Standing at the side of the stage, he peeps around the corner and sees the fierce look on the faces of the three managing directors in the audience. His legs turn to jelly, his mouth dries up, and he can’t believe it. He’s managed teams of over 50 professionals and negotiated million-dollar budgets, but delivering presentations — to even three people — saps his confidence.
His mind goes blank — all the previous night’s preparation and practice is gone. He doesn’t know what to do… Then he hears his name being called. It’s his turn to deliver a presentation as part of the interview process, and he’s terrified.
For many applicants, a presentation is becoming a key aspect of the interview process, more so in managerial roles. For many applicants, this is their worst nightmare, their biggest barrier and their main reason for failing the job interview. But even if a job isn’t on the line, public speaking is something many professionals dread.
As the recent winner of the International Toastmasters Humorous Speaking Contest, I understand the nerves people feel when speaking on stage. And I also know the secrets public speakers use to deliver winning presentations.
The key to giving a successful presentation is confidence. I know everyone already knows this simple piece of advice, but today I will share with you a mental technique designed to help you change your emotional reaction to your presentation.
Envisioning Failure
If you were asked to deliver a presentation as part of your next job interview, what would be your automatic response? Fear? Why do you feel this negative emotion?
Most interviewees feel nervous because they imagine themselves failing the presentation. They visualize it so vividly they actually feel as if they’re there — and the emotions feel so raw, their reaction is to want to run away.
I would also guess that when you think about this negative film in your mind’s eye, you probably see it in color and from your own point of view on stage, creating a deep association that makes you feel nervous and scared.
I know this because this type of negative image is a common one that stops thousands of people from passing job presentations. But how would it feel if you felt confident, in complete control and able to walk on stage and win over the audience through your words, tone and actions?
The following technique will help you break that negative pattern that creates interview fears and give you the confidence to deliver job-winning presentations.
Re-Framing Your Vision
If you can change how you mentally perceive yourself, you will change the way you act.
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First, think of the negative image that makes you feel nervous and scared when delivering presentations (or interviewing). On a scale of 1-10, how fearful does this image make you feel?
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If the image is a film, pause the film so it becomes a still picture.
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Picture yourself placing a large frame around the picture — an old thick frame like you might find in an old-style art gallery. How do you feel now? Less nervous?
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Change the color of the picture to black and white. How do you feel now? More confident or neutral?
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Be aware of where the image is in your mind’s eye and slowly move that image further and further away from your mind, making the image smaller and smaller. Notice as the image decreases in size, the negative emotions decrease in power.
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Push the image towards the horizon and, as the image moves away from you, notice the picture is distorted and hard to see. Keep this image heading away from you until it’s a dot and then until the dot vanishes. Have all your negative feeling disappeared?
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Repeat this exercise five more times, and notice how each time you complete this exercise, the image of the job interview is less powerful.
As an interview coach and public speaker, I use this same technique myself to help me feel more confident when delivering presentations and to help others gain the confidence to deliver job-winning talks.
Do you suffer from presentation jitters? Give this technique a try!
Image: Flickr
