Why does the idea of making a presentation fill so many of us with fear?

People often think of fear as a disadvantage, but this is actually a myth. A bit of fear is a good thing when making a presentation, as it gets the adrenalin running and motivates you to put your all into the preparation phase.

However, you need to keep reminding yourself of this fact when it comes to the day of the presentation. Rather than trying to suppress your fear (a fruitless act), you need to work with it and tell yourself that it is completely natural and that it will serve to make the presentation much better.

Plenty of positive thinking is key to your success. You need to rationalise your fear and keep reminding yourself that you have prepared thoroughly, so you ‘know your stuff’ and your fear is purely irrational.

Why are we scared when asked to make a presentation?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I work well on the phone?
• Am I happy communicating via email/ letter?

If the answer is yes to either one or both of these questions, you have all the skills you need to make a strong presentation. The number one explanation for fear, when it comes to making presentations, is lack of feedback.

When you have a face-to-face conversation with someone, they constantly reassure you by responding to your statements and questions with nods or other subtle gestures of agreement. Paradoxically, when you’re on the phone to someone or compiling a letter or email, you don’t the same kind of reassurance, which can be disconcerting. You can’t read people’s body language or expressions over the phone or via email, but you can during a presentation.

So, we can liken making a presentation to having a face-to-face conversation. Indeed, it becomes apparent that making a presentation should, in theory, be easier than writing an awkward email or communicating via telephone.

Still not convinced?

You can’t expect this fear to disappear over night. We understand that there’s still a lot of work to be done. One thing that might calm your nerves is thorough preparation.

For further details,contact us

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