It’s Friday 13th February.
If you’re superstitious, you might walk into today thinking, “This is going to go badly.” And of course your brain will work very hard to prove you right:
Spilled coffee? “See! It’s started.”
Tech glitch? “Knew it.”
Bus late? “Typical!”
Our brains are brilliant pattern-makers, and slightly dramatic storytellers!
Of course, the same thing happens with presentations. If you walk in thinking:
“I’m going to mess this up,”
“I always go blank,”
“They’re judging me,”
…your attention zooms in on every tiny wobble and ignores everything that’s going well. One missed word is considered “a disaster”, or one neutral face becomes “the room’s against me”.
But the great thing is that if you walk in thinking, “I’m prepared, I’m useful, I’ve got this,” your brain starts collecting evidence for that story instead.
It's the same room, the same slides, the same you. But a different story, a different experience and definitely a different impact.
So even if you don't think you're superstitious, if you're someone who expects your presentation to go badly, try choosing a better story before you walk into the room!
Mel Sherwood is a Presentation Skills and Personal Impact Speaker, Founder of The RED Effect® and Author of ‘The Authority Guide to Pitching Your Business: How to make an impact and be remembered - in under a minute!’ She works with global business leaders, teams and individuals who want to be more confident, credible and compelling in their communication. An Australian based in Scotland, Mel is an award-winning speaker, author and coach and combines over 25 years’ experience in business with a background as an actor, presenter and singer.