Everyone is nervous when they present. The more often you practice and the more presentations you give, the better it goes. Stage-fright can still happen to seasoned professionals, so don’t worry if those nerves never really go away. The trick is to get comfortable quickly after you begin your presentation.

If you want a nice ice-breaker to you can say: “Before we begin, I’d like to know what you already know about topic” or if your audience has received preparatory reading beforehand, “Are there any questions (on the reading) before I start?” the latter being especially relevant when the audience has read up for your presentation.

For tips on presenting online, please see UU’s Online presentation tips.