Practice Out Loud — Not in Your Head
If you’re an introvert who’s been asked to present, here’s a set of solo practices that will boost your confidence before you ever get in front of people. This assumes you already know your message and why you’re delivering it. Now it’s about getting comfortable saying it.
Start by presenting your material out loud. Not in your head—out loud. This is essential. Skip the mirror; it pulls you into self-consciousness.
Use Your Camera as Your Coach
Instead, record yourself on video, then watch it back. And yes—you will hate a bunch of what you see. That’s normal. Most of what you dislike will be irrelevant noise from your inner critic.
So narrow your focus to two questions:
- What’s one thing that’s good about this delivery?
- What’s one thing I could improve?
Then record yourself again. Watch again. And ask the same two questions. Ideally, something you identified as an improvement the first round now shows up as a strength in the second.
Build in Small, Manageable Steps
Repeat this process multiple times. Don’t aim for perfection; aim for satisfied enough—a place where you think, “Okay, this is workable. I’m in the ballpark.”
Think of it as going from zero to fifty instead of zero to a hundred. Introverts often skip this ramp-up and go straight to presenting in front of peers or leadership, which makes the experience far more stressful.
Be Your Own First Audience
Once you’re able to say, “Yeah, I can live with this,” you’re ready to practice in front of someone else. And because you’ve done the reps, you’ll feel far more grounded, more prepared, and more confident.
When the moment comes to present in front of your team or your boss, you won’t be walking in cold. You’ll have already coached yourself into something you trust.
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