There are two types of speakers; those that are nervous, and those that are liars.
Mark Twain
Reams of paper and quadrillions of kilobytes have been devoted to advising business professionals how to conquer their “speaker anxiety.” This advice usually includes knowing your material inside-out; rehearse, rehearse, rehearse; getting professional coaching, etc.
However, these sources (as helpful and correct as they are) often do little to address the insidious “head talk” that often makes us our own worst enemies. And so, for those of you who experience a fear of public speaking that rigorous preparation doesn’t cure, here are some additional strategies that can keep you from becoming SCARED SPEECHLESS.
- When speakers experience stage fright, they’re often embarrassed and feel that this “weakness” makes them look less professional.
- Solution: Forgive yourself. Steve Jobs, Peter O’Toole, Laurence Olivier, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and thousands of other professionals have ALL been extremely nervous when appearing in front of people. You’re in good company. In fact, many have said, in essence, “The day I’m NOT nervous is the day I quit.”
- Now that you’re OK with being nervous, know that your fear of public speaking is not about the actual speaking situation itself, but about your perception of the situation. This causes you to dwell on negative “what-ifs.”
- Solution: Good news: perceptions can change. Transform those negatives into positives. Instead of asking yourself, ”What if I forget what to say? What if my PPT crashes? What if they think I’m an idiot?” try asking, “What if I’m a success? What if people really benefit from what I’m saying? What if this opportunity leads to a promotion?” It’s a lot more fun and much more constructive.
- Finally, as zero-hour approaches, many people become totally obsessed with nothing other than the looming “speech.”
- Solution: Carve out some “you” time. This doesn’t mean prepare less … proper preparation is sacrosanct … but break up your routine. Go on an historic city tour the night before; take a boat ride; try a new restaurant or cuisine (one you’re certain won’t cause gastronomic distress); take a new book to a quiet coffee shop and lose yourself in a ripping good yarn and a Mocha Latte. The choice is yours, but the point is, get outside of your head. Be normal.
Clearly, the more you prepare, the less anxiety you will feel, but if your “head talk” is getting the better of you, 1) forgive yourself, 2) transform failure scenarios into success stories, and 3) stay connected to real life. You’ll be better for it.
And men … always check your fly.