For many people, their number one fear is speaking in public. But to succeed in business, politics, academics and many other areas of professional and personal life, being comfortable with talking in front of an audience and able to deliver a good speech is important.
Whether it’s making a presentation at work, giving a speech in class or making a toast at an event, these tips will help you overcome your fear of public speaking.
Face your fears head on
Many people become overwhelmed with stress and anxiety when they think about getting in front of a large group of people. The thought of the making a mistake or looking bad terrifies us because we fear being judged and ridiculed.
A key step in dealing with your fear is to face them head on. Ask yourself the question: “What is the worst that can happen?”
Write down all of your fears on a piece of paper and then look at them. You are now officially facing your fears.
Once you get accustomed to looking at your fears on a regular basis, it becomes much easier to handle them because they won’t overwhelm you as much.
Become an expert on your topic
Being a professional keynote speaker means you must master the topic you are going to be talking about.
When you know the content inside and out, you won’t feel like you have to memorize your speech or script.
A common mistake many new presenters make is that they try and remember their speech word-for-word and this can cause a great deal of problems once you stand up in front of an audience.
Ideally you should know your content well enough so that you only use some bullet points from your slides or notes to keep you on your path during your presentation.
Focus on your breathing
One of the main reasons people struggle with public speaking is because they do what is called “shallow breathing”.
This is when you begin to have short breaths that enter into your chest rather than filling your entire lungs.
Calm and relaxing breathing is deep, slow, and rhythmic. You want to make sure that you are focusing on your breathing and that your lungs fully expand.
Before you get up in front of the audience, you can also try what is called “breath of fire”.
This is a form of deep breathing that helps you get ramped up but also helps you break through the anxiety.
Most anxiety is caused from either not breathing, or short breaths.
Practice makes perfect
According to many keynote speakers, one of the best ways to become comfortable with speaking in public is to do it as often as possible.
Volunteer for opportunities to speak at work, or other professional events, such as networking events or conferences.
In classes or workshops, speak up and participate in the conversations. The more you speak in front of others, the more comfortable you will become.
It’s always good to start small, especially with anything that invokes a feeling of fear. Find opportunities to speak in front of small groups.
Look for reasons to give presentations at work to departments or other small groups. Or, outside of work, look for volunteer opportunities and sign up for roles that require speaking in front of groups.
Joining a group like Toastmasters International is another way to practice public speaking and learn new skills.
Always be prepared
Obviously the more you know the material being presented, the more comfortable the presentation.
Always do research to learn as much as possible about the topic being presented, and to anticipate any follow-up questions that might be posed after the speech.
Write out a draft outline of the presentation – what are the main points that need to be made, and what examples support those main points?
It is important to keep the audience engaged during the presentation. There are a few ways to prepare for this. When drafting the speech, list the goals of the speech in the introduction – what will the audience to learn or what should they do as a result of the speech?
Also, remember that some people have trouble visualizing or connecting the dots while listening to a presentation. Make it easy for them by including examples or stories to support the main ideas of the speech.
If slides are being shared, make them visually interesting. Include charts, graphs, images, photos, or videos to further support ideas.
Finally, once a draft of the speech has been written, edit it. No one wants to sit through a long presentation that drags on, going off on tangents and overemphasizing certain ideas.
Read the speech out loud, preferably to another person if possible, and really listen to what is being said. Eliminate any unnecessary stories or examples, and also eliminate any ideas that don’t fit the speech or fit with the other main ideas.
Look & feel good
It is important to go into the speech feeling good. Do whatever you can to prime yourself before the lecture. Spend extra time on appearance – fixing hair, and for women, putting on make-up. Take time to pick out an outfit that is not only comfortable but makes you both look and feel good.
Before the presentation, talk to people that make you feel good about yourself. If this includes co-workers, stop by their office or cubical sometime before the speech.
If it’s a friend, give them a call. They want you to do well too and will likely help build your confidence. If possible, and if it might help, ask one of them if they can be in the room during the presentation.
Practice your speech, but don’t over-practice. Don’t memorize the presentation word-for-word, but do memorize the main points of the speech, and the examples that support them. Rehearse the speech while going through slides or other visual aids. Know what to say for each slide.
Use visualization
Visualization is a powerful tool that many athletes and stage performers use.
The idea is that you can spend some time before the event to visualize how you want things to go.
Right before the speech, visualize that it is going well. Imagine the audience feeling engaged and interested.
Don’t forget to smile as you walk into the room and take your place.
If you haven’t been introduced, introduce yourself and tell the audience why you are there to speak on that topic.
Slow down and relax
During the speech, remember to breathe. Pause at the end of sentences, at the end of paragraphs, between slides and between ideas.
Give the audience a chance to digest what was just said before launching into the next point.
Listen to the speech while it is being made, don’t go into auto-pilot and just start talking. This is why it is important not to memorize the speech word-for-word.
While you are listening, adjust the rate of speech. Don’t talk too fast, but don’t talk so slowly that the audience is lulled to sleep.
Conclusion
Finally, remember that the audience wants the speech to go well. Likely they are attending the presentation because they want to. Also remember that most people don’t like public speaking – so it is likely that most of your audience is glad it is you, and not them, giving the presentation.