7 THINGS TO DO 10 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION

Are you looking for tips on what to do 10 minutes before your next presentation? Do you find yourself feeling nervous or unprepared right before the crucial moment?

Whether you’re stepping to the front of the room to speak to just a few people, or making a grand entrance at a major conference to address thousands, you can effectively use the time immediately before you go up to speak to prepare your body and mind for peak performance.

Here are 7 things you can do in the 10 minutes before your next presentation to ensure that you have everything you need to get your message across to the audience:

Ensure you have everything you need with you

The first important step is to ensure that you have everything you need with you 10 minutes before you start your presentation. This may include the following items:

Laptop, presentation file, USB stick, notes, handouts, props, flyers, and other promotional material.

If you’re organised and have everything you need with you, this will help to settle your nerves and make you feel calmer and more in control. It will also make sure that you get your message across to the audience in a clear, confident and powerful way.

Check the room setup

It is always a good idea to check the room setup before you start your presentation. This will ensure that you have everything you need before you give your presentation and shows the audience that you’re prepared. It may help to ask yourself a series of questions. For example:

• Is the room set up to get your message across?

• Is the audiovisual equipment set up for your type of presentation?

• Will there be enough space for you to present?

• Is the room clean and free of distractions?

• Is the lighting suitable and the air-conditioning on?

• Is the screen and sound system set up?

It’s important to make sure that the room is set up correctly before your presentation. Being organised will help you to be calm and enable you to focus on what’s important, getting your message across to the audience.

Connect your laptop and set up your presentation

Familiarise yourself with the venue or facility you are speaking at, to ensure that your presentation is ready to go. Here is a list of things to do to set up for your presentation:

• Connect your laptop and ensure it is working properly;

• Have your presentation onscreen;

• Check the sound and screen are working;

• Test the clicker – we suggest taking spare batteries;

• The whiteboard is clean and all the markers are working;

• Take a photograph before removing someone else’s notes; and

• Take a glass or bottle of water with you.

• Another good tip is to plan ahead and use the restroom.

Once you have everything you need to start your presentation, you will be ready to go.

Rehearse the first 2 minutes of your opening

The opening is to get the audience’s attention. It sets the tone of the speech and creates a certain level of expectation. Whatever you’re planning to open with, it is advantageous to rehearse the first 2 minutes of your presentation. Knowing exactly how you’re going to start your presentation gives you confidence, helps keep you focused on what you are going to say and allows you to give all your attention to the audience.

It’s good to remember that you are giving a talk for a reason and rehearsing will help you focus on what’s important: connecting with the audience and getting your message across. Everybody knows this, but not everybody knows how to rehearse. Many presenters read a script silently to themselves until they’ve got it right. You may surprise yourself to see how much better you will come across to your audience if you rehearse and do dry runs.

This will give you greater confidence when delivering your message and makes for a powerful first impression. If you find the passion to persuade, inform, or entertain your audience, you will also find your purpose and your voice.

Take the time to do a quick breathing exercise

It’s always helpful to take the time before you go on stage to do a simple breathing exercise. This breathing exercise maximizes the amount of oxygen that flows to the lungs and brain, interrupts the adrenalin-pumping “fight or flight” response and triggers the body’s normal relaxation response.

There are 3 parts to this exercise:

Inhale through your nose slowly for 5 seconds; (2) Hold your breath for 5 seconds; (3) Exhale slowly through your nose for 5 seconds.

Practice taking a few deep breaths at a time, then relax and breathe normally. This will slow down your heart rate and help you stay focused, feel calmer and deliver your message more clearly.

Focus on your positive facts

Focus on positive facts about yourself and to create positive statements that you say to yourself before you start your presentation. Positive facts are not affirmations. As stated, they are based on facts and will help to bring your focus back to your strengths and keep you focused on the job at hand. Some examples of positive facts are:

• “I’m prepared for this”, “I’ve practised this”, “

• My presentation is ready”, “I’ve got my notes”, “I’ve worked for this company for 10 years”.

• Try these for yourself, or come up with your own positive facts.

• If you focus on positive facts about yourself before you go on stage, it will help you maintain a positive and pleasant demeanour before you speak and will give you a confidence boost.

Give it your best and enjoy the moment

The trick to giving any presentation, whether you’re speaking to a large or small group, is to give it your best and enjoy the moment. When you enjoy the moment, you come across more natural and create a better connection with your audience. Your audience will leave the room feeling great and you will be satisfied with the experience.

Remember that professional speakers also still feel some sort of nervousness, but this disappears as soon as they start to speak. By applying the above list of things to do 10 minutes before your next presentation, you will be more confident in being able to deliver a memorable speech.

Conclusion

So, next time before you give a presentation, follow the list of 7 things to do 10 minutes before your next presentation. I remind myself every time that it’s not about perfection, it’s about connection.

Feel free to share your tips on how you prepare 10 minutes before starting your next presentation.