Steal the Show Without Stealing the Spotlight: Presentation Skills that Actually Work

Build confidence, engage your audience, and turn presentation nerves into an opportunity to connect.

The stage is set. The audience has taken their seats and you’re waiting for the curtains to be drawn. The anticipation is building and finally, it arrives!  You’re nervous but jump to the spotlight in front of the crowd ready to give the performance of a lifetime…

…at least, that’s how it feels before you give a big presentation or facilitate a course. A big part of the reason accountants and others get nervous before these events is because we often view getting up in front of others as performance art versus interacting and engaging with participants.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t have some nerves before you step in front of a room. I’m a former television news professional with close to 25 years of experience getting up in front of a crowd. I STILL get nervous. The goal isn’t to eliminate the nerves, we want to channel them. I’ll give you some ways to get some pre-session wins and go over how to address challenges in the presentation environment so you can turn anxiety into your opening act.

Know Your First 90 Seconds Cold

You will be the most nervous at the beginning of the presentation. So, it makes sense the more wins you can build early in the presentation, the more your confidence will grow. One of the easiest ways you can build confidence is to have your first 90-seconds down pat. Now, I want to be clear. This does NOT mean have it memorized. Practice it until it feels conversational. One of the things I do is walk around my office and recite it out loud. Yes, your pets my look at you oddly, but it’s a way to become more comfortable. Once you present that 90 seconds in the room, the momentum carries you the rest of the way. Think of it as an airport runway. Once you’re off the ground, you’re cruising. You just need to get off the ground.

Arrive Early and Own the Space

For another win, there’s a secret move facilitators have in their back pocket. Get to the room before anyone else does. Arrange chairs the way you want them. Test the pesky technology and move in the space so the room feels like a home game with the conference championship on the line. That familiarity is a nervousness killer.

Have One Anchor Question Ready

When I teach presentation courses, one of the things I always tell participants is to use pauses to not let your mouth run miles ahead of your brain. Another tool besides the pause is to make sure you have an anchor question ready. What’s an anchor question? I’m glad you asked! It’s a question you prepare in advance to throw to the group when you need a moment to breath or re-center. It shifts the energy from you to the participants. It doesn’t have to be a complicated question. A simple question like, “before we go further, what’s one thing you hope to take away today?” can help you buy thirty seconds to collect yourself.

Addressing What Goes Wrong in the Room

Over the years, I’ve seen a number of presenters and facilitators get thrown off their game by challenges. Even with preparation, challenges show up. Here are three of the most common ones and how to handle them.

The low-energy room.

You start the presentation with a grandiose opening. You’re starting to feel yourself and the participants respond with…silence . Presenters who don’t have a lot of experience want to jump in and fill the gap. Resist the urge to do so. Ask a question, break participants into pairs or call one someone with a  low-stakes prompt. Energy is infectious and works in both directions. You have more influence over the room’s temperature than you think.

Losing your place

I can’t count the amount of times during every presentation or course that I’ve lost my place or train of thought. But you know what? The audience doesn’t know that. It’s because I take pauses and glance at my notes when necessary. This happens to everyone and the worst thing you can do is apologize or panic. Your audience will be forgiving of a brief reset.

The expert in the room

This is one that all of us accountants deal with at one point or another. We may not be the most knowledgeable person in the room. You know what? That’s perfectly okay! Reframe your thinking before you enter the room. Your job isn’t to be the smartest person, it’s to be the most prepared to lead the room on a journey. Think of yourself as a television host and lean into leveraging other’s experiences to engage the audience.

You’ve done the preparation, you got the tools, but how should you handle the hours right before you walk in?

The Day-Of Reset

What really helps me the day of a presentation is arrive at the training room an hour before and take that time to myself. I’ll listen to music, breath, or just sit with my thoughts during that time. It helps me center myself for the day ahead. Find what works for you. Whether it’s a short walk, standing in a power pose, or reframing your mindset. One thing NOT to do is over prepare as that only increases nervousness and anxiety.

You Don’t Need to Be Perfect

Presenters who connect most with the audiences aren’t the ones who give an Oscar-worthy performance. They’re the ones who show up prepared, can adapt and remember the session isn’t about them to begin with. The key is remembering the steps addressed in this blog to channel your nerves and trust your preparation.

The curtain is up. You’re ready