10 Practical Ways to Help a Nervous Presenter Speak with Confidence

If you’re a nervous presenter, there’s one thing you can be certain of: you are not alone.

Public speaking anxiety is like a tax notice; it reaches all of us sooner or later. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what you do; eventually, it shows up at your door. For some, the knock is loud and frequent. For others, it’s just an occasional tap, but almost everyone hears it at some point.

There are countless books and articles offering advice to help the nervous presenter. Many of them are useful, but for the person experiencing the anxiety, the issue feels far bigger than a few quick tips. Telling someone to “just breathe” or “just practice” may be well-intentioned, but it rarely solves the problem.

There is no magic cure

If there were, the psychologists and communication specialists who’ve studied this for decades would have found it by now.

I once heard someone say, “We all get butterflies in our stomach when we present. The trick is to get them flying in formation.” That’s exactly what these strategies are designed to help you do.

With time, commitment, and practice, you can quiet the knock on the door and step into the room with far more confidence and have your butterflies flying in formation.

Here are ten practical ways to begin

1. Improvise

Before you sign up for a public speaking course, try an improvisation class.

In a safe, playful environment, a good teacher will guide you through exercises that help you:

– Stay present instead of overplanning

– Lighten up and stop taking yourself so seriously

– Build confidence through spontaneity

– Become more creative and expressive

Improvisation helps you trust yourself, a strong antidote for nerves.

 2. Try TED

TED is a free global classroom for public speaking.

The best TED Talks show you how to:

– Open and close with impact

– Speak mindfully without filler words

– Connect emotionally

– Use body language effectively

– Interact with an audience

– Project confidence

For nervous presenters, TED is like an open university of communication; it’s inspiring, accessible, and endlessly instructive.

3. Start as You Mean to Go On

We hear the same thing in almost every workshop: “The first two minutes are the worst, but once I get going, I’m fine.”

This is normal, even for seasoned speakers. The solution is simple: Practice your opening line until you know it inside out.

Once you deliver it, your breathing shifts, your body relaxes, and you find your rhythm.

A well-rehearsed opening will:

– Boost your confidence

– Capture attention immediately

– Shift your focus from yourself to your audience

– Set the tone for everything that follows

4. Dress for Success

When you feel good in what you’re wearing, you’re far less self-conscious.

Take time to get it right:

– Wear something comfortable that makes you feel confident

– Avoid anything restrictive

– Keep it simple, no distracting accessories

– Don’t wear brand‑new clothes on the day

Practice in the exact outfit you’ll wear; it makes a difference.

5. Learn to Love the Sound of Your Own Voice

Most of us speak on autopilot. We rarely pay attention to how we sound.

Your voice is a muscle that gets stronger with use.

Try:

– Vocal warm-ups

– Recording and listening to yourself

– Slowing down and pausing

– Playing with pitch, tone, volume, and pace

The more familiar you are with your voice, the more control you gain over it.

6. Phone a Friend

Once you’ve prepared your presentation, talk it through with a friend.

Not as a performance, just a conversation.

Explain your ideas, how you see things, and how you want your audience to feel. You’ll quickly notice the difference between how naturally you speak in conversation and how stiff you may sound when “presenting.”

Aim to bring more of the conversational you to the stage:

– Don’t read to your audience

– Involve them

– Make eye contact

– Smile

– Drop the jargon

7. Challenge Your Beliefs

A belief is just a thought you’ve repeated enough times that it feels true.

Write down everything that worries you:

– “I’ll forget my speech.”

– “They won’t like me.”

– “I’ll embarrass myself.”

– “I might freeze.”

Then write down the worst possible outcome, asking yourself: How likely is that, really?

Most fears collapse under scrutiny, but they only change when you challenge them repeatedly.

8. Don’t Just Wait — Do Something Different

Nervous presenters often worry long before they stand up to speak.

Break the cycle by grounding yourself in the present:

– Listen to music

– Count backwards

– Focus on your breathing

– Press your hands against a wall

– Tense and relax your muscles

– Try tongue twisters

Anything that shifts your attention from fear to the moment helps.]

9. Create a Clear Path

Nerves often come from uncertainty, either too little structure or too much.

Create a simple, memorable path for yourself and your audience.

Use the ARMED framework:

Attention
Start by capturing their interest immediately.

Relevant
Share only what matters to them.

Message
Make your point early, don’t save it for the end.

Examples
Bring your message to life with clear, relatable examples.

Do
Tell them exactly what you want them to do next.

A clear path reduces anxiety and increases impact.

10. Choose a Number

Imagine confidence on a scale from 1 to 10.

1 = no confidence
10 = invincible

Aim to be an 8.

Practice your presentation while holding that number in mind and bring it to life through the way you:

Look

Sound

Speak

Think

Feel

Move

Confidence is a behaviour long before it becomes a feeling.

If you are a nervous presenter and need support:

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

Image: Courtesy of canva.com