Have a Backup Plan

It is not a bad idea to bring along a “security blanket” when doing your presentation, just in case something should go wrong. The main thing many people worry about is forgetting what they had planned to say and in what order they wanted to say it. This can happen even to the most experienced speaker, regardless of how much he or she has practiced.

It’s often a good idea to have your presentation outlined on a few sheets of paper or some 3x5 index cards. That way you can refer to them if you have a mental lapse. Referring to notes is certainly acceptable to almost any audience so long as you are not reading your speech word for word from a script. Having such a safety net will help reduce your anxiety when it comes time to deliver your speech because you will not have to worry as much about forgetting your material. You may not even have to use your notes, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.