Many speakers are nervous when they start their presentations and sadly many do not overcome their nerves during the course of their presentation. Typical symptoms are speaking faster at an ever-increasing rate and forgetting to breathe. During the latter, the brain receives less oxygen and the ensuing brain fog clouds the presentation. Take a pause to breathe before your presentation and frequently during its course.
You have all come across the speaker whose voice becomes progressively more croaky as the dialogue winds on, especially in a warm venue. The audience finds itself looking at the glass of cold clear water sitting next to the speaker and willing them to take a sip to break the rasp. Meanwhile, the speaker rambles on possibly considering it not the thing to break the flow. The audience is now mentally shouting “Take a drink”. Take a pause and take a sip, resisting the urge to take a gulp, and hey presto calm is restored on both sides.
There is a great temptation to recite your presentation from a script in the fashion of the parrot. That way you imagine that you will not have to go back having suddenly remembered a large chunk of the presentation which is now impossible to slot in without apologises and now out of context. Talking from a script always sounds stilted and is not comfortable to the audience. The number of people that I have come across who can pull off natural talking from a script during a presentation is minuscule.
If you can’t confidently remember the presentation use an aide-memoire for use during your presentation built around key topics and phrases. Include those facts which may be forgotten such as dates as reminders that you can build on without further reference to the aide-memoire. This gives your presentation a natural feel and ensures it will never be quite the same on subsequent occasions. Especially relevant if you are making multiple presentations around the area and the same people may be present. Notes are for reference and not for reading.