“There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars.” – Mark Twain
The Issue | The Tool | What to do
| 1. Negative self – talk with increased heart rate, sweaty palms, wobbly legs, ‘butterflies in stomach’ | Acknowledge Accept Reframe |
Remind yourself that it is perfectly normal to feel the way you do. It’s because you care. Change your label to excitement instead of fear. |
| 2. Feeling really anxious | Breathe | Take long, slow deep breaths through your nose filling your abdomen. Inhale to a count of 5 then exhale to a count of 5 focusing on your breath for 1 minute. |
| 3. The first 2 minutes are the hardest | Remember your opening | Memorise your opening and practice delivering it slowly. |
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
| 4. Having trouble remembering your content | Be ARMED | Attention – Open strong
Relevant – What’s in it for them Message – What is it ? Examples – Give them some Do – Tell them what to do |
| 5. Too much nervous energy | Squeeze | Gradually work your way up your body from your toes, up to your head squeezing and then relaxing each part of your body. |
| 6. Nervous due to inexperience | Personal development | Watch TED.com, read books, attend conferences & seminars. Watch speakers on YouTube. |
“Words have incredible power. they can make people’s hearts soar, or they can make people’s hearts sore.” – Dr. Mardy Grothe
| 7. Worried about how you look and sound | Video / Audio | Record yourself delivering your presentation and watch or listen to it. Focus on your vocal variety and non verbal gestures. Identify what works well for you and what you could improve. |
| 8. Need more practice | Find a class | Attend a public speaking class, Toastmasters or improvisation classes. |
| 9. Your imagination working against you | Visualise | Several days before you present find somewhere to relax and visualise everything going well. Your audience are smiling and happy, you look and sound great. |
“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” – Mark Twain
| 10. Calm on the outside but a wreck on the inside | Massage | Press and massage your forehead. If you can, try to book a full body massage the day before. |
| 11. Nervous just before you speak | Take a moment | Just before you speak, smile, pause and make eye contact. |
| 12. Feeling fidgety | Use it | Don’t be afraid to expend that nervous energy by moving around a little before you speak. |
| 13. Dry mouth | Suck a sweet | A few minutes before you speak, suck a boiled sweet or eat an apple. Have a glass of water close by and take occasional sips. |
| 14. Can’t focus | Smile | Smiling sends relaxing and positive chemicals through your body and helps to clear the mind. |
“90% Of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers white
| 15. Can’t settle beforehand | Arrive early | Get to the venue really early and spend as long as you can just ‘being in the room’. Adjust to the environment and just relax in it. |
| 16. Feel too tense | Exercise | Boost your bodies feel good chemicals by exercising the day before you present and also earlier in the day prior to presenting. |
| 17. Not feeling very confident | Power Pose | Before you stand to speak strike your best ‘Super Man’ or ‘Wonder Woman’ stance and hold your head high. |
| 18. Lacking self belief | 3 Truths | 1) They believe you’re the expert, so don’t tell them otherwise.
2) They want you to succeed. 3) They won’t know when you make a mistake. |
“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. the one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” –
Dale Carnegie
| 19. Not sure what to expect | Homework | Do your research beforehand and get to know your audience. Who are they, how much do they know, what do they need from you? |
| 20. Worried about slip-ups | Practice | Don’t memorise your speech but do practice as much as you can. Do so in front of family, friends and colleagues and ask for feedback. |
| 21. Confidence still an issue | Be an 8 | Imagine what confidence looks and feels like on a scale of 1 to 10. Carry an 8 of clubs with you from a packet of playing cards and practice being an 8 in confidence. Hold that image in your mind. |
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