Despite years of work in broadcast news, tons of presentations and extensive training, I still get a little nervous. My stomach still turns a bit and my hands get shaky.
Over the years, people have suggested everything from imagining the audience in their underwear (can be creepy in real life) to breathing exercises to pretending you are talking to your friends and family. To be honest, none of these have worked for me.
The best solution I’ve come up with is to be prepared, even over prepared. Anticipate questions and know the answers you intend to give.
Preparation plus remembering a time when I was very confident give me enough confidence to power through the nerves.
How do you handle pre-presentation, interview or speech nerves?