Congratulations. You've found yourself at the front of a room, with all eyes on you.
Whether you're leading a meeting, pitching your new business, keynoting, offering a workshop, or tackling a big presentation, let's talk about a unanimous experience:
being new to the game.
Full disclaimer: This post comes from someone who grew up with a huge fear of public speaking. That means I am very familiar with the full-body panic that can start up, sometimes days before the event. And now public speaking is a significant chunk of my job––working with speakers and speaking myself.
Funny how life shakes out.
But like you, there was a beginning. There was a first talk. There was the first panic. There was the relief of hitting a chair for the first time when I was done.
And here's what I wish I had known...
Here are 6 tips (aka the Starter Kit) for new public speakers:
1/ Nerves Are Unavoidable
Even the most seasoned speakers report getting nervous before hitting the stage. So first off, you're not alone.
But on a more practical level, here's a recommendation: I wouldn't try to be "calm." From personal experience, the more you pressure yourself to be calm the more anxious you'll get when you can't calm down.
Try this: Instead of aiming at eliminating anxiety, try channeling the anxiety by renaming it "energy." Because that's what it is––energy, in raw form.
By shifting from the language of "anxiety" to "energy," you open yourself up to the possibility that all those jitters are a sign you're ready to go––not that you're unprepared.
2/ Create a Roadmap for You and Your Audience
I've never met someone who enjoys being lost.
Your audience doesn't like it. And I guarantee you won't like it, especially if the sensation hits you on stage.
To remedy this, I recommend creating a "Roadmap Slide"––think outline, but you and your audience are both in on it. Roadmap slides come at the front of your talk, after the introduction, like the content page of a book. They contain the subsections of your talk. Think Point 1, Point 2, Point 3, but with engaging subtitles for each.
Now, some speakers get nervous that telling people where they're headed will detract from their session. They want to keep their audience on their toes.
Here's the reality though: Once you lose your audience, you've lost them, and it's hard to get them dialed back in. You reduce the chances of losing them when they know where you're headed at the front end.
And a roadmap slide will help you stay anchored too for those moments when you start to space out or add some impromptu elements in mid-talk.
3/ Wear Clothes You Love
Pure and simple. Anything you can do to meet the dress code and be comfortable is a bigger win than you realize.
4/ Get Out of the Courtroom
Many people equate an audience with a courtroom. Standing up, lights blazing, only a few rows of people visible (or the whole room for the full effect), can feel eerily like you're on trial. And this makes all those nerves, and the possibilities of getting lost more, well...plausible. Let's leave it at that.
Self-talk is key here, and the idea is simple: However you want to phrase it, You're not on trial. I'll say it again, You're not on trial.
Don't treat the audience like a judge and jury.
5/ Prioritize Reps > Perfection
The fear of public speaking can lure us into the trap of taking fewer gigs and trying to make those few presentations absolutely perfect.
But like all skills, public speaking gets better with reps––not perfection.
So if you're choosing between trying to hit a one-rep max versus a bunch of reps to start building strength...go for the multiple reps.
6/ Forest Gump It
And last, one of my favorites...
At the end of your talk––key word being end––Forest Gump It. By that, I mean do what you got to do to get all that pent-up adrenaline out of your system.
I have literally sprinted down a street after a talk. I have also jumped in place. (If I was more agile, maybe cartwheels would be on that list. But alas.)
Granted, if you're seen sprinting or jumping in place you might be mistaken for having lost your mind. But trust me, if you go about it tactfully, you'll feel better if you find a way to Forest Gump it at the end.
Now go get 'em.
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