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How you look and sound during a speech or presentation are going to make a big impression on your audience. Within seconds, listeners will decide whether you are trustworthy, and they will do it based on your body language and vocal attributes. The good news is that there is plenty of hard evidence that explains how you can give the appearance of confidence and competence — even if you’re nervous or timid on the inside. To look confident, make eye contact, keep an open posture, and use gestures to emphasize your message. To sound confident, eliminate filler words, take time to pause before important messages, and vary your pace.
You’ve crafted the message and created the slides for your next presentation. Now it’s time to wow the audience. How you look and sound are going to make a big impression — and your audience will form opinions quickly.
- Career development
- How To Be Confident for a Presentation (With Tips)
By Indeed Editorial Team
Published April 5, 2021
Many jobs require giving presentations or speaking in front of crowds. However, some people consider public speaking to be a challenge. In this article, we discuss why it's important to be confident during a presentation, how to be confident for a presentation and tips for boosting your confidence before a presentation.
Why is it important to be confident during a presentation?
It's important to be confident during a presentation to ensure you give the best presentation possible. Confidence may help you speak with more clarity and authority. This may help audiences better understand and respond to your message.
Related: 10 Ways To Boost Your Confidence in the Workplace
How to be confident during a presentation
Here are some steps to follow to help you be more confident during a presentation:
1. Prepare your presentation
Prepare your presentation in advance, and ask the meeting organizer for the time limit. Start by writing your most important points first. Edit out the least important information until you have a detailed but concise presentation.
2. Create a strong opening
Develop a strong opening to get your audience's attention immediately and make a good first impression. Consider opening with a personal story, startling statistic or a funny quotation or joke. Rehearse your opening statement several times.
3. Practice
Practice your presentation multiple times. This will help you know what you're going to say, which may help you feel more relaxed and able to engage with the audience. Consider rehearsing in front of the mirror, or try giving your presentation to a small group of family and friends and asking for their feedback.
4. Visualize success
Visualize yourself as being a successful public speaker. Practice relaxation techniques. Consider practicing positive affirmations or deep breathing techniques.
Related: 30 Strategies for Better Public Speaking
5. Get plenty of sleep
Allow yourself plenty of time to relax and rest the night before your presentation. Try to get enough sleep. This may help you feel refreshed.
6. Check the meeting space and equipment
Visit the meeting space before you you present. Become familiar with the environment and equipment. Check the microphone, lighting, electronics and seating arrangement.
7. Do light exercises
Prepare for your presentation with some light exercises. Consider stretching, going for a brief walk or bending your knees. This can help oxygen reach your brain, which helps reduce tension.
8. Practice power poses
Practice power poses before presenting to improve your confidence. Take an open stance, and stretch your arms and legs away from your body. This may help your mind feel more confident, helping you process the challenge of public speaking as an opportunity rather than a threat.
9. Take deep breaths
Take deep breaths before beginning your presentation. Deep inhalations help get more oxygen to your lungs and brain. This can help relax anxiety or feelings of tension in the muscles in your chest and throat.
10. Use the restroom
Each person experiences nerves differently. Allow time in your schedule to use the restroom. This may be one less thing to worry about during your presentation.
11. Meet and greet with your audience before speaking
Try to meet with members of the audience before you give your presentation. Take the opportunity to shake hands and begin forming your connections with audience members. This may help the audience view you as approachable and personable. Meeting the audience before your presentation may also help you view speaking as personal more than public.
12. Sip water
Drink some water before your presentation. Choose warm or room temperature water, and consider adding a lemon. This can help reduce dry mouth, clear your throat and reduce mucus buildup. It's also important to have water available to drink during your presentation.
13. Stand five minutes before speaking
It's important to warm up before you speak and prepare to be active. Consider standing up in the back of the room five minutes before your presentation. This may help you build energy.
14. Smile
Smile during your presentation. Smiling naturally relaxes the body and conveys confidence, enthusiasm and self-assurance. It also releases endorphins, which promotes a natural sense of well-being, calms your nerves and creates a pleasant attitude.
15. Use confident body language
Use confident body language when presenting. Maintain good posture when speaking. Keep your head up, and try to avoid leaning on the podium.
