Beat Your Public Speaking Nerves - SWI #4

Read time: 3 mins

In this issue, we're sharing our favourite strategies for overcoming your public speaking nerves, so you can present yourself and your ideas with confidence at work.

Let's get into it:

As Jerry Seinfeld said, most people 'would rather be in the casket, than deliver the eulogy'.

'Most people' is 75%: public speaking is one of the most common fears humans have.

Speaking is scary because it exposes us to judgment and makes us feel vulnerable.

Our normal, natural response to feeling vulnerable is nervousness.

Even though it makes us nervous, we can't avoid speaking up.

To succeed in your career, you need to be able to:

• Share your ideas, suggestions, products, and services,
• Navigate an interview process,
• Introduce yourself to new people, etc.
  
  

It's not possible to avoid feeling nervous.

It is possible to learn to harness your nerves.

When you do, it will feel better, and help you stand out as a confident and capable speaker.

Here are 3 of our favourite ways to do this:

3 STRATEGIES TO BEAT YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKING NERVES

1. Practice and prepare like a pro

If you've put in the work, you can calm your nerves by reminding yourself that you know what you're doing.

But all practice is not created equal.

Here are 3 tips to practice well, so that you feel truly prepared:

• Practice multiple times, in multiple ways: Say it to yourself, say it to someone else, record yourself saying it, etc. You'll get better every time, especially if you seek out feedback.
• Don't try to memorize: Instead, create a structure with an overarching message and some key points. Write them down to jog your memory if you get stuck. We recommend the "Pyramid Principle" by Barbara Minto if you're interested in learning more about structured communication.
• Prepare more than content: Don't forget the non-verbal parts. Think about the body language and tone you want to use, how you're going to put yourself into a great frame of mind before speaking, what you're going to do if you forget what to say, etc.
  
  

2. Get in the right frame of mind

What you think about will influence how you feel.

If you focus on all the reasons you should feel nervous, you will feel nervous.

Instead, try focusing on things that would help you feel calm or excited.

Here are some examples:

Instead of: "I might screw up"

Focus on: "No one knows what I'm planning to say. They won't know if I screw up unless I tell them."

Instead of: "I always get so nervous."

Focus on: "Everyone gets nervous. This is normal and okay."

Instead of: "I hate this."

Focus on: "I'm doing this for a reason that's important to me. I'm going to breathe, remember why I'm here and do my best."

3. Have tools to get unstuck

Have a few strategies that help if your nerves get the best of you in the moment.

Effective ones we use include:

• Reset the room: Take 2 mins to restate the objective of what you're sharing or other 'setting the scene' information. This will help focus your participants, get newcomers up to speed, and give you a few minutes to refocus your thoughts.
• Ask questions: If you ask the audience an open question when you get stuck, you can build on their answer and take some time during the question/answer period to gather your thoughts.​​​​​​​ You can also ask and answer your own question, which allows you to answer something you know and buy yourself some time.
  
• Look up and breathe: There's research that shows looking up can help with memory recall, because it tunes out other stimuli; and breathing through your nose activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you feel more calm and relaxed. If you don't do this - test it out! It only takes a few seconds and is incredibly effective.
  
  

For the action takers:

1. Identify the tools and strategies that work for you: Ensure you have at least 3 for each of the most common issues you face when you're nervous.
2. Put in 5 mins before every meeting/speech/presentation to take a few deep breaths, get in the right frame of mind, and remind yourself of your overarching message and 3 key points. This habit will separate you from 90% of the people in the room.
   
   

We would love to hear you're going to try, and don't forget to reach out if you get stuck.

Thanks so much for reading!

Speak soon,


Lynne and Steve

TLDR

• It's normal to feel nervous when speaking, but it's also an essential requirement in your career. You can't avoid it.
• 3 strategies to manage your nerves are:

1. Practice & prepare like a pro
2. Ensure you have the right mindset
3. Have tools to get unstuck based on your common challenges

• Practice speaking up as often as possible - putting these strategies into practice regularly will help you get better at managing your nerves

When you're ready to accelerate your career, here's how to ask about working with us:

We offer career coaching & mentoring to support leaders to build confidence and achieve their goals, and are developing career-building courses coming soon.

Find out more here.