As I was thinking about my next blog, I read about how audiences and fans of Peter Bender always gave him great responses to his work, whether it was an interview, presentation, workshop, or one of his books.  They couldn’t get enough of Peter. They were so motivated by his words that they wanted him to keep on talking.  Peter gained his popularity because he believed in his values, followed a system, and carefully customized his message to the audience. I’d like to share with you one of my experiences.

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I’m about to give a presentation.  I walk up to the front of the room where my laptop is connected to the projector that will display my PowerPoint.  Everyone is talking.  They are loud, and very talkative.  Immediately, I am nervous; will they even be interested in my presentation? Will they be bored?  Will they try to distract me?  Can I really do this?   Then all of a sudden, I get their attention; the presentation is about to begin. My body starts to become tense and sweaty, and my brain begins to process a million thoughts a second. I know that I have to break through the conversation barrier (be the first person to start a chat with someone or begin the presentation).  Pressure is building; my throat gets stiffer.  Can I do this? Then, I focus; I know my material; I know what to say - I can remember how to react to people in my presentation; I know what to do.  Suddenly, I tune out from my “distractions”, and I begin to speak.  I am still a little bit anxious, but I clear my throat and speak more clearly. I move through my presentation; my words easily coming out of my mouth. I even add appropriate moments of humour, and use my visual aids at the right time.  The audience gives me their undivided attention, but not without moments of someone talking or taking a phone call. They are interested in what I am saying.  Then before I knew it, I was almost done; I just had to say,” Thank you for attending my presentation…..”  Everyone applauded.  My presentation was not top of the class; it could have been better, but no one showed any sign of discontentment. After that, I was able to watch everyone else’s presentations and compare mine to theirs.  I thought I did a really good job.

This is a reflection of me a couple of years ago when giving a presentation in Biology class during high school.  I may have stretched the truth a bit; other presentations appeared more entertaining than mine. I was too focused on content and a serious delivery – after all, the topic was bacteria and viruses; but I survived because somebody once told me to picture the audience in their underwear.  

Presentations are funny to me.  They make me feel like the worst teacher, researcher, or leader in the world; then I come out feeling great.  And every year, I get better and better.

I’d like to hear about your stories.  Can anyone relate to how I was feeling when giving my presentation?

References:

Guffey, M, Rhodes, K., Rogin, P. (2011). Business Communication: Process and Product. (Canadian 6th ed.)  Toronto, ON: Nelson. Chapter 14

Picture source: http://www.prlog.org/11135765-watch-ufc-124-online-free-ufc-124-live-stream-in-hd-for-free-this-saturday.html