Learn how to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee in your next big meeting, pitch, or presentation

If you look back over 2018, I’m sure you can think of a meeting that didn’t go well. Perhaps you felt under pressure to win the pitch or gain agreement, and at the critical moment you said the wrong thing.

This same challenge is faced by world-class athletes every day. They can prepare for four years to win gold at the Olympics, and then make a small error that leads to failure.

So how can you ensure that you get the results, reactions, and respect that you deserve in the most important meetings, pitches, and presentations?

Your delivery and content are important, but often it is mindset that lets people down. World champions often state that the difference between success and failure is creating a winning mindset at the right moment. But how do you apply this to business?

Future history

Muhammad Ali used to visualise all of his fights in detail before he ever got in the boxing ring. He would even decide when he planned to knock a person out and what punch to use. He called this “future history” – deciding in advance what the future will be.

Many other athletes have described using the same technique before becoming world champions, such as rugby star Jonny Wilkinson and Olympic medal winner Jessica Ennis. You can do the same thing before your next big pitch, speech, or meeting.

Imagine the event taking place and that you are doing everything you need to do in order to succeed. Remember that you cannot control the actions of other people or rely on technology. You can only control your reactions to the events around you.

So imagine performing at your best, despite any challenges that come your way. This allows your mind to stay focused and work towards your target.

Peak state

Think back to events when you felt completely confident and did everything the way that you hoped. This might include a sport when you were playing your best game ever and feeling “in the zone”, or a meeting that felt terrific from start to finish.

Make a list of any peak state events that you can remember. Before your next big meeting, focus on this list. Think back through them and recall how great you felt. This will prime your mind to work in that same peak state, by reminding yourself of all the previous times that you have done so.

Celebrate success

If you work hard towards a pitch, meeting, or presentation and get a good result, you must celebrate. Most people don’t. They allow themselves a few seconds of feeling good before moving on.

This can cause self-sabotage. Your mind will start to think that all of the work, pressure, and worry simply isn’t worth it, because there is no reward for performing well at the end. This can mean that the next time you work hard towards something, you will subconsciously derail the process.

So, make sure you celebrate all the small wins by doing something fun and memorable. This will hard-wire your mind to shoot for success, because you will instinctively know that you will be rewarded for doing so.

Keep these strategies in mind, and hopefully 2019 will be the year you become a business champion.

• Richard Newman's book You Were Born To Speak is available on Amazon.