

Why? It pumps me up and helps me turn jitters into focused enthusiasm. It may sound strange, but I’ll often down an energy drink and blast hip-hop music in my earphones before presenting. Transform Nervous Energy Into Enthusiasm. Listening to recordings of your past talks can clue you in to bad habits you may be unaware of, as well as inspiring the age-old question: “Is that what I really sound like?” 2.

Do a practice run for a friend or colleague, or try recording your presentation and playing it back to evaluate which areas need work. (OK, that last one may be optional.) The more you mix up your position and setting, the more comfortable you’ll feel with your speech. Some acting strategists suggest rehearsing lines in various positions – standing up, sitting down, with arms open wide, on one leg, while sitting on the toilet, etc. Try to practice where you’ll be delivering your talk. If you really want to sound great, write out your speech rather than taking chances winging it – if you get nervous about speaking, a script is your best friend. I’m famous around the office for staying up late the night before a big presentation, practicing over and over. While it can be difficult for those with packed schedules to spare time to practice, it’s essential if you want to deliver a rousing presentation. Naturally, you’ll want to rehearse your presentation multiple times. Here are my 20 best tips to improve your presentation skills. We can’t all deliver the next Gettysburg Address, but there are lots of small things you can do prior to your presentation that will help calm your nerves and set you up for a better presentation.
