10 Presentation Tips for People Who Hate Presenting

The Bad News and the Good News

Bad news: Presentation nerves never fully go away. Even experienced speakers feel them.

Good news: Nerves aren't the problem — lack of preparation is. When you know your material inside out and have practiced your delivery, nervous energy becomes performance energy.

Here are 10 practical tips that actually work — no pseudo-psychology, no "power poses."

1. Structure Your Talk in Threes

The human brain loves groups of three. Structure every presentation around three key messages. Not two (feels incomplete). Not five (too many to remember).

Template:

"Today I want to share three things: [point 1], [point 2], and [point 3]."

Even a 45-minute presentation should orbit around three core ideas with supporting material.

2. Write Your Opening Line Word-for-Word

The first 30 seconds are when your nerves peak. Don't leave your opening to chance — script it exactly and practice it until it's automatic.

This isn't memorizing your whole talk — just the opener. Once you're through those first 30 seconds, muscle memory kicks in and anxiety drops.

Strong openers:

• A surprising statistic: "38% of people rank public speaking as a bigger fear than death."
• A question: "When was the last time a presentation actually changed your mind?"
• A brief story: "Last Tuesday, I watched a junior developer present to our CEO — and completely change our product strategy."

3. Practice Out Loud, Not in Your Head

Reading through your slides silently is not practice. Your mouth, your breathing, and your voice need practice too. The gap between thinking an answer and speaking it fluently is enormous.

Record yourself on your phone. You'll immediately hear:

• Where you ramble
• Where you use filler words ("um," "so," "basically")
• Where your energy drops
• Which transitions feel awkward

4. Own the First 3 Slides

If you know the first 3 slides cold, you'll build momentum. Most presentation disasters happen in the first 2 minutes — after that, you're in flow.

Spend 50% of your practice time on the opening and 50% on everything else.

5. Use Speaker Notes, Not a Script

Bullet points in your speaker notes > full sentences. A script makes you read verbatim (which sounds robotic) or lose your place (which causes panic).

Good speaker notes look like:

• Key stat: 73% of managers say...
• Transition: "But here's what surprised us..."
• Story: Client X, April last year, saved $50k

Stage Fright Pro generates speaker notes for each slide with key points, transitions, and timing guidance.

6. Prepare for Questions (Most Anxiety Lives Here)

The presentation itself is predictable — you control the content. Q&A is where anxiety spikes because you can't predict every question.

Preparation strategy:

1. List the 5 hardest questions someone could ask
2. Prepare 30-second answers for each
3. Practice saying "That's a great question — let me think about that" as a buffer when caught off-guard (it's not a weakness, it's professionalism)

7. Reduce Slide Density

More words on a slide = more you feel you need to "get through."

Rule of thumb: Maximum 15 words per slide. If you need more, split it into two slides.

Slides are a visual aid, not your teleprompter.

8. Arrive Early and Own the Space

If presenting in person, get into the room 15 minutes early. Stand where you'll present. Test the tech. This makes the space feel like yours, not theirs.

For virtual presentations, join 5 minutes early, test your screen share, and check your audio. Technical glitches in the first minute amplify nerves.

9. Accept Imperfection

You will say "um." You will skip a point. You might lose your thread momentarily. None of this matters to the audience — they don't have your script. They don't know what you planned to say.

The audience rates your confidence and clarity, not your word-perfect delivery.

10. Practice With an Audience That Pushes Back

Friends will nod and say "great job." That's nice but not useful. You need practice with someone who:

• Interrupts with questions mid-flow
• Looks confused (so you learn to read the room)
• Asks the awkward follow-up question
• Gives honest feedback on pace, clarity, and filler words

That's exactly what Stage Fright Pro's presentation mode does — AI personas that act like real audience members, complete with interruptions and tough Q&A.

Your Pre-Presentation Checklist

• ⬜3 key messages identified
• ⬜Opening line scripted and practiced
• ⬜First 3 slides memorized
• ⬜Speaker notes as bullet points (not script)
• ⬜5 tough questions prepared for
• ⬜Practiced out loud at least 3 times
• ⬜Tech tested (screen share, audio, slides)
• ⬜Water nearby

Practice your presentation with AI audience members that interrupt, question, and challenge — just like the real thing. Start free →