Manager is asking me to give presentations to clients, I just can't do it

[ijustcantdoittt]

I am in a role where I produce work for clients. It's my first job in this field and I thought it would suit me as I'm quiet. I produce work that is good and that clients are happy with, so I was enjoying my job. However, a part of the role that I wasn't expecting was I have to present my work to clients and lead meetings. I've been in the job 8 months, but I haven't had to do this yet as our client was on maternity leave so I never got introduced to the people covering for her, if that makes sense. She's back now and I have to start presenting my work in our team meetings.

I cannot begin to explain how much this terrifies me. I somehow managed to get through university presentations but this is quite literally my worst fear. I have a three month notice period, have taken sick days that bring me just below the threshold of it flagging to HR. I feel so trapped and I don't know what to do.

Get to know your clients - especially if this is going to be a regular occurrence.
Can you have interim meetings where you present part of your deliverable or give updates on progress? That way, at the end, everyone is up to speed and you can give a much briefer presentation of the outcomes.

I’m right there with you OP. I barely made it through college presentations and failed miserably doing a presentation at work, horrific memory I’ve tried to block from my mind. I don’t think most people understand the difference between a normal fear of speaking to a group and the all out terror and irrational feelings of doom that descend on some of us. Maybe the groups can be smaller, maybe there is a solution that your boss is willing to help you find. 💐

^^ This is really excellent advice to which I would add

• "make it your own" with whichever design flourishes you like that will help you feel relaxed, serve the tea or coffee you like, prepare the room so it's a temperature you feel comfortable in and try and focus not on how you are feeling but on the feelings of your client.

• Your client has just come off maternity leave?

• Imagine her getting up in the morning having had a broken night with the baby,
• she may be thinking "Am I on top of this brief?"
• imagine her house a bit chaotic with the mess that a baby brings,
• imagine her arguing a bit with her partner, getting breast milk on her top and having to change at the last minute,
• imagine she may be feeling emotional leaving her baby for the first time to go to work or she may be excited to be back
• think about how tired she might be feeling-
• think how she may be anxious to get the job done right and prove herself back in the workplace

--think that she may be self conscious about her first RL meeting after maternity leave-

• imagine her feeling nervous and thinking that all her pre-baby clothes look awful on her-

These might be some of the thoughts going through her head, so try and think about her discomfort and nerves, not your own (don't mean this in a snippy way but as a tool to overcome your own fear).

Is your company going to buy her and/or the baby a present?
How can you make her feel comfortable?
How are you going to congratulate her etc?
What will she need from you?

Be conscious of others rather than self conscious in other words. Good luck 🍀

If you don't know how to bring it up with your manager write it down and say exactly how you feel.

I'm not sure if this is covered under 'reasonable adjustments' but you can talk to HR about it.

Start small, present to your manager if you can.

If you can't do that start by presenting it to your pet dog if you have one, or a photo or something you find nonthreatening.

As you build confidence, and you will, then try presenting to your manager or a colleague.

When you do present to a client have a friendly face at the back of the room so you can present to them.

Be careful with the Propranolol suggestion. May work for some but I was on it for a different reason, felt no change in anxiety levels and had some fantastic hallucinations to boot.

I don't think some people on here understand the genuine mind block that you get when you're crap at presenting. I know I'd struggle, and it's not because I wouldn't know the subject or because I hate talking to people. Your mind just goes blank.

I'd honestly look for another job if it's non-negotiable.

It is easy for people to downplay your fears and say just practise but if you have that fear, it is terrifying. I said no to doing a reading a friend's wedding because l knew l would hate every single second.
Sorry no advice bacuse l can't do it either, just sympathy x

I present a lot for my job. You need to shift the focus away from yourself. In the nicest possible way, it isn't about you (I don't mean to sound awful, this should be a freeing thought).

The important thing is the work, the message you have for your client. You know that material better than anyone, so you'll be very well placed to deliver it.

Think about that material. What are the most important points you want them to understand. What message/feelings do you want them to have by the end of the session? Keeping thinking about these things and get out there and tell that story.

I'd have laughed at this opener 😄

I used to be terrified of presentations - which was problematic in a role that was very client facing. What helped was just doing many, many presentations. I now just get a tiny adrenaline boost just before 'big' ones, but I accept that and it helps me present with more energy and focus.

Presenting on topics I really cared about also helped me initially, because it meant I focused more on getting the message across and engaging the audience rather than where my hands were.

Please don't let this derail your career - I promise in a fee years you'll barely worry about standing up in front of people.

It's not unprofessional to say that you are not perfect at everything, or that you are not confident in every area.

It would be unprofessional to go into a meeting and make a hash of it, or go sick when you are not to avoid the meeting.

