Could you present on a call to 40 people?

[redvelvet7]

Hi, just trying to see whether i need to just grow up or whether other people would be anxious with this situation.

I work for a large company doing an office type job, and due to restructures my team size has gone from about 10 to 40. There are regular sharing sessions where we are meant to present work and I honestly am getting insanely anxious at the thought of it. I get presenting anxiety naturally anyway and tended to avoid it where possible even when the team was smaller. I don’t know if most people would be okay with this? Like ok with 10 and ok with 40? It’d be an online video call rather than meeting room.

Yeah it’s not always about practice or
knowing your stuff . And sometimes nerves can hit me unexpectedly.

I can be very hit and miss. One presentation went really well for me after I felt so nervous, the next one I had using the exact same material the following day bombed despite me feeling calm beforehand 😵‍💫

Yes, and have done to 100 plus. I find it much easier than face to face. Try and pin point what's causing your anxiety... i hated doing it face to face pre covid, i felt physically awkward... i never knew what to do with my hands etc. You don't have any of that online. Plus if you are using teams or zoom you can share a presentation that they will see but have notes that only you see, so you always have notes to reference which can be a comfort and its not like they would ever know what you are reading from,
I just find it so so much easier.

I have to do this regularly and the nerves are slightly better but I do still often get a reaction migraine afterwards due to the stress. I really enjoy my current job though apart from these presentations (4 sessions ranging from 40-200 people once a quarter) so I push on.

Yeah I’d say presenting to children especially primary school ones can be less intimidating. When I do a whole school assembly there’s usually quite a lot of adults (teaching staff) there too though , maybe 20+

teachers are usually very articulate and confident in presenting so I worry they’re judging me lol

I present to 400+ people every other week.

I can only see about eight of them though, so it's fine.

Yes I could and I have on teams and IRL

teams is easier as you can’t see everyone!

you’ll be fine x

I’m a lecturer so this is fine for me. But ask me to go for dinner/any social activity in a group of people, even if I have been friends with them for years, and absolutely no way, I am far too anxious. I have barely been out socially since Covid but can mask it fine at work whether that’s in person or online.,

Just curious - how do you socialise with your friends then? Do you just do one to one meet ups? @Judystilldreamsofhorses

Personally yes as it is a part of my job that I like. Just don't think about how many it is, 20 or 40 it is exactly the same thing you are doing. Half will be doing something else while you are speaking anyway and not really listening and the other half are excited to hear what you have to say.

No problem for me.

I think the largest Teams one I've done was just shy of 200 people live, and recorded for another 300 or so to watch later. In person I've rarely done more than 30 or 40 for work, but outside work I have been on stage in front of audiences of a few hundred.

Large groups are easier than small ones in some ways - they're much less likely to interrupt. And Teams is easier than in person - you don't have to look up from your notes, can have a full word-for-word script if you want, and you can't see people looking at you.

Confidence and practice are the key. If you have less of the former, do more of the latter. Check your timings (reading out loud, not running through it in your head), make sure you know your stuff backwards.

If you don't want people looking at you, have slides (keep them simple - sparse bullets and illustrations, no walls of text, no animations). Practice the screen sharing with a trusted colleague so you're not faffing about with unfamiliar buttons and menus on the day.

It's be fine. It's not neurosurgery or flying a plane - there's a very low limit on what can go wrong. And if it does, the worst possible consequence is mild embarrassment that everyone else will have forgotten about by the end of the week.

I find online presentations so much easier than face to face. I can have all kinds of post it notes around my screen and notes on my desk to prompt me. It could be 1 or 100 people and I'd feel ok.

Yes, I do this all the time as part of my job, can be up to 100. Online is easier if you're nervous - you can mute everyone and you can't see their faces in detail so can't tell if they're bored!!!
At face-to-face conferences I'll regularly have upwards of 200. That's much harder, but still okay. Although, I was previously a teacher, used to whole school assemblies, and there is no harder audience than teenagers, so things like that don't bother me.

I'd have trouble

I hate presenting

It gets easier the more you do. It also helps if you know the content very well

I've delivered live online webinars with over 500 people attending. I am ok with it now, and nerves are normal. I've also presented on stage to an audience of 200 at a conference. 25 year old me would have freaked out but now in my 50s I know my subject inside out and I also prepare thoroughly.

This could be me! Thanks for articulating the problem!

I didn't used to be able to present to 4, let alone 40!

But like a lot of other people have said, practice is what makes a massive difference.

I regularly (weekly) have to present to over 100 people, and I always write down what I'm going to say (in a conversational way, rather than in a formal 'presentational' manner), then run through it a couple of times before needing to talk. If I'm doing it on Teams then it's even easier because I can more or less read it without anyone knowing!

I don't love it, but I no longer hate it or loose sleep over it.

Yes it’s very much part of my role. I’ve moderated large events 1000+ attendees) both in person and via zoom and quite enjoy it although am always nervous before!

Yes. Four, forty, four hundred. It’s what I do, online and face to face.

I would say that it’s perfectly normal to be a bit nervous if you are presenting something new to a large group you have never presented to before.

Mostly it's just practice. It's more complicated when you're doing workshops with multiple tools though.

If you really know your stuff it's pretty much fine.

Yes I do this a lot but still find it nerve racking depending on the audience. The more you do it the easier it gets. Practicing your presentation helps a lot if it’s one that I know I will feel nervous then I write a script and record it just on a voice memo on my phone. I’ll then listen to it back so I know the script really well so on the day I can read it out without it sounding like I’m reading it out, and also even if the nerves kick in it helps me to know that I know what I want to say. Presenting isn’t easy for a lot of people but practicing can help withfeeling more confident. I probably come across as good at presenting but I’ve actually had to rehearse and listen to my recording back many times if it’s a formal one that I’m scared about! Good luck

Maybe you can practice in front of the computer so you can see yourself. Then when presenting you turn the screen onto only your camera. Then it will be like you practiced

Online is fine , you don't see them all

Why do I always feel like I’m the only stupid baby who would feel nervous about these things?? Glad to hear it’s not just me (I don’t think you’re stupid babies… only me 😆)

Practise a lot so you feel confident...have your notes nearby. Like others have said, most people will have their cameras off and will be multi tasking on something else! How long is the presentation? It will likely fly past and be done before you know it. It is daunting but you will feel a great sense of achievement once it's done.

I absolutely hate speaking to groups of adults online or in person, it really makes me feel uncomfortable. But have taught (secondary school) for over 20 years and that doesn't phase me a bit!