Fear of speaking in public can take many forms. People may experience any of the following
symptoms: fast pulse, shallow breathing, muscle spasms, nausea, sweaty
palms, blurred vision, or a dry mouth.
In today's business world, meetings dominate. Presentations, formal or informal, are expected.
Countless factors influence our discomfort when presenting. "Do I have
to stand up?" "Who'll be in the audience?"
Delivering outstanding presentations is a learned skill. Great speakers are not born, they are
made. Anyone who addresses audiences can be coached in this skill!
There is good news and bad news. The good news is that you can do many things to reduce your anxiety
prior to making a presentation. The bad news is you may never overcome all symptoms entirely.
Is there any way to combat this fearsome ghost in the closet? Take heart! Here are ten strategies
that work! Pick any one and use it.
1. Consider it healthy to be nervous. Stress is not a negative force; it is a life energy
force. The right amount of stress inspires us to give our best performance.
We never do our best when we're under no stress.
2. The words
we use influence our attitudes, and our attitudes influence our behaviour.
Do not allow yourself to think self defeating thoughts, e.g., "I hate making
presentations. I'm really no good at this type of thing." Negative self
talk produces negative performance.
When my heart is beating faster and there are a few butterflies in my stomach I tell myself "I'm
excited." Think positive messages, "I know what I'm talking about. They
want to hear what I have to say."
3. Calm yourself by visualizing a place that has a tranquil
effect on you. Can you see yourself sitting on a porch as the sun is setting, sipping a glass of wine? Stay
there for a few minutes and breathe the warm evening air. You will become
very relaxed using this method of visualization.
4. Arrive early. Being rushed aggravates anxiety.
Be kind to yourself. Get to the room ahead of time. Check out the facilities and the
audio-visual aids.
5. Work the room. Mix and mingle. Do not sit by yourself before you present.
Speak with friends and strangers alike to familiarize yourself with the audience. When you
stand up to speak you will see friendly faces looking back at you.
6. Memorize the first 100 words of your presentation.
For many people, it's the first few minutes that are the worst. Then you are off to the races.
So go for it!
7. Go through a dry run. Sport psychologists take our Olympic athletes
through dry runs in order to improve their performance and anxiety. See yourself standing
at the head of the room smiling at the group. See yourself looking down
at your notes and go through your entire presentation.
8. Breathing exercises work well for all of us. When people feel
anxious they tend to take a deep breath and hold their breath. In public speaking, distress
often causes people to breathe shallowly and run out of air while talking.
The heart begins to pound and they sound short of breath. Breathing exercises
are good reminders for us to speak slowly. Deep breathing will calm our
minds and our bodies. When doing any breathing exercise focus on the exhale.
9. Bring water to the lectern. Fear of public speaking has
some physical symptoms that are common. One of them is dry mouth. Drinking water during your presentation
will slow you down, allow you to catch your breath, and alleviate dry mouth.
Your speech will sound more pleasant to the listeners.
10. Practice. Practice. Practice. Many people underestimate the
number of times you need to practice a presentation in order to sound polished. Practice means out
loud, standing up, with a listener. Practice 13 times, not 3 times.
Each time you present, consider it an opportunity to further your own reputation. Do not pass
it up. Stretch yourself to do your best. You can learn many ways to make
yourself and your presentation shine.
Attack anxiety as you would any other hurdle that needs to be overcome. These and many other
strategies will work. Give them a fair chance. And for good measure, don't
forget your rabbit's foot.