You've had lots of good advice on this thread. You mentioned doing a course in a few weeks, you might also find this helpful in the interim (and it's free): www.futurelearn.com/courses/presenting-your-work-with-impact if you go into your 1 2 1 saying you've already signed up for this course, that shows that you are serious about improving your skills.

The thing I don't like about presentations isn't the presentation itself, it's the questions and being worried I can't answer them. That probably won't be a problem for you as you've done the work you are presenting about, but my solution to that is "I don't know the answer to that off the top of my head, I will find out and email you afterwards". Sometimes other people know the answer and help me out anyway.

As someone who lacks confidence I have let a phobia of presentations affect my choice of jobs and chances of promotion. I've always hated being stared at and fearful of losing my thread so I can empathise OP. You have a lot of great tips here (especially about how your client may be feeling after returning to work and needing key points to help her get up to speed) so I hope they will help boost your own confidence. Could you speak to your manager and see if you could share the first presentation between you?
One bonus of working from home was having our monthly team powerpoint presentations via Zoom - and found that somehow much more straightforward to do (maybe because I could have my notes and didnt feel so physically exposed). Is that an opton or does it need to be f2f?

Publis speaking is right up there in most people's worst fears list, so you're not alone, OP.
Having read the very empathic post about returning to work after maternity leave and the nearly unanimous views on beta blockers, that would seem to be the way to go… I'm on them for different reasons, but they may have helped me without me knowing.

Years ago, when I first went to an all team training session and they split into small groups and then asked for someone to feed back to the whole huge group, I could feel myself shrink in terror. But the woman next to me voluntarily stood up and calmly and easily summarised the discussion in a conversational style, without visible fear. I vowed that I would be like her one day.
Somehow, I got there. Through training, mentoring, practice, meticulous prep, talking about stuff I was passionate about, and yes, probably beta blockers.

If your job requires you to give presentations, then there is probably training available. It really helps, to be able to muck about in a group of equally inexperienced, terrified reluctant presenters.
Also, any manager worth his/her salt should appreciate your situation and arrange support, mentor you, arrange for a co presenter, etc.

.

Publis???? Public.
(why didn’t the massive changes include an edit button?)

Excellent advice.

What type of "Presentation" are you actually being asked to give?

1. A stand-up, 20 minute Powerpoint lecture to an audience of 30 client experts who are going to decide whether or not to give your company a million dollar contract?

2. A short presentation followed by a round table discussion with 2-3 colleagues from your company and 2-3 client people?

3. A presentation/proposal/update to one person from the client side, where you and the account manager are the only ones present?

How formal is the presentation? Formal and impersonal, like 1) or relatively relaxed and more personal like 2) and 3)?

Is it actually a stand-up "Presentation" as in 1)? Or can you sit around the table with printed slides, or slides on a laptop/tablet and discuss as in 2) & 3)?

As this is your first time, you should be asking your manager about some pointers as to style, content (detail or bullet points), timing etc. Who did the presentations before you joined? Can you see an example? Can you speak to that person for some hints and tips?

Think of it as training people, rather than presenting to them.

honestly feel your pain, I used to hate it and get so nervous and flustered. But I just got better at it from doing it and now I’m quite blasé about it. Something just clicked in my mid thirties and I realised I really was the subject specialist and I really did have the answers (sounds like you do to?). Then it became easier.

Now I make stupid jokes and don’t get flustered if they don’t go down well.

I hope you find a way OP. Leaving a role because of this is probably a bad outcome as it will internalise your fear even more.

good luck OP. Xxx

Think of it as training people, rather than presenting to them.

honestly feel your pain, I used to hate it and get so nervous and flustered. But I just got better at it from doing it and now I’m quite blasé about it. Something just clicked in my mid thirties and I realised I really was the subject specialist and I really did have the answers (sounds like you do to?). Then it became easier.

Now I make stupid jokes and don’t get flustered if they don’t go down well.

I hope you find a way OP. Leaving a role because of this is probably a bad outcome as it will internalise your fear even more.

good luck OP. Xxx

I can't think of anything worse, I'd go red and blotchy and my voice would be shaky and my whole body would also shake violently. Get something off the doctor/a large brandy prior to presentation to calm your nerves.

I can't think of anything worse, I'd go red and blotchy and my voice would be shaky and my whole body would also shake violently. Get something off the doctor/a large brandy prior to presentation to calm your nerves.

I can't think of anything worse, I'd go red and blotchy and my voice would be shaky and my whole body would also shake violently. Get something off the doctor/a large brandy prior to presentation to calm your nerves.

Agree re the Notes section, a gamechanger if used effectively.