How to calm nerves before a work presentation

If you’ve got a work presentation coming up and you’re worried you’ll panic, ramble, forget your words or look foolish, you’re not alone.

I get asked all the time: “How do I beat nerves before a presentation?”

And my answer is always the same. I don’t try to beat nerves.

I don’t think you can get rid of them completely, because we’re all human, right? If you care about doing a good job, especially in front of colleagues, clients, senior leaders or a room full of people, you’re probably going to feel something.

So this blog is not about pretending nerves don’t exist. It’s about how to support yourself really well while being nervous.

Whether you’re giving a team update, presenting to the board, speaking at a conference, taking part in a panel or doing your first proper work presentation, nerves do not have to take over. You can learn to work with them.

Quick answer: How do I calm my nerves before a presentation?

To calm your nerves before a presentation, stop trying to force yourself to feel completely calm. Instead, focus on three things.

First, notice the script in your head. If you’re telling yourself, “This will go horribly wrong” or “I’m going to look like an idiot”, that is not helping you. Catch that thought and change the script.

Second, visualise the presentation going well. Not just the moment you stand up to speak, but the whole run-up to it. Picture yourself arriving, getting settled, starting clearly and doing a decent job.

Third, practise your opening and ending. If you know how you’re going to begin and how you’re going to finish, you give yourself something solid to hold on to.

Then, when you’re in the room, smile, move and pause. Those three things can help you manage the physical feelings of nervousness while you’re presenting.

And afterwards? Give yourself time to recover and reflect on what went well, because that bit matters too.

Are nerves just excitement?

Some people say you should exchange the idea of being nervous for feeling excited.

And yes, that works for about a split second for me.

The feeling does not really go away just because I call it something else. So for me, the better question is not, “How do I get rid of presentation nerves?”

It is: “How do I handle them well?”

That is what this blog is all about.

How to help leaders talk about the things that matter in a way that sounds clear, confident and human

How to help leaders talk about the things that matter in a way that sounds clear, confident and human

Try this.

Go somewhere quiet where you won’t be overheard. Then, without using any notes, say out loud in two or three sentences what your organisation does and how it helps people.

Not the official version from the website.

Not the strategic narrative from the slide deck.

Just say it in your own words, like you would in a normal conversation.

How did you get on?

For many leaders, this is where things start to wobble. They know the work. They understand the strategy. They may believe in the purpose, the values and the direction of travel. But knowing something is not the same as being able to say it clearly.

But knowing something is not the same as being able to say it clearly.

That is the bit we often miss. Leaders are given the email, the slide deck, the briefing note or the official wording, then expected to go out and make the message land. Sometimes they are asked to do this before they have fully absorbed it themselves.

So when someone asks, “What does this actually mean?”, the answer can become too long, too vague or too full of corporate language.

And that matters.

Because leadership communication does not only happen in formal presentations. It happens in team meetings, one-to-ones, client conversations, supplier meetings, networking events and quick questions from colleagues who want to understand what is going on.

If a leader needs 15 minutes to explain what the organisation does, or has to reach for words that sound borrowed from a strategy document, the message loses energy.

People do not just need information. They need meaning.

They need to understand what matters, why it matters and what it has to do with them. They need to hear it from someone who sounds clear, confident and human.

This is not usually a knowledge problem.

It is a fluency problem.

How to host a meeting that will set you apart and progress your career

We delve into the art of hosting a meeting, a crucial skill that can significantly impact your career progression. We discuss the difference between just holding a meeting and truly hosting one, and explore various strategies to engage attendees, manage time effectively, and drive productive discussions. This guide will arm you with the tools you need to turn any meeting into a platform for meaningful communication and collaboration.

Town hall meeting

Is your town hall meeting in trouble?

Is your town hall meeting in trouble?

Why your town hall meeting might be turning people off.
You’ve got everyone in the business together. The slides are ready. The execs are lined up. You’re streaming to hundreds of screens. So why does it still feel like a bit of a flop?

Town halls should be a highlight – a chance to bring people together, share progress, spark ideas and build momentum. But too often, they miss the mark.

