How to Perfect Your Presentation Skills
As a Caregiver, making speeches and presentations can be awkward — you’re generally more comfortable being the backup singer than the front person. Below are three ways to help you manage nerves, cope with the unexpected, and step into the spotlight. Click here for more ArcheGuides.
Nervousness is a highly misunderstood phenomenon — most people just want to quash it. You’ll do better, however, if you tell yourself: “Wow — I’m nervous! This is great! It means I want to do well.” Doing so turns those feelings into fuel that will help knock your audience’s socks off.
From time to time, mishaps occur — your technology gets a bug, you forget your point, the lighting is weird. Rather than attempting to manage it all yourself (as you are inclined to do), let your audience in on what’s going on. A simple Sorry, my tech is down/I forgot what I was saying/This lighting is very peculiar will get the audience on your side.
Yes, Caregivers like to affirm others, but the phrase Good question can backfire in two ways: If you are using it as filler while you think, you’ve now flagged this as the question — and the answer — to listen to. You’ve also made everyone else who has asked a question feel that theirs wasn’t good enough. Instead, if it really is a good question, say, “I’m glad you asked me that.”
