According to three main stream web sites the fear of speaking in front of a group of people has been voted number one in numerous polls.
This research takes into account fears such as death (number 7 only!), going bankrupt (number 8) and spiders (number 5!). Now I can understand that it’s challenging and anxiety-provoking – but to rank it above a fear of spiders?? No way - that I cannot get my head around –
nothing is more fearsome than a hairy, eight-legged arachnid!
Seriously though, I fully understand and empathise with the
anxiety which accompanies giving a presentation to a group. As a trainer, I have and occasionally still do experience pre-workshop jitters. In fact, to be honest with you, I hope I never feel complacent about facilitating a training session.
I should feel a little stressed – it’s a new experience every time and the delegates with whom I work deserve to have me on my toes. I would term that healthy stress.
When I started out in this field, however, I seldom slept well the night before a workshop; I checked and double checked my manuals/training aids etc. and
practised the content before a mirror in order to see how I came across and to schedule sufficient time for each module.
I still work through my checklist before every workshop – I draw on previous experience and add notes to my manual and I put myself in the delegates’ shoes in order
to ensure they are getting value from both the content and the way it is presented.
Understand that I have been training for a number of years, but
I still prepare carefully, even if I have presented the course numerous times.
And there you have it – in a nutshell! How you give a good presentation –
prepare, prepare, prepare!
No one – and I truly mean no one – no matter their level of confidence – should give a presentation without the requisite amount of preparation.
You owe it to your audience, each and every time.
Our two-day course on
Presentation Skills covers everything needed to put you on the path to gaining full competency in this skill.
Staff Training is a national soft skills training provider. Contact us at 0861 996 660 or drop us an email.
