Are you anxious about your next English presentation?
These can be extremely nerve-racking!
Today’s guest, Grant Baldwin, will share three tips for delivering an amazing presentation in English.
As an executive speaking coach, he has a lot of experience helping polish presentations.
These tips will ensure your next presentation shines!
Today’s guest
Grant Baldwin is featured in the “Inc. 5000 List”, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Huffington Post.
He is a speaker and author and his mission is to motivate leaders and entrepreneurs to become better public speakers.
Grant is from Nashville, Tennessee and is the host of the Speaker Grant podcast.
It can be nerve-wracking to give a presentation to a number of people.
Public speaking is challenging and can create anxiety for many individuals, especially in a second language.
Grant shares that he has learned that to speak in public you have to consider a lot of variables for a presentation to work.
Presentation variables
- Variable #1: You as the speaker
The outcome of the presentation is heavily dependent on you.
Did you wing it?
Were you prepared for it?
- Variable #2: The audience
Grant provides an example of speaking to a group of sales professionals who have been informed they will be laid off after your presentation.
Clearly, this audience may not be fully attentive to what you have to say.
In this example, the mood of your audience is definitely a factor.
- Variable #3: The setting
You want to make the room fit the size of your audience.
For a small group, if possible give your presentation in a small room.
This will enable a good connection with your audience.
Challenges of public speaking
Grant’s early experience in public speaking had a lot of challenges.
He had to do a speech at a convention where the power was cut in the hotel.
Making the most of the situation, he finished his presentation in the dark.
Without a working microphone, he had to yell across the darkness in the room.
The audience turned on their phone flashlights to see him.
How to overcome the fear of public speaking
Crazy things can happen during a presentation.
This is part of the experience!
However, this is the main reason many are afraid to talk in public.
There are a lot of things that can go wrong.
It can be overwhelming to be put on the spot when things don’t go as expected.
Grant Baldwin shares three ways to overcome the fear of speaking in public.
#1: Recognize adrenaline
You must recognize that what you are feeling may be adrenaline and not fear.
You can look back to big moments in your life that give you a similar feeling.
For example, when you proposed to your spouse, the birth of your first child, or before riding a rollercoaster.
Feeling adrenaline is not a bad thing.
It is the body’s way of reminding you that something important is coming up.
#2: Control your emotions
You must not let emotion hinder you from giving your all when speaking in public.
The best way to do this is to be prepared.
Don’t wing it!
If you’re unprepared, you might get caught off guard when you stand on stage.
#3: Connect
It’s easy to overthink the accent or tone you use.
You may feel self-conscious and you have to remember that this isn’t a big deal.
When you are speaking to an audience you are speaking to a collective of humans coming from different backgrounds.
You will easily connect with your audience if you let your personality show.
When you have an accent, you can enunciate and speak at a pace that the audience can easily follow.
This will help make sure your message is clear and understood.
The importance of energy
The energy you project when you speak in public can easily be felt by your listeners.
The power is in the energy you show.
It is really important to share good energy.
You want to show you are confident speaking about a topic you are the expert in.
The power of preparation
Grant shared that he is about to take an exam to get his pilot’s license.
He is confident because he knows he is prepared.
However, he is still feeling nervous.
He can feel the adrenaline flowing through his veins, and there are butterflies in his stomach.
Despite that, because he has done the work to prepare he knows he will succeed.
Managing panic
You may get derailed from your plan and panic.
This can happen to anyone.
What you can do is embrace that errors are inevitable.
In public speaking, your audience won’t know what your next thought is so that is to your advantage.
You can laugh and say you lost your train of thought.
Once you’ve picked up where you left off, you can continue your point and it won’t be an awkward experience for you and your audience.
Takeaway
Presentations are similar to starting a conversation.
Grant’s three tips will help you be prepared.
Any moment that is important will always make you feel adrenaline.
You just have to embrace the feeling and put in the work so you are prepared for whatever can happen.
To get more resources from Grant Baldwin, you can visit https://thespeakerlab.com/
You can also check out his podcast “The Speaker Lab.”
Additionally, don’t miss his new book “The Succesful Speaker: Five Steps for Booking Gigs, Getting Paid, and Building Your Platform.”
Do you have an upcoming public speaking event or business presentation?
Let us know the preparation you’re doing in the comments below to ensure a good outcome.
Grant’s Bio:
As founder and CEO of The Speaker Lab, Grant Baldwin has helped thousands of people build successful and sustainable speaking businesses. Over the last 15 years Grant has become a sought after speaker, podcaster, author, and accomplished entrepreneur. Featured on the Inc. 5000 list, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and the Huffington Post, he has committed his expertise and insight to equipping others to share their meaningful message with the masses. With a mission to motivate other leaders and entrepreneurs, The Speaker Lab has worked with students in all 50 US states and in over 45 countries around the world. In addition, his book The Successful Speaker as well as The Speaker Lab Podcast have impacted thousands of speakers at all levels. His leadership and dedication to creating a one-of-a-kind organizational culture are evidenced by the impact of the team he leads.
