My wife and I were out with friends for dinner the other night when one friend expressed reservations about an upcoming public speaking presentation that she agreed to give. The presentation will be at a national convention of book store owners and she was nervous to the point that her doctor prescribed medication to slow her heart rate. “What tips can you give a petrified speaker?” she asked.
Although I speak a lot, I still get nervous before every presentation. I thought about what I do before a public speech and came up with the following three methods to beat my fear of public speaking. I believe these methods can help anyone that has an upcoming presentation:
Practice: Between now and the date of the presentation, practice giving it. Find a quiet space, close the door and just give it. Refer to your notes, but don’t read them verbatim. Get in the habit of speaking from the heart (but making sure there is an opening, body and conclusion). Above all else, DO NOT MEMORIZE the speech. Be familiar with it. In the early evening before the presentation, practice it one more time…then forget about it. Do something to take your mind off of it. Watch a movie, read a book, engage with others. You will get a better night’s sleep by clearing your mind of the presentation.
Visualization: In your mind’s eye, picture yourself in front of the audience. If you are familiar with the setting, picture the podium, the chairs, the exit doors, as much detail as you can. Picture yourself being introduced and approaching the lectern. Picture yourself giving the talk. Not what you are actually saying, just that you are up there talking. Picture the audience. Many are engaged. Some are not. That’s just the way people are. You can’t please everyone all the time. See yourself wrapping up the end of the presentation. The audience claps and you return to your seat. See my post on the Seal Training for more information on visualization.
Deep Breathing/meditation: Find a quiet space shortly before the presentation. Take a seat and close your eyes. Inhale as deeply as you can and slowly exhale. Clear your mind. Concentrate on your breathing. Deep breath in, slow breath out. If your mind starts to wander (as it will), bring it back to your breathing. Do this for five to ten minutes. When done, slowly stand up and tell yourself “I can do this.”
These methods will help to address your fears, but will not alleviate them. This is a good thing because it allows you to harness that nervous energy and give a dynamic presentation.