BUSTING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
The team from RADA In Business showed us how to deal with stressful situations
How to calm your breathing
Exhale slowly and calmly, from your abdominal muscles, pushing the air out gradually, but at a consistent pace. Imagine you’re blowing out the candles on a cake on the other side of the room, in a steady, sustained way. When you’ve let out all your breath, relax your stomach and simply let a new breath come in. Good breathing can help to settle your heart rate in just one minute. This technique also supports your voice, so it will sound clearer and stronger.
How to feel more confident
Confidence may seem like something you either do or don’t have, but you can change your behaviour to give the illusion of confidence, whether that’s by adopting more open body language, changing your posture or making eye contact. This impacts on how you think, making you feel more confident.
How to win at presentations
Get your audience’s attention from the off, with a joke, surprising statistic or quick story. Explain the benefits of them listening to you, what the format of your talk will be, and how long it will take – maybe ‘I’m going to talk for about 20 minutes, then I’ll take questions.’ After this introduction (which should take no more than two minutes), come on to your key messages – there should only be between three and five. Think about what story you can tell that will stick in people’s heads. When it comes to your ending, be clear about what action you want your audience to take afterwards, and then plan accordingly. What do you want to leave them with?
RADA In Business tutor Imogen Butler-Cole’s one-day course,‘Stepping Up With Confidence For Women’, is for those aspiring to reach management level; Radainbusiness.com