Mastering the Art of Oral Presentations

CHAPTER 5Formal Presentation DayDemonstrate Your Competence, Credibility, Confidence and Commitment

Formal Presentation Day is the culmination of all your preparation. During the weeks preparing for orals, you evaluated your team, the customer, and the competition. You carefully selected and prepared your presentation package and script. You practiced and rehearsed alone and with your team.

If you weren’t an expert in your subject area before this process, you are now. You have become the expert in your area for your team. No one else, including the customer, knows your material, rationale, and supporting evidence better than you. You have every reason to feel relaxed and confident.

However, everyone has situations that make them nervous, and some of us are more nervous than others about presenting to a small group or a large audience. It’s natural to have butterflies. Your goal is to get them to fly in formation!

Remember that nervousness is your friend. It is energy. It is essential for success. Channel your nervous energy into animation, conviction, and passion for your message.

Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady of the United States, gave this wise advice: “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you look fear in the face. You must do that which you think you cannot do.”

Dealing with Nervousness and Distractions

Get the Butterflies to Fly in Formation

The most successful antidote for nervousness is ample preparation. Too often people ...