I took drama classes. I took speech courses in Junior and Senior High, as well as college. I was in several college productions, from small plays to musicals. I’ve been an outside salesperson. I’ve been in Toastmasters for 25 years. Yet, I still get nervous. Sometimes anxious. To the point of being out of breath, as if I’d run 100 meter dash, while simply sitting down waiting to be introduced. Believe it or not, I’m ok with that.
For me, it’s a sign that I care about the audience, whether it’s 10 people I’m comfortable with or 500 I’ve never met before. I’d be more worried if I weren’t nervous. There are, of course, ways to mitigate your anxiety, many you’ve probably heard before. I follow most of them, and get nervous anyway. But I’d rather be nervous while also knowing my ducks are all in a row.
Check out the ideas below, and see what you might not be doing in preparation for every speaking opportunity, at work, at church, or in the wide, wild world of conferences and paid stages.
1. Prepare Thoroughly
- Know Your Material: It stands to reason - the more familiar you are with your speech, the more confident you’ll feel. This doesn’t mean you need to memorize it word for word – in fact, that can work against you. Know you ideas and your outline, and fill in from there.
- Practice, Practice, Practice: Rehearse in your car, in front of your pets, or present to a small audience – such as a Toastmasters group. Practicing in front of a mirror, while often suggested, usually isn’t as effective as you’d imagine. Record yourself, and listen to it – it’ll help you remember, as well as give you ideas where to change what you’re saying, and how you’re saying it from the point of view of a listener.
- Have a Strong Opening: Memorize the first few lines to start strong and gain momentum. Usually a short, funny story relating to your material, or a startling statistic, or, in a pinch, a decent quote to get the ball (you’re the ball) rolling.
2. Manage Your Mindset
- Reframe Anxiety as Energy: Nervousness is energy that isn’t going anywhere, and can be intentionally channeled once you’ve made yourself aware. Use it on stage through your voice, your facial expressions, and your body movements.
- Visualize Success: Mentally walk through the speech – even physically if you can access the stage beforehand. Picture a satisfied audience at the end, clearly happy to have heard you.
- Lower Self-Criticism: Your audience wants you to succeed, not fail – after all, you think they want you to be terrible? Most of them will do everything in their mental power to confirm to themselves they made the right decision to listen to you! It’s your job to make that easy.
3. Relax!
- Master your Breath: Try the 4-7-8 method (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8).
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Tense and release different muscle groups to reduce tension.
- Power Posing: Stand tall, open up your posture, and take deep breaths—it signals confidence to your brain. On this one – if you believe it’ll work, it will. Might as well be your own hero as you head to go speak, right?
4. Use Small Hacks to Take Control
- Arrive Early: Get comfortable with the space. Know the sounds, the dead spots, the cracks, the height of the stairs, your view of the audience – as I said earlier, silently rehearse if you can.
- Meet People: Shake some hands, hear some stories, get a feel for the audience, and let them be comfortable with you before you ever utter a word.
- Start with a Smile: Smiling reduces stress and makes you appear more approachable. Of course, your speech might not be best served if you start with a smile, so use with caution.
- Slow Down: Speak with some deliberation and intention, and don’t forget to breathe. When your sentences end with a pause, your audience catches up – and you just might need to as well.
5. Focus on Connection, Not Perfection
- Engage with Your Audience: Find the friendly faces – such as the folks you met before hand. Make eye contact with people all over the room, and remember, you’re there to give value.
- Accept Imperfection: You’re not doing Shakespeare. Probably. No one has your script in their hands waiting for you to mess up. No one knows you skipped a story and made any kind of blunder at all unless YOU tell them. Feel free to tell them if it’s vital, of course – they’ll appreciate your honesty if you have to back up, and be more forgiving than you think.
Finally, Embrace It.
Most of what you're afraid of will NEVER happen. If it does, it probably won't be as bad as you think. If it actually is, well, it's a learning opportunity. At the end of the day, it's better for you and the audience if you actually just get over yourself, get up there, and give them what they came to get. You, and your best effort.
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Need an extra set of eyes and ears on your next presentation? Connect with me for 30 minutes of laser coaching at: https://tidycal.com/richhopkins/30-minute-meeting
Your speech, and your audiences, will thank you for it!
