| Record Yourself Practicing Ahead of Your Next Presentation. During a big presentation, people will be paying close attention to what you say and how you say it. You may feel unsure of yourself, but the key to projecting confidence is to practice. Recording yourself can be especially effective. Let's say you have a tendency to use filler words like um, ah, and you know. Use your smartphone to record yourself practicing. Then play it back, and make a list of the filler words you use most. Write them down, and practice again. When you catch yourself about to use one, aim for silence instead. Speaking of silence, don't be afraid to take time to pause during your delivery. It gives the audience a break between thoughts and can make your words more memorable. Lastly, vary the pace of your presentation. Slow down and speed up to accentuate your most important points, letting your story guide the pace. Remember, it's the rare presenter who's mastered all of these skills, but all it requires is taking your time and practicing until you get it right. | | | | Today’s Tip | | Record Yourself Practicing Ahead of Your Next Presentation | | During a big presentation, people will be paying close attention to what you say and how you say it. You may feel unsure of yourself, but the key to projecting confidence is to practice. Recording yourself can be especially effective. Let's say you have a tendency to use filler words like um, ah, and you know. Use your smartphone to record yourself practicing. Then play it back, and make a list of the filler words you use most. Write them down, and practice again. When you catch yourself about to use one, aim for silence instead. Speaking of silence, don't be afraid to take time to pause during your delivery. It gives the audience a break between thoughts and can make your words more memorable. Lastly, vary the pace of your presentation. Slow down and speed up to accentuate your most important points, letting your story guide the pace. Remember, it's the rare presenter who's mastered all of these skills, but all it requires is taking your time and practicing until you get it right. | | This tip is adapted from “How to Look and Sound Confident During a Presentation,” by Carmine Gallo | | |  | | Don’t miss a single article. | | Unlimited access to digital articles, the Magazine Archive, and HBR’s 50 best-selling articles — yours with a subscription. | | | | |  | | Newsletter | | The Big Idea | | A deep dive into the most pressing topics facing businesses today. | | | | | | | | | | | |
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