While it is true that Eigo, editor of the State Bar of Arizona’s Arizona Attorney Magazine, loves presenting, it’s also true that in elementary school, he would almost get sick at the prospect. Overcoming his nerves and learning to present well was a choice he made along the way, Eigo told attendees at the 2015 National Association of Bar Executives Communications Section Workshop in Orlando.

Moreover, Eigo believes that everyone else who is in a position to give a presentation should do whatever it takes to make that same kind of decision. The idea that some people are great presenters and others are not—and that the latter should allow themselves to just muddle through and do a less-than-great job—is “really a delusion, and kind of a lazy one at that,” Eigo said.

But what can help? Simplicity, technology, and, on the other hand, the ability to go low- or no-tech might be your best allies in becoming a better presenter and helping others do their best, too, said Catherine Sanders Reach, director of law practice management and technology at the Chicago Bar Association and herself a frequent, skilled, and comfortable presenter.

Together, Eigo and Reach offered a wide range of tips to help any speaker, at any level of expertise and comfort.

Preparation is key

“There’s no replacement for preparation,” Eigo said, noting that it takes him a day and a half to prepare his presentation and another eight hours over the course of a weekend to hone it.

No matter how well you think you know your material, he added, practice can help you through the nervousness that may strike when it’s time to present.

“Freak out in advance,” Eigo advised: Go into a stairwell and yell, or recite something dramatic even if it has nothing to do with your topic.

Once you’re in the room where you’ll present, see if there are any adjustments you can make to help things go more smoothly, Eigo suggested. For example, can you move some chairs so more people will sit closer to you?

If the lights are dim, turn them up. “Research shows that people laugh more and learn more in a bright room,” Eigo noted.