tellingpeople

Like most people, I’ve been accused of exhibiting ‘manflu’ – at some point we all will be (except women!), and it’s just not fair. Sometimes you really are that ill. For the rest of the time however, there are some pretty simple tips which will help you make a better presentation than feel… colds, coughs, sore throats, chest infections can all put paid to your otherwise wonderful presentation skills, so here are some basics…

One: don’t do it. If you possibly can, postpone.

Two: arrive early. Of course you should always arrive early to check things over, but what I mean here is that you should arrive very early. If you’ve got a throat problem you might find that changes in air make things worse and you’ll need time to recover.

Three: wear a scarf. Protect your throat by wearing it around your neck rather than draped as a fashion-item A sneaky trick of mine is to wear a Buff. You probably shouldn’t wear it as you present, but it’s a great tool for keeping it together during the day, or while you’re traveling to the venue.

Four: drugs are the answer – except when they aren’t. It’s possible to smother the symptoms with drugs but symptoms are there for a reason. Smothering them is a short-term, ‘emergency’ solution only…

Five: food and drink – make sure you’ve had plenty of both over the day before you make your presentation. The day you’re making a big presentation is not the day to step up your diet: if you need a Mars Bar, eat a Mars Bar. (Use your common sense here, please – don’t go stuffing yourself if it’s going to muck up your control of your diabetes! )

Not exactly rocket science, is it…??!!