“Don’t Let Them See You Sweat!”

July 12, 2014

Does nervous energy when presenting, interviewing or meeting with new people cause unwanted physical reactions? If so, it is important to manage or prevent these reactions to ensure you remain confident and look professional.

Managing Physical Reactions

Here are three common physical reactions and ways to manage them so they “don’t see you sweat!”

Red Flush in Neck of Face – Wear a shirt that has red tones in it. This way, even though you experience the red flush, it won’t be so obvious to whoever you are speaking to. A white shirt is a definite no-no because then you will look more nervous than you probably are.

Excessive Sweat – Wear clothes that hide the sweat. Put tissues in your pocket so you can quickly grab with your hands before meeting someone. The goal is to hide it so you are not concerned about it or worried that others will see. This can be very distracting to you while you are speaking and can make you appear or feel less confident than you actually are.

Shaky Voice – Take a couple deep breaths before speaking and have room temperature water available to sip. Try to smile and sit up straight to help reduce the shakiness. If you are speaking to a group, make comfortable eye contact with one smiling person.

The tips above are for managing your physical reactions if they are unavoidable. What is the best way to avoid negative physical reactions – PREPARATION!

Winging it is not a strategy™.  Practice what you want to say, learn about the person/people you will be speaking to ahead of time, get feedback about your presentation or interview skills, organize your thoughts, prepare for tough questions and get yourself to the point where you are confident about what you want to say or how you want to be perceived. Often, with good preparation, the nervous reactions will dissipate or completely go away.

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