Don’t let stage fright kill your sales presentations

by Marjorie Brody

You’ve been asked by a major contractor to give a product demonstration on a job site. It’s a great opportunity to sell your company to one of the biggest tool buyers in your territory. But you have a problem. You’re great at one-on-one communication, but there could be 50 people at this presentation. Like millions of other people, you have a fear of public speaking.

Whether it is your first presentation, or number 100, almost everyone suffers from some level of stage fright or performance anxiety.

Although surveys show that the fear of public speaking ranks ahead of death, flying, heights and snakes, this fear can be controlled. It is a perfectly normal feeling, and a form of energy you can channel to your benefit.

To use these feelings to your own advantage, first you must identify them. Most speakers have four common fears:

Fear of fainting. Unless you have a medical problem, this is almost unheard of. You may feel faint, but it is highly unlikely that you will faint.

Fear of boring your audience. Make sure that your material is interesting and you have backed it up with facts, figures and anecdotes to enhance and illustrate your points. Show enthusiasm about the topic with your voice and body language. If you are happy to be there, your audience will be, too.

Fear of your mind going blank. This can happen. We have all seen it happen to other people, and you need to learn what to do if it happens to you: Pause, look at your notes or outline and try to pick up again where you left off, or move on to your next thought.

Fear of being judged. It is important that the audience knows you enjoy your subject, even if you’ve made some mistakes or have lost your place. A sincere presenter doing his or her best, who is obviously well prepared, will not be judged harshly.

Once you have identified your fears, begin working to manage them and let them help you. First, accept that stage fright is a normal feeling, experienced by most people.

Visualization
Visualization is an effective way to control stage fright. In the visualization process, you picture yourself in front of an audience. You are composed, confident and in control. By picturing yourself in a successful situation, you give yourself the confidence you need to achieve your goal.

Here are four basic rules to follow that can help you control your fears.

Arrive early. This will give you a chance to relax, survey your surroundings, make a trip to the rest room, organize your thoughts and check the facilities — as well as any equipment you may be using. The speaker who rushes in at the last minute does himself or herself a disservice. We all need the time to mentally prepare ourselves for the event at hand.

Eat lightly. Avoid heavy meals. This also means no alcohol, and nothing that might cause an upset stomach. Bananas are a good choice; they are light and filling. Also avoid taking decongestants or other medications that might make you drowsy.

Use humor and interactive techniques to help release endorphins. Laughter is a great tension reliever. When you begin your presentation, plan to ask audience members a question and get them to raise their hands. This will take some of the focus off of you and put it onto them.

Another way to help you relax before your presentation is to try simple stretching exercises. They can be done just about anywhere; I’ve even done them on an airplane!

Perhaps the most important way to address and manage stage fright is to speak frequently. The more you practice, the better speaker you will become.

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