The lights are so bright you’re squinting and the blood is thumping in your head so loud you can’t hear what you’re saying, until you realise you don’t remember what comes next…
“Errrrrr…”
You’re grasping at ideas and coming up blank, “What was I saying?” “What have I already said?”
“Errrrrr…”
Stop that! “Errrr” isn’t a word. Don’t panic, you’ll sweat through your shirt if you haven’t already and trust me when I say that’s not fun for anyone. Just prepare and remember some things beforehand:

1.Make a joke
Laughter is a natural relaxant, it makes everyone feel more comfortable and allows yout o put yourself at ease. If you lose your place, tell a joke. In the unlikely event that you have never told a joke before and thus don't know any, you can always check out our other blog Don’t be afraid to be Funny which has three bad but good tech realted jokes. Or you could simply make fun of yourself, which is always a winner, as it shows humility and allows you to take control for the reason they’re laughing.

2.It’s okay to hold the silence
Think of it like a dramatic pause. Take a few seconds to just let the silence fill the room, hopefully this will quiet the audience and let you get your presentation back on track. And if you need to hold it longer than a few seconds, that is totally fine, we’ve all been there at least once, and keeping yourself composed will be all the more impressive.

3.Practice makes perfect
Such a cliché I know, but it really is true. There are so many memory techniques you can use to help remember what you need to say, but they do require practise. Whilst I would love to be able to walk onto the stage and deliver something akin to Russell Crowe’s “I am Maximus Decimus Meridius..” ditty, I sadly need practice before I can recite the alphabet.

4.Live in the story
Whether you are selling a product, pitching a company, or even just presenting at your school or university, the idea that you need to really live your “story” is a really strong one. Belief and passion are two things that are imperative to presenting, whether you're selling a product, pitching for your company, teaching, or presenting to your peers. By immersing yourself in the story of the presentation these two things will be abundantly clear to your audience.

5.Breathe
Calm yourself and remember that if you don't continue to breathe you will pass out and forgetting your place will be the least of your worries.

They're listening to you for a reason. You know your stuff and you can easily do this, you just need to breathe and steady your voice as your speak, vary your sentence length and pause as often as you need to. This makes everything seem much more natural, much less rehearsed- if you've followed number 3- it'll be well practised.
Break a leg!