Giving a presentation is a performance, so why don't more of us prepare for them as an actor would?

As both a trained actor and experienced communications-skills coach, Tessa Morton is often struck by the similarities between appearing on stage and giving a business presentation.

You don't have to have spent years treading the boards to know about performance anxiety - pitching to a new client, appearing at a conference or even just going to an important business meeting can be a daunting experience. Stage fright can afflict the most experienced of thespians, so there is no shame in getting nervous, losing your composure or forgetting your lines when you're in front of a critical audience - it's just that "sorry luvvie, I've dried!" doesn't really cut it with most prospective clients.

You might be the epitome of confidence and control in the office, and the life and soul of the party down the pub, but lose it completely when you're under the spotlight in an important business situation. What is it that can reduce a swaggering master of the universe into a wooden, inarticulate stiff with all the personality and charisma of a shop dummy?

The answer, of course, is fear. Public speaking forces us to confront some fundamental, deep-seated anxieties, including fear of failure, fear of humiliation and fear of rejection. When we get scared, our adrenalin levels go up, causing the 'fight or flight' reaction that is responsible for many of the physical symptoms we experience when nervous, such as a racing pulse, sweating or a short temper. This all might be very useful if you're getting attacked by a sabre-tooth tiger, but can be counter-productive when you're trying to pitch your latest software solution to a multinational corporation.

The adrenalin jolt you get at the start of a presentation has been compared to the effects of a minor car crash. Nervous presenters often talk too fast, rush through their points, and sometimes develop a hostile, confrontational relationship with their audience.

For most of us, presenting to a room full of people is a completely unnatural experience. But successful presenters are invariably the ones who act naturally, and seem most confident, enthusiastic and at ease with themselves and their audience. If that's not how you feel in these situations, then you're going to have to learn to act as though you do. Fortunately, Tessa provides the following techniques from the theatre to help you learn to stop worrying and enjoy the experience.

Warm Up First

Like athletes, actors need to warm up before they perform - and so should you. If you're tired or a reluctant performer, you need to loosen up, do some fast breathing exercises and raise your energy levels. If you're stressed, you need to calm down, control your breathing and do some slow stretching. It's also worth exercising your mouth and tongue to help you speak clearly - try saying "gigwhip" really fast, eight to ten times in a row.

Think About Purpose

Part of an actor's job is to think about their character's motivation, and for this to underpin every line they utter on stage. You should also spend time thinking about exactly what you're trying to achieve, and hold that thought throughout the preparation and delivery of your presentation. British audiences are a pretty reserved bunch, but building your presentation around a clear dynamic purpose will help to maintain their interest.

Are you trying to impress your audience, befriend them, reassure them, or convince them of your technical sophistication or efficiency compared to your competitors? Do you want to inspire, seduce or amuse your potential new customer? Bearing this in mind throughout the preparation and delivery of your presentation will make it more interesting for the audience and help you build a relationship with them. An actor can stand in front of 500 people, and everyone in the room thinks he is talking directly to them.

Avoid Information Overload

Your basic aim in giving your presentation is to inform your audience, but a common mistake is to give them too much information. When giving a presentation, we are most likely to worry about things like appearance, technical equipment, diagrams and handouts. What makes the biggest impression on audiences, however, is the degree to which a presenter inspires trust and exudes charm, confidence, personality, imagination, charisma and creative energy.

Structure

How do you construct the narrative of your presentation? Most of us instinctively start at the beginning, proceed through the middle and finish at the end. The danger here is that by the time you have described the history of your company and reached the important bit where you try to sell your services, the audience has lost interest and is thinking about the next presentation or the cup of coffee they'll have when you've finished.

You don't have to start with the name and history of your company, as most of those listening will already know that from the conference programme or tender you submitted. Why not try structuring your presentation like a three-act play or movie, in order to capture and maintain the audience's interest?

• Act one: Grab their attention, plant the hook, provide some intrigue.
• Act two: Tell the story, increase the suspense, hold back some crucial information.
• Act three: Revelation, climax, or even cliff-hanger. This all relates back to the dynamic purpose you decided to focus on earlier.

Act two is the most difficult, as this is where the audience often loses interest, particularly if they are being bombarded with screen after screen of facts and diagrams. To maintain their attention, try incorporating some devices from stage or screen, such as shock, comedy, suspense or intrigue. Don't overdo it though - a film consisting entirely of car chases and nude scenes would soon get boring.

The Dramatic Pause

One of the most effective ways of getting the audience's attention is…

…to pause.

Stopping in mid-flow can be a nerve-wracking thing to do. What if someone asks you a question, or gets up and walks out? Pausing can leave you feeling exposed and vulnerable. But if you've got the confidence to pull it off, pausing for 30 seconds in the middle of your presentation creates a moment of drama, and pulls everyone's attention away from the doodles they're drawing in their notebooks and back to you. Use the moment to catch the eye of the people you're addressing, and re-establish the connection between you and them. The pause puts you in control and gives you power.

The pause also works well at the beginning and end of your presentation, to bookend your performance. Take the floor or mount the stage, pause, and then introduce yourself. Finish your presentation, pause, and then thank the audience or invite questions.

With all of these techniques, the key is to find the space to experiment and be creative within the context of the business presentation.

Have a go.

Put your personality into your presentation and it will work.

Tessa Morton Partnership

Tessa Morton set up the Tessa Morton Partnership (www.tm-p.co.uk) five years ago with Sara Milne and Christie Jennings, who between them have many years of experience in professional acting, directing, teaching and training in the corporate sector for clients that include: JWT, TBWA, Bates UK, Ogilvy and Mather, Euro RSCG, National Magazines, Redwood Publishing, Arc, Dialogue, I-Level, Coca Cola, Vodaphone and AXA.

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