Instead of being energising, they’re predictable. Instead of creating a connection, they reinforce a divide. Instead of landing messages, they lose the room.

We’ve all been there. Cameras off, minds wandering. A speaker droning through 30 bullet points while you mentally reorganise your weekend. And if you’re the one organising it? It can be disheartening to watch the effort go nowhere.

Why presentation skills training isn’t always the answer

When someone in your team struggles to speak up or seems unsure of themselves, it’s tempting to reach for a quick solution: presentation skills training.

It’s neat. It’s available. And it feels like you’re taking action. But in many cases, it’s a veneer-thin fix.

Yes, presentation skills training can be great for learning how to structure a talk, use slides well or engage an audience.

But if the real problem runs deeper, it won’t help. In fact, it might do more harm than good.

Because more often than not, it’s not a skills issue. It’s about confidence. Or culture. Or the way people are heard – or not – in your organisation.

So let’s rethink what’s really going on.

Can you just say a few words?

Could you just say a few words please?
Ever been asked that, or had to ask it of someone else?
It’s for that moment in an office, when there’s a ‘leaving do’ – a team member is retiring, going on maternity leave, moving on to another department or a new job somewhere else – and it’s someone senior’s job to mark the occasion with a small speech-ette.
But it can fall a bit flat, can’t it? We’ve all witnessed it. The departing person feels unappreciated, the team are embarrassed. And you’ve missed an opportunity to communicate culture and to show how valuable your people actually are.
So let’s get on top of these moments as leaders, make the most of the chance to be visible and ultimately make them more meaningful.

Outperform and impress: 5 Meeting hosting hacks that will set you apart

We delve into the art of hosting a meeting, a crucial skill that can significantly impact your career progression. We discuss the difference between just holding a meeting and truly hosting one, and explore various strategies to engage attendees, manage time effectively, and drive productive discussions. This guide will arm you with the tools you need to turn any meeting into a platform for meaningful communication and collaboration.

How to speak in meetings with confidence and authority

How to speak in meetings with confidence and authority. Today, I want to discuss a significant problem: a challenge, particularly for women in meetings. I frequently hear this from the people I work with, as they discuss their actions (or lack of them) during meetings. They become bothered and reflect afterwards when things go wrong. Speaking up in meetings, and ensuring people listen to you are valuable skills to learn. Let’s dive into that today. I’m going to start with five points to cover. Let’s see how we go with those.

Slide-free presentations

Slide-free presentations: Kick the PowerPoint habit

Audiences crave a more engaging and interactive presentation experience. I recommend breaking free from over-dependency on PowerPoint to explore innovative ways to captivate your audience.

In this blog post, I’ll guide you through the process of embracing slide-free (or fewer slides) presentations, I hope it’ll give you some ideas to help kick the PowerPoint habit for good.

Want to nail your next presentation? Here’s why mindset matters

Let’s talk – Book a no-obligation discovery callWorkplace Confidence FREE Resources10 Reasons to work with Bit FamousGet your mindset right for a great presentation What I want to talk about today is a really important part of presenting or speaking or being in front of people, and that is preparation. Often we think of preparation as getting your slide deck sorted, …

mediocre speaker

Are you a great speaker or just good enough?

It can be tough to get honest feedback about your speaking skills, especially as you move up the career ladder. Colleagues might not know how to give constructive criticism, or they might not feel comfortable critiquing your speaking. That’s where professional coaches come in. They can help you take your speaking abilities to the next level.

Got an opinion? Share it

Got an opinion? Share it

I’ve got a bit of a challenge on with somebody. I’m trying to convince them that having an opinion and sharing it is a really good idea.

Now you might be in the camp of: “Oh, no way. I’m not sharing my personal opinions anywhere or with anyone because that’s the recipe for disaster. That’s the road to ruin.”

I, however, believe you absolutely must share your opinions and your experiences and your thinking about things so that people understand what you stand for, who you are, and where you’re coming from.

What’s the point of your story?

Here’s a bit of how-to for you when it comes to speaking and presenting. It’s an advanced idea for sharing information. Even if you can’t deploy it straight away, at least you’ll know the theory of it.