Hold the caffeine
Talk about a practical and tactical solution to the public speaking jitters. Hold the
caffeine.
Coffee and colas serve to heighten your anxiety, causing you to become tense and
slowing the flow of oxygen to your brain. And, for what it’s worth, caffeine is a natural
diuretic—and that’s all I’ll say about that side effect before you step onto the stage
before your next presentation!
Pinpoint the root cause of public speaking nerves
What are you actually afraid of? That’s a great question to ask yourself.
Are you afraid of going blank and forgetting what to say? That’s a legitimate cause for
concern.
Are you afraid of looking bad in front of your colleagues? That’s a legitimate cause for
concern.
Are you afraid the technology isn’t going to work? That’s definitely a legitimate cause for
concern these days. (It happened to me last week in Alabama.)
Are you afraid of a certain critical audience member who may be out to get you? That’s
a legitimate cause for concern.
The good news is: for all of these genuine causes for concern, there’s a proactive
solution. Take the time to ask yourself, “Why exactly am I so nervous?” Pinpointing your
root cause can lead you to a tangible solution.
Speaking of nixing nerves, these high school juniors weren’t nervous at all about their recent Speak Tank presentations at the Montgomery Youth Tour. They exuded energy and creativity as they took the stage and amazed their peers.
Meet and greet your audience
Some of the most highly rated professional speakers I know and admire will stand at the
convention room door one hour early awaiting the first attendees. They shake hands,
converse briefly with audience members as they enter the meeting room, and even refer
to some of them by name throughout their presentation. Putting names with faces and
having brief but meaningful conversations with participants will set many jittery speakers
at ease.
So, arrive early.
Say hello to people as they come into your conference room.
Focus on the gift you are giving your audience: the special message you’ve prepared
especially for them.
Remind yourself it’s all about your audience
Consider that when we are genuinely nervous, another contributing factor is—and let this sink in—that we’re too focused on ourselves and our own performance. Rather does anything positive happen when we are fixating on I-focused questions such as:
– What if I mess up?
– What if I forget to say something?
– I wonder if they’ll like me.
– I wonder if they’ll think Bob did a better job.
– Did I wear the right suit?
– Are my pants zipped?
(Actually, that last one is a good question to ask.)
Instead of focusing on ourselves, turn that I-focus into a you-focus. Think of your
presentation as a gift you are giving your audience; it’s a special message you’ve
customized especially for them.
