Improving Your Business Presentation Skills Overnight

It always amazes me how many people fret to a fright over giving a presentation to colleagues, customers, or even to a single client only to realize that their own negative self-talk and lack of preparation is their worst enemy.

I've learned after hundreds of presentations and public speeches that there are just two things you must do within 24 hours of your presentation to help make it a hit and give you the confidence you need to nail it.

1. You need to utilize positive self-talk to convince your subconscious that you will be successful. The subconscious does not know what is real and what isn't. If something comes out of your mouth it will believe it. This is why negative self-talk is so destructive to your career. Say the following sentences out loud before you go to sleep at night. "I am the best public speaker at my company. I am going to do an awesome job tomorrow. I am prepared and know my subject matter. I will communicate clearly and concisely and win my customers trust." By saying these sentences out loud at least 5 times each your subconscious will go to work on them and begin to believe they are true even if you don't consciously believe it or are nervous. You can use this trick on anything you are struggling with. My oldest son got himself into a batting slump for baseball and we practiced this for one week and what do you know? He was hitting triples and even a homerun in his next tournament.

2. Practice your presentation in front of the mirror. A lot of people do funny things to cope with their nerves during a speech that they don't notice but actually really take away from what they are saying. If you are playing with your hair, stuttering, or rustling paper, etc. no matter how important your message 50% of it will be lost due to your distracting behavior. If you practice in front of the mirror or even better have someone video tape your presentation you'll have the best feedback to realize what you need to improve.

These two things are not that time consuming but are the best ways to improve your presentation skills in no time flat and help you deliver an awesome presentation that you and your audience deserve.