Presenting can feel daunting, but what if it could also be enjoyable? Whether you’ve followed our earlier tips or are just joining now, this article will help you find joy in presenting.
From embracing your purpose to transforming nerves into excitement, we’ll explore how to bring energy and ease to every presentation you deliver. Presenting isn’t just a skill—it’s an opportunity to share something meaningful.
In our earlier articles, we’ve covered how to simplify your structure, making it easy for you and how to engage your audience. Now, it’s time to embrace the most important part: enjoying the process.
Whether you’re working on finding your purpose or tackling nerves, this article will help you bring energy and joy into every presentation. Presenting isn’t just a task—it’s an opportunity to inspire and connect.
Make it Enjoyable
Step 1: Present with Purpose
If your message is just a mass of information or instructions – then your audience AND you will be bored. You can feel more energised and start to enjoy your presentation by connecting to ‘purpose.’ Why do you care about your subject? Why are you passionate about what you are communicating? Because if you don’t care about your message, then why should anyone else?
Ask yourself the question – “what is the sole purpose of my presentation?” If it is to only inform or tell people something, then rethink! Your ‘sole’ purpose is to show a little of your own ‘soul.’ … What does this subject mean to you? Why do you care deeply? Why is it important to you? Share a story. Share something that you’re proud of. Share something that moves you, motivates you or inspires you about this topic. Enjoy communicating your passion rather than worrying about being good enough!
By sharing something human and universal such as hope, succeeding together, growing, striving, reaching – then your audience can connect to your purpose and share in your care. Helping the audience to connect to a deeper meaning will make the presentation more enjoyable for them too. If you care, then your audience will care. If you enjoy talking about this topic then your audience are far more likely to enjoy hearing you talking about this topic!
Tip:
As you prepare your presentation start with a core purpose. One sentence that sums up why you care about this talk. For example, ‘this presentation is all about inspiring people to believe in themselves’ or ‘this presentation is about all of us supporting each other’s wellbeing.’ Let that one purpose stand at the centre of your presentation and impact everything you then say. Now put your hand on your heart and name your purpose. Tell your audience why you care. Then tell them why THEY should care.
Step 2: Rewire your Nerves
So many people avoid or hate presenting because of anxiety and nerves. Here is some really wonderful news – you can conquer those nerves and rewire your brain to transform them to positive feelings that will help you perform to your best.
When nerves kick in, you feel physical sensations like a rapidly beating heart, tension, butterflies in your stomach, sweaty hands, a flushed face. But, your brain doesn’t know the difference between anxiety and excitement except the MEANING you give it. Those feelings of tension, butterflies, and racing heart are also sensations we experience when we are excited, joyous or falling in love! It’s only how we INTERPRET these physical sensations that dictate whether we decide we are excited or anxious.
We all get nervous. The trick is to know how to turn that nervous energy into excitement and motivation.
Tip:
Imagine your presentation going really well. See yourself standing in the meeting room or on the stage with your shoulders back, chest broad, taking your space, smiling, enjoying the attention and anticipation of your audience., See the audience smiling and nodding, watch yourself move through your message with ease and energy. Excited to be communicating something you care about. Now, every time you feel sensations that you call ‘nerves’ do this visualisation exercise and rewire your brain to connect these physical feelings to excitement.
With these few simple techniques you really can make presenting more easy, engaging and enjoyable.
Your presentation is not a test or a script you need to remember. YOU are the presentation. If someone wanted a written document, you could have emailed it to them. A presentation is not a scripted document – it is a shared human experience. You are not there to know every fact you are there to engage and inspire.
Finally, don’t waste so much time creating endless slides. Your slides will never and should never be more engaging than you. Slides are only a support act – you are the lead character. The key to slides is the word ‘less.’
- Less slides
- Less content on your slides
- Your slides are less important than you
Have fun with these 4D tools and tips and try something new in your next presentation.
Don’t make it right – make it easy, engaging and enjoyable! For yourself and for your audience. You can do it!
And if we can help you even more – do get in touch. We’d love to help you, your team and your leaders fall head over heels in love with presenting!
Explore our training programmes on Confidence and Impact, Leadership Development, and Executive Coaching to help you make a lasting impression today.
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With love,
Philippa and the 4D Human Being Team xx