8 Handy Tips to Calm the Nerves Before a Business Pitch
April 1st, 2020
Getting ready before a big pitch is never easy. The stakes are just too high, and we all need to make sure everything goes smoothly. But, the closer it gets, the more anticipation it builds, it becomes impossible to calm the nerves.
Well, you are not alone. What if we told you that public speaking anxiety is the most prevalent phobia on the globe? In fact, just in the U.S., 5.3 million people have social anxiety, 74% of which deal with speech anxiety, statistics show.
Discomfort and anxiety are indeed part of the game, but if you want your pitch to be noticed, you have to be confident. So, the question is, what can you do to deal with the nervousness? Here, we’ve decided to share some handy tips on how to make a good business pitch you can rely on even when anxiety and fear start to kick in.
But, if you want to make a successful business pitch, you first need to understand that nothing is perfect. Instead of hoping for perfection, be yourself. No one wants people who are masking their true goals and intentions. If you want people to take you seriously, you have to be confident and honest. That’s the best way to get the attention you need.
How To Make A Good Business Pitch
1. Anxiety Can Be a Good Thing
According to David Greenberg, a professional coach, author, and CEO of Simply Speaking, anxiety is not that bad. Feeling uneasy about something shows that you really care. It means that this pitch is worth your while. The adrenaline will kick in, and the discomfort will begin. If you want to succeed, you will need to accept these feelings. They are not there to make you fail; they are there to inspire you to get your message noticed. Instead of fighting them, accept them. If you don’t see the anxiety as something that will ruin your pitch, you will be able to convey the message with a more positive connotation. All you have to do is accept these feelings, observe, and reframe your thoughts and actions based on the situation.2. Don’t Let Your Mind Wander
It’s easy to let your nerves get the best of you. The moment you are faced with them, plenty of thoughts will cross your mind and impact your better judgment: What if I mess this up? What if they don’t like me? If I fail, it will all be for nothing! What you can do is be present! All those sensations (quickened breathing, heart racing, voice cracking, sweating) are normal. Before you say anything, take a deep breath and take a good look at your surroundings. Focus on something physical. Find an anchor, like a chair, for example, and focus your entire body weight on your toes. Basically, you are tuning in with your body. Strike a confident pose and own the space.3. Calm the Nerves In Your Own Way
Everyone has their own unique way that helps them calm down. You can try to do whatever suits you best. Here are a couple of options you can try that may help you out. You can: - Do a few more practice pitches before you go in - Exercise to stabilize the adrenaline - Listen to some music - Meditate a couple of minutes before you do the pitch Practicing the pitch helps build confidence. You get the chance to repeat and calm down by reminding yourself that you can do a good job. Exercise doesn’t directly affect your pitch, but it helps manage the adrenaline. The more anxious you become, the higher the adrenaline gets, so you need something to calm the nerves and help you stay on track. Physical activity is always the right approach. Music is another great way to reduce stress. According to research, listening to your favorite songs can help reduce anxiety by up to 65%. This is more than enough to help you keep going, while meditation can reduce the activity in the brain that makes our minds wander. Any self-referential thoughts can be controlled. If you know how to do it, you will less likely fail your speech. Sometimes, something as simple as this can be the step in the right direction.4. Do Not Seek Perfection, Be Yourself!
Based on a recent analysis, fear of failure is a serious problem for the majority of the young population. From more than 1,000 people evaluated, 31% stated they were afraid of making a mistake. Being afraid to speak in public often stems from fear of failure.
But, if you want to make a successful business pitch, you first need to understand that nothing is perfect. Instead of hoping for perfection, be yourself. No one wants people who are masking their true goals and intentions. If you want people to take you seriously, you have to be confident and honest. That’s the best way to get the attention you need.
