Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, affects up to 75% of the population! Yet, we live in a society that is asking us to get up and talk to one another more and more often if we want to advance in our careers. So, what’s a person to do? Just suffer through it? Hide under the table and hope that no one shows up for your presentation? Have no fear…these tips will help you feel better the next time you find yourself in front of a crowd of any kind.
1. Breathe
This may seem obvious, but this is the #1 thing people who are nervous forget to do!! So, step one to calming nerves is stopping whatever you are doing right before your talk or meeting and taking three deep breaths. Breathe IN through your nose and OUT through your mouth. Visualize that you are breathing IN focus or energy and breathing OUT the nervous.
2. Be Prepared!
So, this one doesn’t work in the seconds before you are entering the board room, but it is actually the most important way to help calm our nerves. But, what does preparation actually mean? You have to know what you are planning on saying and rehearse…a lot! Most people under-rehearse, they run their talk a couple times or read through their slides and think they are done, but if you want to feel confident walking into that room, you need to rehearse as much as possible. A really great way to rehearse a talk is on the treadmill or while swimming laps..any physical activity. Run your talk while doing your favorite activity because it will connect your words to your movement. Click HERE for more thoughts on how to memorize (link to blog on memorizing)
3. Know What Your Audience Wants
Getting super clear on what your audience wants and needs out of your talk can help you focus on their needs instead of your nerves. Why is your audience here, what is the best outcome for them? How can you make sure that you give them exactly what they want? Write it down on a 3×5 card that you can keep in your pocket during the talk. If you get find yourself going down the panic path, put your hand in your pocket and just feel the presence of that card to remind yourself of what THEY want!
4. Control for Unknowns
Along with “be prepared,” do yourself a favor and do everything you can to control for unknowns at the actual talk. Go to the conference room where you will be meeting a few days in advance at the same time you will be talking and look where the sun comes into the room. Choose a room arrangement that puts you in the best position possible. Check for room temp and decide on an outfit where you won’t be too cold or too hot. Tell your audience at the beginning of the talk how much time there will be for questions, stick to that timing, so you know exactly how many questions you will likely have to answer. Decide what you are eating the day of the event in advance so that you know when and what you will be eating so that you don’t have to think about it.
With the right preparation and mindset, it is possible to deliver a perfect presentation without nerves!
Want more help with nerves? Contact our coaches to set up an intro meeting.