For most people the idea of getting up on your feet in front of an audience to speak or deliver a presentation can fill them with fear, anxiousness and panic . Some presenters let their nerves completely get the better of them and as they stand up they shuffle nervously with their prompt cards and the perspiration begins to flow   . Others completely lose their capacity to think and stand in silence searching the vacuum of their mind for the next words  which can result in an instant loss of credibility. Being able to present with total self-assurance and impact is nowadays an essential tool in the arsenal of any leader. Their ability to deliver high quality presentations will often be the difference between closing the deal, influencing the right people and winning the hearts and minds of their people or losing the business, their client’s trust and their own reputation.

Mastering the ability to deliver a knock-out presentation  is a core leadership skill whether delivering a message or handling a Q&A session at the end of an executive board facilitation.

There is a common view  that speaking in public  is a gift that you either are born with or not , that comes naturally or doesn’t. What we've learnt over time from working with thousands of top class presenters shatters these myths and we know it is possible to transform run of the mill presenters into excellent presenters and excellent presenters into truly outstanding ones  . The three C's are critical components of this journey. 

• Confidence – The word confidence is derived from the Latin for  ‘fidere’ – to trust . It indicates the ability to trust yourself, to get out of the way of your own performance in such a way as to more powerfully express your message .  Having confidence will boost your presence and credibility  . It comes partly from being well prepared; if you weren't sure about your speech and content  then it would be hard to be confident. It’s also a state of mind you can deliberately enhance once the preparation is done and its time to deliver. For you the speaker, confidence will be experienced viscerally  , but the audience can see and hear it. 

 • Congruence - When people express themselves, they do so through several channels of communication – with the words that they use , but also with their body movement and their voice. You are congruent when all these three channels are aligned . The effect of congruence is to communicate with impact, precision, focus and clarity. 

• Connection –   Connection relates to the feeling of connection you have with another person when they are on their feet presenting  . When you sense a personal connection with someone you tend then to like them, they are more believable and credible
. And we are more ready to be influenced by people we like and feel connected to than people we don’t like and feel no connection to. Think about some prominent public figures that you see present on TV, do you like them? Do you feel you have made a connection with the person who is speaking to you? Or did you feel no real affinity for them at all ? What about if you met them at a formal function  , how comfortable would you feel walking up to them and introducing yourself ?

A squash player might improve their play when they start to observe which way the ball is spinning as it travels through the air. A salesman might increase their sales figures if they qualify their prospects more effectively . A racing car driver might shave 100th of a second off his qualifying lap if  he times his acceleration right as he pulls out of each bend.

Making finer and finer adjustments to your performance is the key to mastery but you needn't do it alone. Every top flight athlete will rely on the feedback of an experienced coach to help them stay on track and make the adjustments for success, so get yourself a top executive coach, feel the fear and get on your feet!