SBTMHow to stay calm and present well
A racing heart and a shaky voice before a presentation are natural reactions that everyone has. Instead of trying to remove the nerves completely, prepare in a way that makes it okay to be nervous, and it gets much easier. Here are things you can use from today.
1. The more you prepare, the less you shake
- Memorize your first sentence. When the start goes smoothly, the nerves often ease. Don't try to memorize everything; just get the first and the last sentence into your mouth.
- Use keyword cards instead of a script. If you memorize sentences and lose one line, everything falls apart; with keywords, a lost one just leads to the next.
- Practice out loud three times. Reading with your eyes and speaking with your mouth are different. Once to get through even with mistakes, once fixing only the stuck spots, once with a timer.
2. Calm your body first
- Breathe out slowly. Before you start, focus on a long, slow exhale rather than a deep inhale.
- Pause for 1-2 seconds before your first sentence and look around the room. Not rushing makes you look relaxed.
- If your hands shake, keep them lightly at waist height or hold your keyword cards.
- Before you speak, take a sip of water and arrive early to check the microphone and screen.
3. When you make a mistake
- If you get stuck, pause. One or two seconds of silence is not awkward for the audience. Replacing "um" with a pause actually makes you sound clearer.
- If you lose a line, move on to the next keyword. The audience doesn't know what you prepared. You don't have to apologize for what you skipped.
- If you say a wrong word, just keep going. Most of the audience won't even notice.
4. Look at the nerves differently
Nerves are also a sign that your body is getting ready for an important moment. Instead of "I am shaking," try telling yourself "my body is getting ready." And most of your audience is people who want you to do well.
Real practice is the best practice
Practicing alone helps, but actually doing it in front of people reduces the nerves the most. Once you have done it, the next time is much less scary. The problem is that there are few places where you can fail safely.
SBTM is a place where any mistake is okay. It's fine if you get stuck, run short, or your voice shakes. After your speech, an evaluator tells you what worked and one thing to try next time, and the other members help with applause and encouragement. Everyone here was nervous at first.
Knock on SBTM's door
- You are welcome to just watch at first. Come and see the atmosphere.
- Start with the 1-minute self-introduction in the guest introduction. It is the lightest first real practice.
- When you are ready, try Table Topics or a first speech (the Ice Breaker).
- We meet on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month, 4-6 PM, in Seocho-gu, Seoul (Donbuneun Ajit, 3rd floor) and on Zoom. Check "Upcoming meetings" on the home page for dates.
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