The Most Feared Words in Business for Introverts:
"Please give a presentation on ______."
If you’re as introverted as I am, being asked to give a presentation of any size sparks anxiety. My body’s response is immediate, irrational, and intellectually frustrating. Heart pounding, sweat breaking…full fight or flight response. I am not a cave dweller, and I know it, but still the instincts grab the wheel. I’ve been a manager for almost 20 years now, and still this is how I react. But, I’ve come to understand that this is just the way my brain works, and I have the power to manage it.
But that does not mean I avoid giving presentations. In fact, I enjoy the preparation process and the act of leading and participating in them. While the anxiety is real and unavoidable, there is nothing quite like connecting with an audience.
Giving a presentation is not about perfection, it’s about connection.
It does not happen every time, but I love hearing that something I said really resonated, sparked a thought, was unexpected, interesting, or eye-opening. When approached in the right way, the adrenaline of presenting can turn into pure joy. We all want to make an impact in our organizations, so here are a few ways, from your’s truly, on how to present without stepping too far out of your comfort zone.
Menu of Micro-Strategies:
Mix & match, choose the ones that work best for you…
Stay “used to the water”: You know how it feels to wade into chilly water, and then almost suddenly it feels quite comfortable? For me, presenting is like that. Whether it’s just a small Team gathering, or a larger presentation, regularly putting myself out there makes it easier every time. Offer to give presentations, get accustomed to being out front, and I guarantee it will get easier. The voice in your head will soon be saying, “relax, we’ve done this a million times.”
The obvious one - prepare, prepare, prepare: The more prepared you are, the more confident you'll feel.
Make sure you have a clear outline of what you want to say, and practice your presentation. For some, this means ad-libbing with the help of an outline, for me, it’s writing out every word and reading it through. I don’t always follow the script word-for-word in the moment, but it’s in my head should things get tense and I need that level of readiness.
I use the 10x rule - read it out loud 10 times in a row. The repetition gets you past the little word stumbles, helps you fine-tune the language, gets you used to hearing your own voice, and gets you familiar enough with the material so you’ll know it by heart.
Rehearse in front of a friendly audience: Practice your presentation in front of your significant other, or a small group of friends or colleagues. They will (hopefully) tell you what needs work, and you will get more comfortable with other humans seeing and hearing you. If there is no small group ready to listen to your brilliant presentation, call an emergency “family meeting” - your children, siblings or parents will tell you the hard truth of your performance.
Have a co-presenter, or multiple presenters: Sharing the spotlight gives you time to take breaks throughout the presentation, and gives you just enough time to regain your calm should you feel a sense of panic beginning to rise. I find that the co-presenter model is more engaging and interesting to the audience as well. It breaks up the information into more digestible bits, and opens the opportunity for Q&A along the way. Everyone in the room would rather participate in a conversation than a presentation.
Get the audience talking:
One of my favorite strategies that is fun, engages the audience, and gives you a break, is the “Surprise Pop Quiz!”. Tell the audience up front you’ll be asking questions along the way…and that there might even be some prizes for the right answers. Then 2-3 times during your presentation throw a slide on the screen, or simply announce “Pop Quiz!” Make the questions super easy and on info just covered so a lot of hands go up right away. Obviously, not a great fit for more formal settings, but where casual is ok, this is a great way to make it fun and interesting for everyone in the room.
I’m sure you’ve also been in presentations where the speaker asks you to “turn to your right, introduce yourself, and _____”. If there is a way to help drive your message by getting the audience to engage with each other through some 1-1 activity, the presentation suddenly becomes more of a “workshop” - more fun, more memorable. Now you’re all in it together.
Use visual aids: Visual aids can be a great way to engage your audience and help you stay focused. A colleague of mine once brought a section of electrical cable to a presentation that had been completely swallowed by the growth of a large tree branch. Nature is amazing, and nailed the point that our electrical infrastructure was desperately in need of repair. Use slides, videos, or other physical visual aids to support your message and keep your audience's attention. The magic here…hey, the audience is not looking at you for a minute or two. Get creative, but not to distraction.
Be authentic: Speak from the heart: if you truly believe what you are saying, your audience will too. Be yourself, don't try to be someone you think the audience wants. Use your natural speaking tone, style and pace. It’s ok to be a little vulnerable about your public speaking trepidation. Nothing pathetic. But it’s perfectly ok to say something like, “hey, I’ve never been a master at public speaking, but I have some great info I’d like to share, and I think you’ll find it interesting too, so please feel free to ask any clarifying questions along the way”.
Tell a true story: Storytelling is a powerful tool for engaging your audience and making your message more memorable. Stories illustrate your points, make your presentation more relatable, and ring true…because they are.
Use humor: A little bit of humor can go a long way in engaging your audience and helping you relax. Use appropriate humor to break the ice and add some levity to your presentation. Warning: only do this if it’s a sure thing - test it in advance. If humor is just not your thing, a presentation is not the time to try it out.
Have an ice-breaker: Offer up a topic for discussion or comment while people in the room are gathering and getting settled. I do this by having a slide deck on screen with the ice-breaker question as people are joining. You can do this literally on the screen for in-person meetings, or on the share-screen as people are joining virtual meetings. The slide can also prompt people to post their answer in the chat. A colleague of mine is a master at this, whether the meeting is in-person, online, or hybrid. It’s super simple and fun…just throw out a question and invite people to chime in, add answers to the chat window, or post a GIF as an answer. Let the cross-banter ensue…
What’s your favorite binge-watch?
Best 90’s sitcom?
What’s your dream vacation destination?
The Day of the Presentation
On the day of the presentation take some time to relax and calm your mind. Let the anxiety dust settle.
Take a walk, go for a run, do a workout, get that dopamine flowing
Find a quiet place to sit and clear your thoughts, or actively think about something else
Listen to your favorite calming music
Practice some meditation or deep breathing
Visualize yourself giving a successful presentation
Imagine yourself speaking confidently and engaging your audience
See yourself receiving positive feedback afterwards
Be first to the room
Walking into a big room full of people can be shocking. Arrive early to the room in which the presentation will occur; best to be there long before the room fills with people. There is something about being in the room while it fills that makes it easier to address the room when the time comes. This also gives you time to set up, test any equipment you may be using (like hearing yourself on the audio/visual system), and generally get comfortable with your surroundings.
Your audience is rooting for you!
Remember, half of the people in the audience are just like you, introverts, and everyone in the room is rooting for you to deliver some interesting, and useful information!
Finally, if all of these suggestions sound ridiculous…
Talk to your physician. Seriously. We’re all on a sliding scale of introversion/extroversion and the level of anxiety we each experience slides as well. For some of us, a little deep breathing will do the trick. For others, that’s like a drop of rain on a bonfire, useless. Ask your doctor about beta blockers, these can be used to help reduce that fight-or-flight response we all know too well.