I typically speak at ten to twelve conferences each year, but my 2016 speaking schedule has been jam-packed compared to previous years, with nearly two dozen events around the world. I’ve grown to love public speaking, and it’s an exhilarating experience to share my knowledge with other marketers, entrepreneurs, and professionals.
It wasn’t always easy, though. Early on, I felt a lot of discomfort standing and speaking in front of groups. Even today, after all the events I’ve participated in, I still get the occasional twinge of nervousness onstage. If you’re battling stage fright and glossophobia (fear of public speaking), know that just about everyone deals with this at some point in their lives, if not most of their lives.
Performance anxiety even impacts seasoned speaking professionals from time to time, with some 90% of people experiencing stage fright or a fear of performing/speaking in front of an audience.
Thankfully, there are exercises and ways to help you feel more comfortable getting up in front of a crowd for the first time – or the tenth time. These tricks helped me conquer my own fears and should go a long way toward helping you overcome yours.
Keep Practicing
Expand on the old practice of speaking into a mirror by recording YouTube videos. Not only are you getting your content out there on the web, but you can watch yourself post-performance and determine what you need to improve. The major benefit to these approaches is that you’re practicing out loud.
I also recommend practicing the first five to ten minutes of a presentation repeatedly. Get that first segment down so you’ll be comfortable with the opening. By the end of that ten minutes, you’ll feel more at ease in front of the audience and the rest will fall into place.
Keep Your Presentation Light
One trick I use all the time is keeping my slides light on information. This way, people can focus on what I’m saying. If I need to shift direction during my presentation, keeping the presented info light makes it much easier to make last-minute changes. Being able to pivot whenever you need to can also alleviate anxiety if you feel like the crowd isn’t engaging with you.
Simplify the Presentation
Don’t treat your presentation like a Broadway performance. Showmanship isn’t necessary to win over your crowd, so avoid trying to wow them with crazy examples that involve lots of audio or video components. The fancier you make your slide decks, the greater the risk of technical snags and mistakes.
Visualize Success
Boost your comfort zone by imagining how the presentation will go from start to finish. Visualize the positive responses and applause from your audience. Focus on your end goal and keep it in the back of your mind each time you practice to attach positive feelings to your material. You’ll naturally begin to feel more confident as a result.
Try Deep Breathing Exercises
Practice deep breathing before rehearsing your speech or presentation, and repeat this before taking the stage. Deep breathing has calming effects and can relax your nerves if you start feeling anxious at the idea of speaking in front of an audience.
Focus on the Material
I frequently remind myself that the audience is there for the material I’m sharing, not to judge me. Focus on your material leading up to the event. Taking focus off the stress and putting more attention into your materials will also help refine the quality of your presentation.
Don’t Be Afraid of Silence
Even with all the speaking engagements I have under my belt, I still lose my train of thought every once in awhile. However, a little silence or unexpected break is no big deal. Use this time to move around the stage, smile, engage the audience, and ask questions. This way, you won’t break the flow of your material and the silence will feel less awkward.
Start Small
Interviews are good ways to overcome your public speaking fears. Talk to a small group, do interviews or podcasts, and get comfortable knowing that others are listening to you speak.
Share Your Journey
Having people support your efforts can be a big confidence boost. That’s why I wanted to share my journey from being scared to death of public speaking initially, to acing my last speaking gig. Getting friends and family involved and sharing your journey with them can transform the people around you into a powerful support system. Having your own personal cheerleaders can be incredibly uplifting.
Take Classes
A great way to get more comfortable in front of an audience is to actually perform and get advice from a public speaking pro. Sign up for a local improv class to learn how to think quickly on your feet in front of a group and build your improv skills. I also recommend joining ToastMasters to learn more techniques for public speaking. Even taking a speech class at a local community college can help you improve both your personal and professional communication skills.
Study Comedians
While you might be tempted to study the moves and style of other professional speakers, I found more value in studying comedians. They have to tell stories, elicit specific reactions, and seamlessly transition from point to point without slides. They lead the audience to a punchline, just like you’ll lead your own audience to the key point of your presentation.
A little discomfort and stage fright is natural when it comes to public speaking. By following the advice above, you can work toward overcoming these negative feelings. If you still feel anxious before an event, redefine it and call it something you can use. Channel any jittery feelings into extra preparation and get yourself psyched to teach an audience about something awesome.
Do you have any tricks for overcoming anxiety in public speaking situations? Let me know what your favorite strategies are in the comments: