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Why do we often find it so hard to feel authentic during a presentation? Why do we fear coming across as unconvincing? And how can we ensure our behavior, voice, and body language align with our content and messages? You'll find the answers in this article.
If you get nervous before presentations, feel unprepared, and are plagued by self-doubt—in short, if you suffer from classic stage fright - you’re definitely not alone. In my profession, I regularly stand before audiences, give talks, and love reaching people even from the big stage. Yet, I still feel stage fright every time. And that’s a good thing. It’s real. It’s authentic.
Speaking engagements are situations where we are evaluated. The risk of damaging our image is indeed higher on stage or before an audience than in a one-on-one conversation. A slip of the tongue, an unexpected interruption, or a disturbance seems much more dramatic in front of an audience than over a coffee with colleagues. To minimize this risk, we try to present our best selves - a perfect version of ourselves that doesn’t actually exist. The success of a speech doesn’t depend directly on the perfect use of gestures, avoiding filler words, or the ability to suppress stage fright.
The success of a speech depends on how willing we are to convey our inner values, interests, and messages outwardly. Honestly, authentically, and genuinely.
Two crucial questions
Before a speaking engagement, we should ask ourselves two questions:
Why do I want to talk about this particular topic?
Why do I want to be the one talking about this particular topic?
The first question helps us decide what we want to achieve with our speech. Where do we want to take our audience? What should they be able to do, know, or feel after our presentation? From this, we develop our speech goal and focus. The choice of presentation slides and media, the content, and our demeanor—all of it should serve to achieve our speech goal.
The second question clarifies our own role. Why am I the one standing before the audience speaking about this topic? What makes me an expert? It’s not about having the most knowledge or the longest experience, but about offering a unique, personal perspective. After all, we can passionately talk about our last vacation without being tourism experts for that country.
If we want to be memorable not just for our content, but for how our core message is highlighted through our entire presentation—our voice, body language, and the use of presentation media—we need to honestly express how we feel about our topic. Only then are we authentic. Only then are we real.
A few practical tips for your authentic presentation:
Preparation is key: Become an expert in your topic, prepare your presentation well, but remain flexible to handle the unexpected.
Tell personal stories: Stories from your own life make you and your presentation more relatable and help your audience build a personal connection with you.
Be yourself: Don’t try to imitate someone else with your demeanor, voice, or body language. Learn to accept and love your quirks and individuality; your audience will too.
Build a relationship with your audience: Ask questions, actively engage your audience, and respond to (non-verbal) feedback. Show your listeners through direct eye contact that you are genuinely interested and not just delivering a monologue.
Use visual aids wisely: Support from presentation media is good, but they shouldn’t distract from you and your message. You are the most important medium!
Summary
Presenting authentically means being honest and openly communicating your inner values and interests. Before your speech, always ask yourself: “Why do I want to talk about this topic?” and “Why do I want to be the one talking about this topic?”. Prepare well, tell personal stories, and build a real relationship with your audience. Your individuality and uniqueness are far more important than visual aids and presentation media.
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Do you have tips that help you present authentically? Share your experiences in the comments - I look forward to the exchange.
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