After many presentations, workshops and keynotes, you'd think the nerves would have disappeared by now. They haven't. And honestly? I'm glad about that.

I used to see nerves as a problem to be solved. As if the best speakers step onto a stage without any tension, fully relaxed, ready to deliver their story effortlessly. But the longer I coach presentations and give them myself, the more I realise it works precisely the other way around. The speakers who impress me most are rarely the ones who lean back just before their presentation with the message: "It'll be fine."

They're the people who go through their opening line one more time. Who wonder whether their story is relevant enough. Who quickly check whether their examples connect with the audience. Not because they're insecure. But because they're engaged.

Because that's what healthy nerves actually are. They're a sign that something matters to you.

• You want to show respect for your audience's time
• You want to convey a message that sticks
• You want to make an impact.

And that's exactly why you feel tension. Many people try to push that tension away. They look for techniques to become completely relaxed. They hope one day to step onto a stage without a single butterfly in their stomach. I'm not sure that's a good idea.

Because the day a presentation does nothing to you anymore is perhaps also the day you stop looking critically at yourself.

• That you prepare less
• Listen less to your audience
• Rely more on routine

Nerves actually have a function.

• They keep you sharp.
• They make you think about the questions your audience might have.
• They force you to make choices in your story.
• They remind you that presenting isn't about you, but about the people listening.

Of course there's also such a thing as too much tension. Everyone knows that feeling of a dry mouth, a racing heartbeat or the idea that your opening line has suddenly vanished. But even then, the goal isn't to eliminate all nerves. The goal is to convert them into energy.

That's why I often tell clients that they shouldn't strive for calm and perfection. They should strive for preparation. Because preparation is the only medicine against nerves that really works. Not because the tension disappears. But because you know you're ready.

And that makes a world of difference.

Today, just before an important presentation, I still feel tension. I just interpret it differently than before. I no longer see it as a warning. I see it as a signal. A signal that I care about my audience. That I have something to say that matters. And that I'm ready to show the best version of it.

So maybe we should stop striving for no nerves. A bit of healthy tension isn't the enemy of a strong presentation. It's often precisely the condition for it.

Good luck with your next presentation

Harald