Learning to present with confidence can take time and practice. Like you, I’ve sat through many presentations at my networking group, some of them good and some of them, well, not so good.
This week, I watched a wonderful, smart, talented woman give her ten-minute presentation and I cringed through the entire thing. It wasn’t so much what she was saying, but what her body language was portraying. She looked scared when she walked to the front of the room. She overcompensated by trying to look confident by putting her hand on her hip. Then she tried to look relaxed by leaning against the table with one hand. It all came across as unprofessional, awkward and self-conscious.
As you probably know, communication is 80% body language, 15% tone and 5% actual words. Yet, most people spend the most amount of time working on the actual words to their presentation and not giving any thought to their body language.
Here are a few tips that you might want to consider around your body language (and practice), the next time you have a presentation so you convey total confidence, even if you’re not feeling it.
1-Consider using a power pose before you go on stage. Research has shown that if you can put yourself into a power pose (this would be in private) for two minutes. Here’s a great video that explains how it works.
2-As you move to the front of the room or podium be sure you are standing tall, breathing and moving slowly with grace, confidence and sureness-even if you aren’t feeling it. Visualize yourself exuding confidence! There’s nothing worse than someone looking scared and nervous, with their shoulders hunched.
3-Keep your hands to your sides or use them while gesturing. Do not put them on your hips or lean against a table, podium of anything else within reach. That just makes you look sloppy, with lack of energy, like you need something to prop yourself up.
As the research shows, body language is everything in your presentation, so be sure and practice in front of a mirror, or perhaps consider having someone videotape your presentation. That way, you can see for yourself how you come across!
 Mandy works with talented, high energy self employed professionals and very small businesses who struggle to market their business effectively, stretch their capacity and play a bigger game. Mandy’s client’s receive proven, specific information on what they need to do to get more clients and grow their business. As a result, those who coach with Mandy increase their business, get more clients and make more money, faster and easier than they ever would have on their own. Sign up for her free Cd “7 Productivity Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs” right down below. |
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