Maintaining Your Cool Before a Big Meeting: Tips and Tricks

Your first presentation at a new job is quickly approaching. Making a good impression is your ultimate goal, but those nerves are taking over. Preparing for the meeting is your best chance against succumbing to those nerves. Explore these tips and tricks to present a spectacular meeting where you'll be remembered in a positive light.

Practice More

The top executives in the world all have the same thing in common: they had to practice their presentations until exhaustion. Be familiar with your content and memorize it. There's nothing wrong with having a few notes in front of you, but don't read the presentation to the group. This scenario shows that you're bored or unprepared for the delivery. Get engaged with the content so that your audience is excited as well.

Expand Your Vocabulary

Your native language may be different than the English speakers in the company. Don't let communication problems be an issue during your presentation. Consider an English business course or Anglais des affaires so that you can be well acquainted with the language. When you have a strong, comfort level with the English language, you can convey your ideas and answer questions without any confusion. Lapses in communication can be the downfall of any presentation, especially when it comes to language barriers.

Use Visual Aids

Your audience will be quickly bored if you're speaking at them for the presentation's duration. Mix up the information with visual aids. Graphs, photos and infographics are perfect for any business situation. Many people are visual learners so the audience may remember more from your presentation when the data is in the form of a pie graph or chart. You'll engage your audience while giving yourself a chance to pause and remember the information between visual aids.

Don't Forget the Humor

There's no reason why your presentation cannot have some humor in its content. Place it in strategic manners, such as breaking a serious tone so that a transition can be made. The humor should always be appropriate for the situation. Be aware of your audience. A clever, industry joke may be all that's necessary to make the presentation a memorable one. Avoid any talk about politics or other controversial subjects.


Mistakes are a part of life. Your colleagues are aware of this fact. If you make a blunder during the meeting, simply move forward. Correct it if you must. These mistakes shouldn't be the downfall of the presentation. They remind everyone that you're human, and a successful recovery reflects a smart mind. Your meeting will turn out beautifully with a cool mind and plenty of preparation.