Stage Fright: How I Keep from Freaking Out Before Presenting

In my job, I present at least once a week.  I love presenting - I'm the youngest child of five so I'm in love with being the center of attention.

However, that doesn't mean that before presenting, I feel like I'm going to flipping lose it.  My heart pounds in my throat, my hands drip with sweat (gross, I know), my stomach drops, and my throat goes so dry that it feels like I have a mouthful of cotton.   

I'm told that every presenter, no matter how great or bad, gets anxiety before presenting.  It's unnerving for anyone.  However, in my role, I have to learn to get over it.

Here are some things I've learned to do to make sure that come presentation time, I'm bringing my A-game and not melting into a floor puddle.

Before Presenting:

• Finish your presentation slides/material with at least 3 days to spare.  I've found that when I start practicing, there are at least a half-day's worth of changes I want to make, which usually take me 2 days to finish with my daily schedule.
• Rehearse your presentation out loud.   This sounds obvious, but too many people don't use this.  Rehearsing out loud not only relieves anxiety, but it helps you form exactly what you're going to say (and helps you point out any last-minute changes you need to make).
• Rehearse your presentation at least 7 times.  This seems like a lot - especially when you get to times 5 & 6 - but when you approach and finish 7, you know exactly what you're going to say and are extremely polished in transitioning.  
• If you can, rehearse in the room you're going to be in - try to recreate exactly what you'll be experiencing, so you can connect back to your practice sessions more easily.  This will also let you see your presentation up on the exact screen so you can see if anything is difficult to see (too dark colors, too small font), and adjust. 
• Rehearse in front of at least 2 different people, and do it early- I've found that at least 1 person will tell you something that you need to work on, and you'll need to give yourself a few practice sessions to fix it.  For me, I rehearse my exact presentation in front of my boss or trusted colleague, and in front of my husband (which brings me to my last point)
• Rehearse in front of someone who knows nothing of what you're talking about.  If I can get my husband to understand my presentation on search engine optimization, I know it will be a success in front of my real audience.
• Bring a back up.  You never want to be in a pinch if your disc drive isn't working - bring hard copies and a backup means to get into your slides every time.

During the Presentation:

• Have a water bottle ready.  Not only will this be extremely helpful for when your cottonmouth acts up, but taking a sip of water if you have a brain fart will help you restart your thinking process and get you back on track.
• Stand Up.  Honestly, when I cannot move my arms to exaggerate points and feel confined, I am more nervous.  When I can move around it helps my thought process and I actually find myself finding my words more easily.
• Smile.  Sounds weird, but smiling actually reminds me that this is just a presentation, and regardless of what happens, I'm happy.  It helps take the edge off.  

Do Not:

• Smoke before your presentation.  The audience can smell it, trust me.  It's gross.
• Eat too heavy of a meal for breakfast, or for dinner the night before.  Enough said, you'll be sorry.  
• THINK YOU CAN JUST WING IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE MATERIAL SO WELL.  I know search better than anyone I know, but I sound like an idiot when I can't get the words right.  The only way you can really relieve anxiety, is to be prepared.

 I'm giving one of the biggest presentations of my career tomorrow, and you can bet that I've followed all of my own advice.  Because of this, I'll be able to sleep soundly tonight.  Tomorrow though, don't talk to me until after 4pm, because I'm going to be freaking the F out.