Want to know a secret confident people know?
Confident people know the easiest thing to be is yourself, and the hardest thing to be is someone else.
But think about it, and be honest, which one are you trying to be when you are in most business situations?
If you're actually being honest, you probably realize you are playing a role more often than not.
The reason most people get so stressed, anxious, and nervous in situations when they have to "show up" as a "professional" and do things like give "presentations" is because they don't think they can just be themselves. They think they have to be someone or something different than who they are.
Ironically, trying to be "professional" makes you much less interesting to watch and listen to. It often leads to being WAY TOO serious, WAY TOO stiff, and WAY TOO boring. It also makes you look and sound like everyone else, because that's what most other people do, as well.
Good luck standing out in any good way when you look and sound like everyone else.
We all know where the line is when it comes to "unprofessional," but most people try way too hard to appear professional and end up getting the opposite result from what they actually want; to be seen as credible, knowledgeable, confident, trustworthy and believable.
Here's a tip - don't overthink "professional." The easiest thing to be is YOU. It instantly takes a ton of pressure off. Give yourself permission to be YOU. Walk into every room as YOU. Click onto every Zoom call as YOU. Get up in front of the room to give that presentation as YOU. Start to bring the one and only thing to the table that is your superpower, because nobody else in the room can be it...you.
BTW...if you need or want to learn how to have MORE confidence and LESS stress when speaking, reach out for a free coaching consult!