The author of an article at presentationmagazine.com recalls once being confused when he saw an arrow that didn’t match the accompanying text. He would have expected the arrow to be pointing in the opposite direction. So he was confused and had to work out the meaning for himself. Extra thought was required because of the mixed message, which is hardly an ideal situation. Nonetheless, similar problems often occur in presentations.
Saying one thing, showing another
If you say and show two different things, the audience must decide for itself. This increases stress and your listeners can become confused. And if something is not clear and somewhat stressful choices must be made, the audience's overall impression will not be positive.
Often a presenter is trying to convince the audience through words to do something – to take some action, agree with something being said, or purchase a service or product. However, if the presenter looks or sounds nervous, everyone perceives this at the emotional level.
Of course, at the intellectual level we usually understand how a speaker's performance is influenced by the attention and responsibility they have when addressing an audience. Nonetheless, we will still feel uneasy and are unlikely to trust a nervous presenter.
In short: if someone is nervous, it’s hard to buy what they are selling. It is much easier to buy from someone who appears self-confident.
Your delivery should be simple and consistent
If you yourself are not comfortable, you can’t make your audience feel comfortable either. You and only you are the most important visual that there is in your presentation. So don’t confuse your audience. If you aren’t comfortable while presenting, you need to learn how to make yourself feel comfortable.
-jk-