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Blog Post

23
AUG
2011

About Those Nerves…

by : Paul du Toit
comment : Comments

So often when I chat to someone before they attend presentation training, I get told something seemingly unique to that one person:

“You know what my problem is? I just feel so nervous and intimidated, especially when I’m talking to senior people.”

Well this may sound a bit odd to you, because I’ve been teaching presentation skills for years, and now speak professionally. But I used to get so nervous, I would get a choking feeling, my voice used to tremble and I would feel ill before having to speak or do a presentation to an audience. So what changed? Mainly two things.

First, I discovered that most people in the audience have not come to listen to me make a fool of myself, they’ve come to hear me succeed. Their time is too precious to spend listening to a dud.

The second thing that changed for me was I just got up and started doing it, and the more I did it, the better I got. Sounds like stupidity, but perhaps it’s plain common sense. But certainly something to think about long and hard. Because, as I’ve discovered, the secrets we keep best from ourselves are not really secrets at all.

And, oh yes! The bit about senior people? I’ve discovered they also usually have just the same number of fingers, toes, chins, heads and knees as the rest of us. Now who would have thought…

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Paul du Toit

Paul du Toit

Managing Director at Congruence Training (Pty) Ltd
A certified Speaking Professional, Paul du Toit is a presentation skills coach, the author of “You Can Present With Confidence” and co-author of “The Exceptional Speaker”. He is a founder member and past president of the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa, and an early recipient of their Founders Award for service to the speaking industry. He is the MD of Congruence Training specialising in presentation and speaking skills. See upcoming open workshops London www.pauldutoit.co.uk | Johannesburg www.presentationskills.co.za
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