Things to Do Right Before a Great Presenter Go on Stage
My wife is a professional pianist graduated from one of the top music schools in North America. She had the experience in hosting her solo recital, performing with a group of musicians, as well as training students to join music competitions.
During dinner time today, I was telling her that I am currently writing a series of articles to teach people how to become a better presenter. She quickly elaborated on some of my ideas and shared with me the tricks professional performers do right before they go on stage. After digesting her input, I have outlined the following things that speakers could do right before going on stage:
Push the wall
This is an interesting yet very effective thing to do right before you go on stage. My wife said this is called “pushing down the adrenaline”. Researches show that “adrenaline” is an element in our body that would make us nervous. People who have a high level of adrenaline tend to get nervous more easily. Pushing the wall has an effect of lowering the adrenaline level. I have tried this trick myself and it is very effective. I felt like I have pushed away all my pressure to the wall.
Eat bananas
Bananas contain a special type of chemical that could calm people down. This is why you can see a lot of performers eating bananas before they go on stage. Remember not to eat more than one banana. Half of a banana is the best.
Positive self-talk
Never think and talk about negative things before you go on stage. Tell yourself you are the best! You are prepared! You are going to be the star of the show and everybody is going to be proud of you. You will feel much more confident by thinking positively.
Take a deep breath
Breath in slowly into your stomach. This will generate more oxygen in your stomach. You will less likely feel butterfly in your stomach. Relax your shoulder as well when you are taking a deep breath. This will help you overcome your pressure as well.
Keep your body warm
Your body naturally gets colder when you are nervous. Make sure you bring an extra jacket and a bottle of warm water to keep your body warm.
Mental practice
Athletics do this all the time. Imagine your end result. Run through your presentation in your mind. This is more difficult than the actual trial but very effective.
Enjoy your show
At the end of the day, you have to enjoy the show in order to do a good job. You are not waiting to get killed on stage. You are going to showcase your knowledge and competencies.There are a lot of similarities in what musicians and presenters do on stage. At the end of the day, we are all entertaining our crowd while delivering our messages.
