Okay, you have to give that big presentation after dinner. Is it okay for you to take that glass of wine or that shot of snobs to calm you down before your presentation? Folks, I'm not trying to turn you into a teetotaler or remove fun from your life. But here's the problem with having even a glass or two of wine or beer before you're giving a speech, you may think it's calming you down. It may make you feel calm for the moment, but here's the problem. Alcohol can slow your brain down even a little bit.

If you're nervous. You're already having a harder time recalling information, pulling out what you plan on saying, if you have alcohol in you, it can slow you down another half second, but that can seem like five seconds when you're standing up in front of people that can actually make you more nervous. This inability to pull out certain facts or numbers that you wanted to hit in your presentation. So, I would not recommend drinking any alcohol before you give a speech. The other problem is for some people, it can make them flush read other people, it can make them overheated, even a glass or two and that little bit of shine. perspiration can make you look like you're more nervous than you are.

Finally, if you are the main speaker after dinner, people are coming up to you afterwards, they may want to say great speech or enjoyed your book or they loved hearing about your company. They may have been drinking wine all night long, fine, but you're sort of a celebrity at that moment. You're the one they so to speak. So if they come up to you shake your hand, they're now going to be this close to you. If they smell alcohol on your breath. It may be the most memorable thing about the whole meeting.

So I would caution you against drinking any alcohol when you're giving a feature presentation now, after the presentation well live it up.