Presentation Skills: 10 Tips to Calm the Fear of Presenting or Speaking in Public by Dianna Booher
Channel: Dianna Booher - Communication Strategist & Author
Date: 31/07/2013

http://www.booherresearch.com  1-817-283-2333
Executive Communication Expert Dianna Booher

Presentation Skills:   10 Tips to Calm the Fear of Presenting or Speaking in Public

"There are only two kinds of speakers in the world—those who are nervous and those who are liars," according to Mark Twain, a renowned speaker and author in his own day.  No matter how polished the presenters in our presentations skills training programs, it's rare that they don't confess to being nervous on occasion; it just depends on what occasion and what's at stake during those presentations.   

So if you fall into either of Twain's categories, consider one of the following tips to bring that fear down to a manageable level so that it helps you perform at your best:

Prepare well.  Nothing builds confidence like solid preparation.  Talk and walk through your presentation.  Just "running through the content" in your head won't do the trick. A real walk-through lets you know the phrasing works, the transitions exist, and the timing fits.

Memorize your opening two minutes.  Understand that you'll be most nervous at the beginning, so memorize those first few sentences cold.

Devise cue words as a mnemonic phrase so that you can eliminate the fear of forgetting.   For example, your opening might have 3 paragraphs that you memorize as BID (each letter begins a key word of the opening sentence in that paragraph). Then you might outline your entire five-point talk as SHARE, with each letter representing a key thought:  Study, Happy, Art, Research, Evaluate. Those words will bring an entire chunk of content to your mind.

Internalize rather than memorize.  If you try to memorize your entire presentation and forget, you'll become flustered and only increase your nervousness. Instead, thoroughly understand how your content applies to your audience. Then outline your key points to guide you.  

Do isometrics.  Tension builds up on restrained muscles. To relax and release that tension, do some quick isometrics.  Lift yourself up off your chair. Push against the wall. Tense and then relax all the muscles in your body. Take a brisk walk before your presentation.

Arrive early and visit with audience members.  Ask why they're attending, what their roles are, and what they hope to learn from your talk.  Introduce audience members to each other. This interaction tends to relax you—and demonstrates to audience members your approachability.  An added benefit is that when you see them later during your presentation, they look like "friends" in the audience.

Find your fans.  Look around the room to find the friendly faces.  Avoid looking at those with expressions as though they ate nails for breakfast. Particularly, this is true at the beginning when you're most nervous. Remember that a frown doesn't necessarily mean disinterest. Some people wear a frown as securely as a hairpiece.

Focus on the value you're delivering.   Stop fearful thoughts.  Replace those thoughts with the value you're delivering. Remind yourself how pleased people will be to benefit from what you have to say.

Keep a security blanket handy.  Most people worry about things that never happen—that's true of life in general and it's certainly true of public speaking and presenting.  What if I forget the illustration? What if I can't remember the statistics? What if I can't remember the source of this study or survey?  To calm your nerves, prepare a brief outline of key words or phrases to jog your memory.  Have it available nearby for quick reference.  Just knowing it's "there" if you need it can quell that deep-seated worry of "going blank."

Breathe deeply and exhale slowly.  Nervous presenters literally forget to breathe.  Or, their breathing becomes very shallow.  When you hear that squeaky voice, pause and take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and feel yourself relax.


Fear is not your enemy.  Fear can push you to peak performance.  But rather than let it stall your career, make it work for you.