing ovation. The problem is that none of  those things will prevent you from giving a lousy presentation, so they shouldn’t help ease your anxiety either.

The  reality  is  that  you  have  good  reason  to  be  nervous.  You  are  probably  nervous  because  at  some  point  in  your  life,  you’ve  given  a  lousy  presentation.  And  I’m  sure you’ve attended a lot of lousy presentations. So, you  know that chances are you’re going to bomb. Okay, okay,  that  may  have  been  a  little  harsh.  But  I  didn’t  say  it  to  be  mean-spirited  or  to  ruin  your  confidence.  The  fact  is  that most speakers bore their audiences. Continue reading →