As a professional in public relations and a coach specializing in etiquette and professional soft skills development, I have given numerous speeches, hosted meetings, and conducted workshops and lectures. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with diverse cultures across the globe, presenting to audiences ranging from corporate leaders to educational influencers. Through these experiences, I’ve learned that while each presentation is unique, the foundation for building your ability and confidence to present to others is contingent on your belief that you are, in fact, a good presenter. Confidence is key.

If you are on a journey toward building your presentation skills, there are many tips and tricks available on what to wear, how to dress, and how to manage situations effectively. These are all valuable tips that I use myself and with my clients, and I offer many professional and corporate workshops on these topics. However, the key to unlocking true confidence comes from a deeper place. It starts with how well you know yourself and the steps you take to support yourself on your journey to becoming the presenter you aspire to be.

The Connection Between Confidence and Self-Awareness

As a personal branding expert and career coach, I often emphasize soft skills like time management, preparedness, and body language. While these are crucial, if you aim to be an effective presenter and neglect the development of self-awareness, you may miss an essential tool. Self-awareness involves understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and emotions, which are critical for managing yourself while presenting.

Self-awareness helps you recognize your material, understand your audience’s expectations, and be aware of your emotional state and how you handle various situations. This deep self-awareness not only provides a roadmap for understanding your strengths and areas for improvement but also builds your identity and sense of self in both personal and professional realms.

Truly reflecting on who you are and who you want to be, and being honest with yourself about where you are and what you need to do to reach your goals, will make you feel like an active participant in your journey to success. This connection with yourself will elevate superficial affirmations like “I am a good presenter” to actionable confidence: “I have done everything it takes to present this topic well today, and I know I will learn and grow from this experience.”

Preparedness: The Backbone of Confidence

Preparedness is invaluable for supporting your psyche and positioning yourself as an authority on your topic. To feel confident, you must prepare thoroughly. When you are aware that preparation is key to confidence, you will ‘oil’ your confidence machine by ensuring you know your material inside out.

Feeling nervous before a presentation is completely normal. However, with self-awareness, nervousness transforms from an unwanted feeling that feeds insecurities into a powerful tool for self-reflection. When nervousness arises, your deep understanding of your content will help you rationalize your feelings. This reduces time spent on negative thoughts that can cause you to spiral into fast speech, sweating, and fidgeting, and allows you to step into the mindset of presenting with confidence.

Practical Tips and Self-Awareness

I offer many videos and options for teaching tools that cover presentation preparedness, including tips on attire, posture, and communication. These tips are invaluable and will support your journey in developing your presenting skills. However, if presenting makes you extremely nervous and you struggle to connect with these tips, I encourage you to focus on the foundation of self-awareness first.

Understand yourself: know your strengths and weaknesses, reflect on your past achievements, and recognize how far you’ve come. Identify your wins and skills gaps, and create a path rooted in your goals and personal values. This self-awareness will connect you to your journey of becoming an amazing presenter, help you rationalize your fears, and transform you into the confident presenter you always wanted to be.