LSE Student Counselling Service
Presentation Skills and Confidence
Adam Sandelson
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Aims
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Look at confidence building measures to
giving good presentations
Develop positive self talk
Overcome physical anxiety
Manage underlying feelings
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CIRCLE OF CONFIDENCE
situation
thoughts
(self-talk)
feelings
behaviour
sensations
Negative Circle
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CIRCLE OF CONFIDENCE
situation
thoughts
(self-talk)
feelings
behaviour
sensations
Positive Circle
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Confidence for Presentations
Key Principles:
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Sensible planning
Positive Self talk
Role Rehearsal
Relaxation/ Stress Management
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Presentation Planning
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Clear simple structure
Summarise:
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what you’re going to say
say it
Tell them what you’ve said
Rehearse it out loud
First two minutes – repeat practice
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Developing Positive Self-Talk:
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Where/when am I already confident?
What does that confidence feel like?
How is it different from feeling low?
How did I build that confidence?
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Role Rehearsal
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What happens when I think about
giving a presentation
3 desired ‘goals’
Work out matching behaviours
Practice (in front of mirror)
Fake it till you make it
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How is our message received?
Body
Language
55%
Tone &
Inflection
38%
Words
7%
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Good practice tips
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Positive self talk e.g. ‘good enough’
Vary vocal style – 3 P’s
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Pace
Power
Pause
Pitch
Less is More
Focus on positive listeners
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Anxiety Management
Anxiety = high level of bodily arousal
+
negative self-defeating thoughts
Instead, learn:
1. Physical relaxation
2. Breathing
3. Mini-pause
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Presentation Dynamics
Past
relationships
Current
relationships
Relationship
with the
Presentation
or talk…
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Underlying dynamics
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Trying to please others
Wanting to be the best
Being a perfectionist
Family /historic context for being
successful
Setting yourself impossible targets
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Keeping perfectionism in check
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Set realistic and achievable goals
Recognise your achievements
Perfectionism is undesirable
Experiment with standards for success
Focus on the process not just the end result.
Evaluate success –
 What did you accomplish?
 Could you enjoy the task?
Imagine looking back – 2 hours/ 2 weeks later
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Challenging negative thoughts
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Imagine them being tested in Court
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Identify the negative thought
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Eg, My presentation will be terrible
Ascertain the evidence For and Against
Ask if you are making a ‘thinking error’
Propose a more reasonable alternative thought
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Thinking errors
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All or nothing thinking
Discounting the positive/ tunnel
vision
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Overgeneralizing
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only seeing the negative side of things
because it happened in the past it will
happen again in the future
Believing a catastrophe will happen
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LSE Student Counselling
Service – G507
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Free and confidential
Mainly short term counselling
Book appointments in advance
Urgent appointments (phone early in the day)
See Website for
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Stress management handouts
Self help resources on a wide range of student
issues (study – related and personal difficulties)
Relaxation MP3’s
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Final Thoughts
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Any questions
1 or 2 things from today
What else
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