Confidence is a big part of public speaking, and it's probably the trickiest bit for new speakers to nail down. If you're nervous about the next big presentation, try these 12 tips to create (the perception, at the very least!) of confidence:
When things get really bad, you can draw a perverse comfort from this truth: The fear never goes away. I have been speaking professionally for nearly 10 years now, and I am always nervous before a presentation. It's normal, it's natural and it's even necessary. If you're not the slightest bit apprehensive, it probably means you aren't taking it seriously enough. There's nothing wrong with a smidgeon of nervousness.
The good news is that the more often you speak in public, the less the fear afflicts you. But it will always be there, and so we can simply accept it as normal. Feel the fear... and do it anyway!