Presentation skills are vital in many business – and life – settings. Do you need help knowing how to give a great boardroom speech and present yourself confidently? Unfortunately, it’s a skill that not many are taught and people tend to cower away from public speeches.
If the idea of entering a boardroom and speaking fill you with dread, this one’s for you… It’s understandable if this makes you jitter with nerves, but it shouldn’t. Imagine feeling fully confident and everyone listens intently to you.
I want to help you learn how to present yourself in front of an audience with confidence. It links with the skills I’ve learned and taught with over 30 years’ experience in sales and telemarketing.
Being anxious is natural and shows that you care about what you’re representing. Even seasoned boardroom speakers who carry out public speaking regularly find presenting to an audience difficult. But using this nervous energy to your advantage is the key. Dread has no place in the boardroom.
Build your confidence to speak in public with ease
Feel confident with your presentation by creating a plan for every contingency. This is possibly the easiest exercise any of us can undertake… Think about the endless ways a conversation can play out in your head. Write the questions people might ask you down, and the answer you’d reply to them too. It might sound daft, but feeling prepared can help avoid any dread.
If you’re presenting a topic that’s likely to cause a stir, imagine someone difficult coming into the room and asking you challenging questions. By predicting these beforehand, you can learn to regain control of the conversation. Lead the audience back to the direction you want it to go, giving time to respond to every objection.
This is a constructive method that will allow you to organically build rapport and overcome those overwhelming feelings that stop you from being effective in the boardroom.
Transfer presentation skills to your marketing conversations
Presenting in front of an audience in a boardroom or on the stage requires the same skills as being on the phone. You need confidence in your topic, being prepared for all possible conversation turns. But you also need to learn to listen to the other side. Take a moment to listen intently and match their personality. Use open-ended questions and never one-word answers.
Elements you need to nail in any conversation are trust, making it about the best outcome for them. In-person, think about how you handle yourself, how you stand, and how you sound. But these things matter when you’re talking on the phone, too. People pick up on your confidence and signals just from the tone of your voice.
We’ve been dissecting presentations to deliver over the phone since 1987 and in the last couple of decades, this has translated to in-person meetings and our online communication.
It’s no coincidence we’ve designed a programme to help you face your worst fear. Learn how to translate your nerves into energy that can be used in any situation.
Be sure you can have confident conversations with strangers, no matter if they’re on the telephone or in the boardroom. And never feel intimidated walking into a room again…
Like to know more about our programme? Book a call to get fantastic presentation skills and smash your boardroom speeches.
Extra tip:
Some professional speakers stand in a ‘superhero pose’, proven to give you a confidence boost. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart, with your head up and your hands on your hips. Hold this for 30 seconds before you present or make a tricky phone call. See if it helps, and let us know.
