Have you ever dreaded an upcoming presentation, meeting or function because you just knew that the group would be hostile? Maybe you had heard that these people are very critical, even aggressive.
*How can you prepare for such a situation even though you would prefer to disappear into thin air.*
1 Use Adversity To Make You Stronger
Very often we make our greatest breakthroughs in the face of huge challenges. We improve our performance overnight because we absolutely have to so as to avoid dire consequences. It might even be a case of get this result now or lose your job.
Knowing that you will be facing a hostile crowd, why not decide now to prepare for the presentation better than you have ever done before. Decide that you will absolutely take charge of the situation and then devise a plan to make sure you will be awesome when the pressure is on.
Work on the content of your presentation, your delivery, and especially on how you will interact with a difficult audience. Anticipate heckling, negative responses and resistance. Then decide before the event how you will deal with it. Devise answers and responses for stupid questions and boorish behavior.
All too often we do a little preparation before a big event and then just hope that it will all turn out right. If professional sportspeople approached their work like that sport would not even be worth watching. If all those famous singers, dancers and comedians did not constantly work on their skills BEFORE a performance then you would never have heard of them.
Giving a presentation takes very little time, and it is the tip of the iceberg, an iceberg that you sculpt in the days before the event.
Think for a moment about how much time you spend in preparation for a speech, a job interview or a meeting. Now DOUBLE the time you normally invest in yourself. Spend time on becoming excellent instead of just aiming to be good.
Use the force against you to become stronger - turn the threat into an opportunity. The stronger the breeze, the stronger the trees.
2 State Management
To perform well when the crowd is openly hostile it is critical to be able to maintain your composure. You will need to be cool under pressure despite the negativity that you see and hear in front of you. If you need a magic wand then anchoring is the answer.
Anchoring is the single most effective way of taking charge of your emotional state. With an anchor you can change how you feel in an instant, I devote an entire chapter to it in my e-book because it is such an important skill to master.
Consider for a moment - *if you could feel any way you wanted to, how would you like to feel in the face of hostility*
Write down the various answers that come to mind. Maybe you would like to feel confident, powerful, energetic, or even courageous.
Now, refer to my chapter on anchoring if you need a reminder, then set up an anchor for those resourceful feelings that you will need in the heat of the moment when the pressure is on.
Then later on when you are speaking, whenever you need to, you can fire your anchor and instantly go from feeling overwhelmed to feeling confident and strong.
By the way, if you have never used anchoring you are in for a mind blowing experience.
3 Disaster Planning
The final stage is to run through worst case scenarios for your upcoming presentation. Think about what could go wrong, what might go wrong, and even, what is unlikely to happen that would be catastrophic if it did happen.
Then work out a plan to deal as best you can with each scenario. Until you have completed this stage you are not ready to face the crowd.
By the way, you are the best person to devise your strategy because your approach must fit with your personality and presentation style. Make sure you feel happy with your plan before you decide to implement it, otherwise on the big day you could well end up getting stuck. Not knowing what to do, you could just end up feeling confused.
The presentation itself is the tip of the iceberg - be sure you sculpt a fine iceberg that will not melt under the spotlight.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. This report reveals the secret strategies all high achievers use to communicate with charm and impact. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.howtotalkwithconfidence.com/report.htm
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..Who can control a smile sneaking across your face as... Read More
In talking with a coaching client recently, she made a... Read More
The other evening, I was meticulously assembling and painting one... Read More
Need a way to make your life a better place... Read More
In my years as a psychologist, I have come to... Read More
Every emotion, wether we classify it as good or bad,... Read More
Ever had one of those mothers, or grandmothers, who would... Read More
I've had several coaching clients come to me who, while... Read More
Look at this glass on the table in front of... Read More
Do you ever find yourself thinking, "Life has taught me... Read More
You already have all the resources you need to accomplish... Read More
Failure is my favorite subject. For I have spent my... Read More
Music is very powerful. The kind of music you listen... Read More
Your ability to forgive those who have hurt you in... Read More
I don't know about you, but for me, the technological... Read More
I have studied the idea of changing thoughts to create... Read More
When you look at your future in terms of your... Read More
There are times that we encounter fearful thoughts that can... Read More
Recently, a lady came to see me and she had... Read More
Have you ever considered that you may be subconsciously sabotaging... Read More
The way to define your personality is to refine your... Read More
Apart form the Emotions and the attitude, Anger is a... Read More
I just heard the story of a man who hired... Read More
WE ARE ALL THINKING ALL OF THE TIME.Can you believe... Read More
As we enter this holiday season, and this time of... Read More
residential cleaning services Deerfield ..I Hear Voices?This is not a statement of paranormal; it... Read More
No matter how positive a person we are overall, there... Read More
Getting motivated is sometimes easy enough to do, at least... Read More
When we were children, we were fearless. We would stick... Read More
I have studied the idea of changing thoughts to create... Read More
The infamous "glass ceiling" is blamed for business issues for... Read More
Decades ago, I saw a metaphysical movie that wonderfully illustrates... Read More
Are you the kind of person who dwells on your... Read More
The easiest, most exciting adventure in consciousness follows the lamplit... Read More
Every day that I eat EnergyRich? Food, I get almost... Read More
Do you realize that what we believe about ourselves, affects... Read More
People with negative attitudes may wonder why they never achieve... Read More
In my work as a professional coach, I've had the... Read More
"For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is... Read More
Whether it's the other kids making fun of you at... Read More
This is the age of the Quick Fix - the... Read More
I need your help. I did a good deed recently,... Read More
Are you aware of your inner dialogue? If not, you... Read More
Facing a change and want to make it work for... Read More
Resentment isn't a spectacular emotion, but it is long-lasting and... Read More
Q: I seem to beat myself before I ever get... Read More
"Adventure isn't hanging on a rope off the side... Read More
Being a mom can take a toll on your body,... Read More
What do you do when things in your life don't... Read More
One of my class fellows was really tensed, when asked... Read More
Positive Attitude Tips |