Everyone has a little fear of public speaking or at least did. Public speaking is not in human nature. It scares most people to have that many eyes on them. There are many reasons people don't like to speak in front of a lot of people.
Sometimes, its the attention, the abundance of eyes on you, the lights, stage, all the prepping, and many, many more reasons. You can overcome these fears, maybe not all of them, but you can at least appear to be an amazing speaker in front of any audience. Here's how.
1. Be prepared, look prepared, feel prepared.
The more you practice in front of the mirror or a roommate, and the more revisions you make, the better you'll feel about speaking. Look like you know what you're doing, even if you had to improvise a little.
You never know who could be in that audience. Even if your speech is about Hot Cheetos, you want to show the audience that you're prepared and credible. The more you look the part, the more you feel the part. False preparedness is still preparedness.
2. Find something that eases your anxiety.
My Public Speaking professor told us about a girl who would roll a marble in her palm and that would not only calm her nerves, but it would keep her from talking with her hands. When I talk, my knees shake a little. Pacing the stage or shifting my weight from leg to leg helps hide it.
Sometimes, though, it just takes practice not doing it to fix a problem like talking fast or stuttering. Make sure that your anxiety fix isn't a distraction to you or your audience.
3. It's not about how you feel, it's about how the audience feels.
Don't focus so much on your personal feelings. If your main goal when you hit the stage is to make the audience love the speech, feel informed when they leave, or want to do something about the problem or issue you proposed, then focus on making them feel like that. Put yourself in the speech and make it yours. Own it. It'll distract you from your personal feelings and make your speech more audience-oriented.
4. Take a moment to breathe during your speech.
Remember that your audience is a bunch of people (most likely). They understand that breathing is essential. Just don't take a 3 minute sigh break. Your audience doesn't have that much sympathy, especially if they paid to see you talk. Slow down, take a breath, then continue rocking.
5. Take a water bottle or your morning coffee with you.
Everyone has brain farts, especially if you're in front of an auditorium full of people. The most clever and best way to overcome them is to bring a drink with you. If a brain fart is deployed, take a sip or two. It'll rejuvenate your spirits a little and give you a second to get your thoughts together. But just like the breather, don't chug it.
Public speaking can be a big struggle, but it doesn't have to be. Just don't forget your marbles, coffee, and confidence!
