Delivering on the day

Fear is energy

If you’re feeling nervous (or terrified), that’s normal. It may help to reframe those feelings as energy you can use to help you deliver a great talk. Take those nerves and turn them into heel bounces or jumping jacks or whatever else works for you.

Find your space

Make use of any opportunity to see the room and stage you will be on. Familiarise yourself with the location, the size, the layout, and imagine what it will be like when you’re up there.

Watch other speakers

Seeing other people on stage, and how the audience is reacting, is a great way to understand how supportive your crowd will be. They want you to be good! It’s also helpful to hear if there are recurrent themes or ideas being presented, in case you can link them into your own talk.

Connect with the helpers

Find the people who are there to help you deliver. That might include the person who will be introducing you, the person handling tech needs, and the event organiser. Let them know you are around, and ask how you can make the transition between speakers more smooth for them.

Test everything that’s testable

Are your slides loaded and correct? Is your clicker working? Is your microphone setup correctly? Have you got your pants on?

Have some water

You might find that a desert manifests itself in your mouth just as your talk is due to start. Be ready.

Breath

Some slow, deep breaths can help calm nerves, and make sure you’re not gasping for air as you start.

Watch your posture

Practice standing up straight - you will feel better, and look more confident.

Find friendly faces

On stage, you might find it helps to see some friendly faces in the crowd. Or you might find it easier to look around the crowd, but slightly over their heads so you’re not getting direct eye contact. Know what works for you.

You will get it done

If you’re prepared, rehearsed, and otherwise put the time in, you will do well. Trust that preparation. Typically, once you get into your first few lines, all that practice will come back to you.