The World Cup’s on as I write this.
You may have noticed.
Being Scottish, it was a fleeting experience. We were home quicker than it took AI to write this blog.
(Just kidding, it’s me).
Growing up absolutely obsessed with football (I’m open to use of the word of soccer), I’ve always thought deeply about playing on the biggest stage of the biggest sport.
Billions of people around the world watching every run, kick, header, and fumble across numerous weeks.
I marvel at the ability to perform under pressure.
If you go to the World Cup, you have to be in a small selection of the best players from your home country.
Straight away that’s pressure.
And yet, we see so many people rise to the occasion, while others collapse under the weight.
Why?
The pressure is the point
The World Cup attracts such a big audience because we want to see how the very best in the world perform against one and other under the spotlight.
Who will deliver when the stakes are highest?
It must be hard to go through that. The nerves must be through the roof.
And yet, so many people around the world dream about being there.
Because that’s the point. The pressure.
Showing you can do it when it matters most.
It’s the same with presentations.
Even myself, having delivered multiple presentations for well over a decade now. I still feel nervous.
It’s a good sign to remind me that I still care.
However, the individual symptoms, are actually rather unpleasant.
Feeling sweaty? No thanks.
Sickly feeling in the stomach? Sounds bad.
Increase in heart rate? Very uncomfortable.
Presentations often feel similar. Audiences are focusing on what you say, how you say it, and how it impacts them.
We can learn from everyone, including footballers, on how to prepare for this pressure.
Train like you play
Having played football myself (poorly), I noticed the difference between my teammates that went on to a higher level and those who failed to do so, was the intensity at which they trained.
They treated training like a game.
This means you decide your tactics, rehearse them, analyse the opposition, and play to your strengths.
In presentations, this involves finding who’s in the audience. This is a key question in your preparation and should influence every word you speak.
Ask yourself, ‘what’s most important to them?’, ‘what questions might they ask of me?’, and ultimately ‘what does success look like?’
Even spending a small amount of time considering these questions before we write any part of our presentation can be the difference between a good presentation and a great one.
Keep it simple
Plans can, and do, often go wrong during a football game.
You can train all week only to concede a goal in the opening five minutes.
I’m proud to say Scotland conceded the fastest goal of the tournament so far this season. We managed to hold out for a whopping 70 seconds against Morocco.
However, the game plan has to remain the same.
Rather than changing things constantly and confusing matters, keep it simple.
You’ve trained and trained for this. The opponent is still the same.
So, for now, keep it the same.
Be clear in your plans. Obviously, it may still go wrong however the confusion involved with constantly changing things is far more likely to cause this.
The training ground
This is where Pink Elephant come in.
We offer opportunities to put in the hard work on the training pitch.
Whether it’s practical skills for your next presentation, or work on developing the right mindset to tackle these challenges, we offer interactive sessions designed to leave you in the best position to win the match.
You’re the athlete, we’re the coach.
Having played football and since moved into coaching, it’s a totally different experience seeing someone you’ve worked with go on to achieve their success.
It’s the same when we deliver our training with teams all over the world. The change in confidence from the start of the day to the end is incredible.
If you’d like to join the squad and get involved in our training, get in touch today.
See you on the training pitch.
Photos in What the World Cup and presentations have in common by Pink Elephant Communications.
What the World Cup and presentations have in common was written by Stuart Fenwick and edited by Maxine Montgomery.
