Mitigating Nervousness: 4 Steps to Becoming a Confident Speaker

One of the biggest challenges in becoming a great speaker and presenter is dealing with nervousness and anxiety. I've spent my career developing resilience against these common hurdles, and here are the four steps I use to tackle them:

Practice: 

Go through your PowerPoint deck multiple times, visualize each slide, and rehearse your content while taking a walk. Familiarity breeds confidence.

Exercise: 

Engage in some physical activity before your presentation to help calm those pre-speech jitters. It can make a world of difference.

Connect: 

Arrive early and greet as many people as you can. Building allies in your audience can help ease nerves and create a supportive atmosphere.

Shift the Focus:

Remind yourself that it's not about you; it's about your audience. This mindset shift takes the pressure off and allows you to concentrate on delivering value.

Remember, these are what work for me, the key is to create your own ritual that works best for you. 

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