Darn Those Crazy Nerves!

Have you ever experienced one of those days where you really want to do something but your nerves are just acting up like crazy! Just about everyone can relate to this in some way. One of the most common causes of nerves that just fire up instantaneously is when you find yourself faced with having to present your network marketing opportunity.

Sometimes these nerves can fire up just before your presentation or when you accept the speaking engagement. No matter when this happens try to learn some good relaxation techniques that you can use anytime.

Some great ways to relax including learning how to relax your shoulders and by deep breathing. The minute you feel nervous your body starts to tighten up your shoulder muscles, and this can radiate into your neck and even result in a headache.

Learning how to breathe deeply can also keep you calm, this is a great technique to learn for lots of reasons, not just for public speaking. Even as you speak, when you can learn to control your breathing and speak more slowly your speech will come across extremely clearly.

It can also help a lot if you practice your presentation ahead of time. You may want to try it out in front of your family or even in front of a mirror. This way you can also make sure you don’t do things like wave your arms around too much.

While you don’t have to know your presentation by heart, you don’t want to have to rely on reading it word for word. When you do that your words often come across as strained and not natural.

One thing to bear in mind is that you are presenting on a topic that you are considered to be an expert on. Right away this should help to ally your fears; you do know what you are talking about after all.

Keep that in the back of your mind if your nerves start to rear their ugly head just before your presentation. Quite often, most presenters find that once they start presenting they forget about being nervous. They enjoy talking about a familiar topic and let their knowledge pour out.

It is perfectly possible to clear your fears and your nerves, remember you are in control – not your body. Take a deep breath in, relax your shoulders and welcome your audience to the presentation.

Darn Those Crazy Nerves!

Connecting with Your Audience

The most important tool a network marketing professional can acquire is to learn how to make a connection with their audience when presenting. Once you can do this successfully people are going to enjoy your speeches and return for more.

One of the best ways to create a connection with your audience is to speak from your heart. Don’t just try to memorize your speech, talk with feelings and allow your emotions come to the surface. When people see you are passionate about something they almost always connect with you. Often they have experienced something similar that brings their own feelings to the surface.

Another way to set the tone of your presentation is to pay attention to your opening. Very often you can capture your audience’s attention by giving them a startling fact or announcement.

Using stories is another compelling way to interact with your audience. If you use this angle you want to use a story that is true to you, and one that identifies with the topic you are talking about. If you are talking about your own journey on how you got to where you are today, you will have lots of stories to share.

One other great tactic is actually using tools like PowerPoint presentations, images, or other graphics. This could be in the form of a slide show, drawings on a white board or having a pin board full of photographs. This works really well if you allow your audience to come up on stage and view them before your speech. Plus it allows you to mingle and to introduce yourself at the same time.

Take all the above items into consideration and see if you can use one or more of them in your next company presentation. Whatever you do stay true to yourself, don’t make up stories. If you don’t have one to share, you could always use stories from successful people in your company.

The most powerful tool you have to connect with your audience is simply to use your voice and your body language. When you speak, speak with authority and confidence. Walk the stage and make eye contact with your audience and don’t forget the power of visual aids.

Remember that once you have learned the skill of connecting with your audience, you enrollments will likely increase. You will probably even get requested to present more than you thought possible.

Connecting with Your Audience

Are You Really Standing Alone?

One of the most important aspects of network marketing is speaking to an audience. But, most people have a major phobia to standing in front of a group of people, and this limits their MLM growth potential. Did you know that you are not alone when it comes to having a fear of public speaking? In fact there are a couple of psychological reasons why this is a very natural fear.

1. You are standing alone

2. You are facing a crowd of unknown people

3. Your back is open

4. You have no weapons

These fears date back years and can even be compared to hunters, instead of facing people they are facing animals and the fear of what that animal may do.

If you take those four factors into consideration you can easily see why fear raises its ugly head. It is a natural response that is hardwired into us as people.

Now, your concern is to simply overcome these fears. One of the first things to remember is that you are not truly alone. You may feel alone up there on that stage, but your audience is there because they want to hear what you have to say. So this actually puts two of these fears to bed quickly. Yes your back is open but this is nothing to be concerned about and this leads us into weapons. While you don’t have any weapons as we know them, what you do have is tools.

Your tools include both physical aids such as a stick, slides, whiteboards and any other aids that help you with your presentation. Then you have your arms and your body that you could use as tools.

Eye contact is extremely powerful and just making eye contact with someone who is being loud or disruptive can quickly quieten them down. You can use your arms and hands to point out things to your audience. Your body speaks volumes as well and the way you walk and carry yourself will send a message to your audience. You can easily carry an air of confidence or an air or nervousness about you.

So as you can see you are not really going to be alone on stage when you deliver your speech. No one in the audience is out there to see you fail, they are all pulling for you to succeed.

Use these tools to your benefit by using them to gain confidence. Quite often just holding a pointer to draw attention to your slides can make you feel more comfortable.

Remember, like most people, once you actually start talking your fears may simply disappears. It is the anticipation that builds the fear more than the act of speaking.

Are You Really Standing Alone?