Incorporate movement into your presentation. Walk around on the stage, and engage with different sections of the audience. Use hand gestures when speaking, and avoid crossing your arms. Practice your hand gestures when you practice your speech.
16. Speak with confidence
Speak with confidence during your presentation. Project your voice, and try to make your voice seem more conversational. Vary the volume, pitch and speed of your voice.
Be mindful of the pacing of your speech. Speak at a slow place that allows your audience to understand what you're saying and stay engaged. Include natural breaks and pauses into your presentation.
17. Engage with the audience
Connect with the audience. Focus on people who are nodding and showing an interest in what you're saying. Make eye contact with various members of the audience.
18. Congratulate yourself
It's important to recognize your successful public speaking. Congratulate yourself and celebrate your success. Focus on your accomplishments during your presentation, and remember these moments the next time you need to speak in public.
Tips for boosting your confidence before a presentation
Here are some helpful tips to consider when trying to improve your confidence when presenting:
Acknowledge audience truths
Begin each presentation by internally acknowledging three truths about the audience. These truths are:
The audience believes you are the expert: The audience views you as an authority.
The audience wants you to succeed: The audience wants you to inform and engage them and add value to their lives.
The audience doesn't know what you're going to say: The audience doesn't know the details of your presentation, so they will never know if your speech differs from your original plan.
Leverage your nerves
Use your potential nerves about speaking to your advantage. Reframe your nerves as excitement or feelings of adrenaline. This may help you appear more competent and persuasive to the audience.
Related: How To Not Be Nervous for a Presentation: 19 Tips To Calm Nerves
Don't pretend to not be nervous
Try not to pretend to be nervous. Attempts to hide your feelings from the audience may make you feel more nervous and anxious or increase your heart rate. Instead, embrace your nerves, and channel your nervousness into enthusiasm.
View your presentation as a gift
Consider your presentation as a gift you're giving to the audience. This may help you focus on the satisfaction of what you're sharing with the audience. It may help you feel empowered rather than nervous.
Be mindful of your diet
Be mindful of what you eat and drink before you present. Avoid food that may affect your throat, such as dairy products, carbonated beverages and cold food and drinks. Instead, drink water prior to your presentation, and ensure you have access to water during your entire presentation.
Talk positively to yourself about yourself
Practice positive self-talk. Give yourself compliments, and practice affirmations to reinforce your belief in your abilities. Try using affirmations beginning with "you" rather than "I," and consider practicing them in front of the mirror.
Read more: Positive Affirmations in the Workplace: Impact, Tips and Examples
Be mindful your body language
Try to avoid fidgeting habits like twirling your hair, biting your nails or pacing. The audience may interpret them as signs of nervousness or boredom. Instead, if you begin feeling nervous, take deep breaths.
Use your diaphragm
Breathing through your diaphragm may help you better project your voice. Practice breathing through your diaphragm. Lie down, relax your stomach and abdominal muscles and place your hand on your stomach. Monitor the natural movement of your stomach and hand as you breathe in and out.
Practice reading aloud
Practice reading other literature aloud, such as plays or poems. This may help you become more comfortable speaking. Reading aloud may help you learn more about the dynamics of your voice.
Simplify your speech
Simplify your speech to focus on communicating one idea. Giving a shorter speech may help you feel more relaxed. Also, limiting what you want to include in your speech may also help you remain focused in your presentation.
Use visual aids
Develop and use visual aids to engage your audience. Include brief bullet points on your slides, but do not read off of the slides as you present. Use the visual aids to support your presentation. Your visual aids may also help you feel relaxed as your audience will look at them instead of you.
Use persuasive body language
Practice gestures and persuasive body language to use in your presentation. Consider gestures like:
Holding an imaginary ball
Touching your fingertips together to form a pyramid
Creating a wide stance
Verify your research
Double check your facts and details before you present. Ensure your information is accurate, and include sources for your information. Being confident in your information may help you feel more confident in your presentation.
Remember that you're the expert
Remember that you likely know more than the audience does about your subject. Be mindful of their perspective when you develop your presentation. Be confident in what you have to say, and consider yourself an authority figure on the subject.