5 tips to delivering a kick ass presentation

There are 2 types of women in the world when it comes to presenting to a large group of people, those who believe they can do anything and those who tremble in fear on the inside. I am one of the tremble on the inside people. Presenting to large group of people on a subject I am not entirely sure about is not my idea of a good time.

While writing the words to my next presentation, I found myself thinking about how I could fake it. Can we fake knowledge on a topic while talking in front of a crowd? Can we disguise the discomfort of stage fright? Well, rather than wetting my pants, breaking out in hives and moving to Mongolia to live in a yurt, I decided to try this:

1. Have attitude – I absolutely recommend strutting around on stage and speaking with authority. Act like you are Beyonce and all the single ladies. Display the kick ass attitude that says you know exactly what you are saying, doing, feeling and seeing. You can fool anyone with attitude!

2. Have an awesome PowerPoint presentation – It doesn’t really matter what you say, people will never remember it anyway! Can anyone remember the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” with Al Gore? No, we just remember Leonardo DiCaprio talking about it! Confuse everyone with colours, pictures and words on your PowerPoint presentation and use the clicker with style.

3. Dress the part – if you look like you know what you are doing, 90% of the battle is won. Dress like you own the building they are sitting in and you are gracing them with your presence. No one remembers what Kim Kardashian does, but they remember what she wears!

4. Laugh at yourself – If you express a bit of humour, they will remember the laughing and forget the rest. Any stumbling over words, sentences that don’t quite make sense, it doesn’t matter. All they will remember is the warmth you displayed with a little chuckle.

5. Do not imagine they are all dressed in their underwear – This is a big mistake. Your audience will not be filled with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie lookalikes. They will be ordinary people with ordinary bodies. You do not want to forget what you are saying when you scan your eyes across the room and see a hot guy, then imagine him naked.

I feel at this point I need a disclaimer! I cannot guarantee success with your presentation by following my tips. I also cannot guarantee that it will reduce your stage fright even one tiny bit. For some reason though, facing my fears head on has made me feel a little less stressed and seeing the funny side of being on stage. Also, I am not sure I want to live in a yurt. But, if I do end up moving to Mongolia, will you visit?