I was recently approached by a rising sales star to discuss his presentations skills. He had witnessed my presentation at a University and wanted to know at what point in my career I stopped getting nervous. This sparked an interesting conversation; because I never recognized the fact that I stopped getting nervous. I’ve conditioned myself to get past the first five seconds of the presentation. That is what I focus on. I have built in confidence that the rest of a prepared presentation will flow very well after that.

I walked this individual, Pat, through the fact that I still do get nervous. I recognize that I get nervous so I do a few things ahead of time to make sure I can cope with the fear of the first five seconds and deliver a great speech and presentation.

{sidebar id=14 align=left} During college I used the following trick to help learn to get over my fears. I would get to class early if I knew I had to present. I would stand at the front of the class in front of the desks as my classmates gradually filled the seats. “Tim, how was the weekend?” I would ask. “Mary, did you hit that traffic on the way in?”. These are some conversations I would ignite prior to class. I would do this while standing in the exact same spot I where I would later present. This put me at ease. When I finally got up to do the presentation I would simply say in my head “you were just up here having a casual conversation with thesesame people. This is easy.” I would then use the same individuals as focus points and get them to interact with me while I spoke.

This was one of many tips I ended up sharing with Pat. I also let him know that after each presentation I deliver I also solicit feedback. I crave it. The ability to give dynamic, powerful and memorable presentations is one of the most important skills a sales person can have.

It may sound corny, but, I treat my presentation skills like Tiger Woods treats his golf game. I want to master them so I can become the best at what I do. As Tiger puts it, “I always feel pressure. If you don't feel nervous, that means you don't care about how you play. I care about how I perform. I've always said the day I'm not nervous playing is the day I quit.”

Getting up in front of groups is not easy. The human body reacts in many different ways. It is very important to recognize how your body reacts and condition it physically and mentally to raise its performance each time. If you are new to developing your presentation skills take the following advice and apply it:

·         Understand that even the best presenters get nervous.

·         Recognize that you do not appear as nervous as you are! Ignore how nervous you feel. Your body is magnifying what you think they are seeing.

·         Use my college trick. Get in front of the group ahead of time and have a casual conversation.

·         Be prepared for your presentation! Things will always throw you off your script. If you are prepared you can go with the flow.

·         Know that the fear of the first five seconds is natural. Your ability to get over this fear and fight through it will make you twice the presenter you currently are.

·         Do not be intimidated by an audience of your superiors. They were in your shoes and appreciate your efforts. Plus, they came to see you for a reason!

·         Feedback is king! Get it from as many people as you can. Make sure you take notes and apply the feedback. A good trick is to follow up with the individuals thanking them for pointing out x,y,z. This will also be a clever way of building your network!

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