It is normal to be nervous before a big presentation or pitch. Accept this as part of the process. The best way to lessen this anxiety is to be prepared. In fact, over prepared is even better.
Practice, Practice, Practice. The single best way to reduce nerves is to internalize your content. This means you know your script so well that if something were to go wrong with your PowerPoint presentation, you would be able to keep on going without missing a beat. It takes hours and hours of practice to get to this point. For each presentation, plan on spending a minimum of 10 hours rehearsing. For example: video tape yourself rehearsing, rehearse in front of a co-worker, or family member, even recite your content on the commute. The more you practice, the more familiar you will become with your content, and the more comfortable you will be in front of an audience.
Show up early. Showing up to the venue early will allow you to get comfortable with your surroundings. If possible, do a dry run of part of your presentation and use the space available to you by walking back and forth. Check where the lighting hits and make a mental note of the outside edge of the lighting so you don’t end up speaking in a dark or shadowed area. This is a great time to test your equipment to be sure your presentation plays correctly and the sound is good. If there is audio, play it and go to the back of the room to be sure it can be clearly heard. Remember to bring up the volume slightly because once the room fills with people the audio will dampen.
Prepare for snafus. Bring a backup of your presentation deck on a thumb drive. You also might want to create two versions – normal and widescreen. That way, your presentation will look great no matter the screen size in the room. Pack an extra slide clicker and extra batteries if needed. Bring an extra shirt just in case you have a spill. Knowing that you are prepared for any problem will ease your mind.
Even seasoned speakers get the jitters – it’s natural. And while following these steps won’t get rid of all of your anxiety, they will help you become a more confident speaker.