Tip 220: Don't apologise for nervousness
Research shows that most people report noticing little or no anxiety in a speaker, even if the speaker himself reports feeling a lot of anxiety. The point is that your audience probably will not notice your nerves even though you may think that it is obvious for all to see.
One way of helping yourself is to appear confident and calm. And in particular, don't go around telling everyone how nervous you really are or how you’re not going to give a good presentation! Nothing kills an audience’s positivism as much as the presenter telling people how bad he is.
Look confident, feel confident, be confident. This makes for a better presentation. Audiences hate arrogance and cockiness, but they love confidence, if it is genuine.
Most people won't see how nervous you are. They can't tell if your palms are sweating or your knees are knocking or your heart is pounding. So don't tell them.
Smile. Hold your chin up. Stick your chest out. Look confident, even if you don't feel it. After a while you'll begin to feel it too.
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