Standing up to publicly speak and communicate your own ideas can be nerve-wrecking. Even the most experienced of presenters will feel that way from time to time.
During my two decades of experience in the presentation industry I’ve both felt that fear and seen it in the CEOs, Directors, Founders and business leaders I’ve worked with. Therefore, I want to help you better understand the reason for that fear and highlight the ways you can fight it.
It’s your fault
I’ve got a hard truth for you: your audience isn’t putting pressure on you, you are.
Your audience doesn’t want you to fail. In fact, if you get them on side, they will actively root for you. So, with that in mind, you really need to relax.
The most relaxed and confident people are also the healthiest and best rested. You’ll find that keeping your cool in a high-pressure environment is a lot easier when you’re not choked with caffeine and existing on three hours sleep each night. Just like an athlete preparing to win a race, you need to prepare your body for the sports-like physical task of presenting.
So eat healthily and exercise often. Makes sense, right? You’ll find yourself being less stressed if you limit your caffeine intake, drink less alcohol, lower the amount of sugar you take in, and get a good night’s sleep each night.
I’m not advocating that you become a pious monk. Just recognise the link between a healthy body and a healthy mind.
Because healthy minds can better cope with stressful situations like public speaking.
Build your confidence
The fear you feel in the run up to making a speech is a fear of failure. You’ll probably consider what could go wrong and that will lead to a greater feeling of stress.
I recommend you use the control you have over the presentation or speech as a kind of confidence boost. If you’ve managed to keep healthy, and to rehearse your presentation until you know it backwards, you’ll dictate how everything goes because you’re the one in charge. Communicate that confidence to your audience from the very start and they’ll pick up on it.
In the beginning
Speaking of starting… you should greet people as they enter the room and engage with them.
If you’re presenting or speaking to strangers or clients, chat to them to get an idea of what they want. That will influence what you focus on during your presentation.
If the audience comprises colleagues and people you already know, chat informally with them as you would normally to put them at ease.
Getting a feel for what your audience wants means you can tailor the presentation to them. If you know your speech backwards, you can therefore jump to the section that is most relevant to them. Knowing you’re able to give them what they want will lessen that fear of failure.
Pace yourself
It’s your speech so take your time.
Some of the speakers I’ve ever seen used pauses just as effectively as they used images on screen and words spoken.
People don’t blast data at each other. The information and ideas we put out into the world are reflected in our personality, which in turn is influenced by our emotions.
In my opinion speakers shouldn’t hide the fact that they are sensitive, flawed creatures. We all are, and that’s automatic common ground on which you can build rapport with your audience.
Show them that you are just like they are, and that you are there to reveal something about which you feel passionate. People can relate to that feeling, and you’ll gain their trust: another boost to that confidence.
Now get up on stage
A public speaker is not an actor. Actors say other people’s words, speakers and presenters say their own. It’s far more truthful and personal. If your subject matter greatly excites you, show it. If a story about how you arrived to where you are today is sad, show that, too.
Personal stories are hugely powerful.
Combining all those tips and pieces of advice should go a long way to helping you deal with fighting the fear of public speaking. You can’t fix it overnight, so work at it every day and you’ll soon be dominating the world of presentations and public speaking.
About the author:
Lyndon Nicholson is one of the UK’s leading experts on presentation design and public speaking. For two decades he has worked with some of the world’s most influential companies, helping them to present new ideas and communicate more effectively. After developing two other successful presentation design agencies in London and Manchester, Lyndon setup F5 Presentations, based on an idea of changing the way people think about presentations and public speaking.
He lives in York with his wife and three children.
Follow F5 Presentations on Twitter.
