Fear is sort of like Pac Man. While your pie chart may look a little different than this one; fear is standing by to gobble up your confidence, dismantle your preparation, and convince you that you don’t have the ability or the knack for public speaking.
When you start your speech, do it with confidence. Only you know how the presentation is supposed to look, sound, taste, and feel.
Not if, but when you make a mistake; KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. Your audience may not have noticed a thing. Oh, but they will notice if you start addressing, correcting, and/or apologizing for it. Don’t let the mistake distract you from your purpose. If you follow your mistake and try to clean it up, your audience will definitely give you noticeable feedback! The whole mood will shift and if you’re not ready, fear will run up and tackle you right there.
Instead, know that mistakes will happen. Keep the focus on the main points of your presentation and be flexible. You’re audience doesn’t need or want to know your excuses and apologies for what went wrong…
