10 Tips for Decreasing the Stress of Public Speaking

10 Tips for Decreasing the Stress of Public Speaking

Stimulate your audience!

Jerry Seinfeld got a big laugh when he joked about a survey that found that the fear of public speaking ranks higher in most people’s minds than the fear of death. “In other words,” he deadpanned, “at a funeral, the average person would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.”

Many people are terrified of speaking in front of a group. Many do it, but feel a certain amount of fear and stress.

Speaking in front of groups does not have to be stressful or nerve racking; instead, the experience can help you stand out and get noticed.

Here are some tips that will help you overcome your anxiety and deliver an effective, memorable presentation:

1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare:  In advance of the presentation be sure to know how long you are to speak for, and the interest area of the audience – what are they are there to understand / know / experience. If you have a complete understanding of your material, it will definitely give you an advantage during your presentation. Do not memorize your material; you just need to be familiar with it.
2. Venue and Technology check: Visit the venue before the presentation and always check the technology first.
3. Beginning, Middle, End: To help you plan for your presentation and for the delivery, it is helpful to clearly define three sections: – a powerful beginning, the middle (the story line) and a powerful ending. Tell stories, use descriptive words, and avoid jargon.
4. 3 key messages: I usually suggest having three key messages you want to deliver. This is a technique to keep you on track. Tell the audience the messages, deliver them, then summarize with them. Build them into your beginning, middle and end structure. Why three? Because people remember things in three’s – ABC, 123 etc.
5.  Visualize: Picture yourself in the meeting room, auditorium or classroom, standing up, taking your notes to the stage, and so on. Visualize a successful outcome and even hear the final applause.
6.  Warm up First: Take time in advance of the presentation to warm up, prepare your voice body. An athlete would not run a race without a warm up, neither should a speaker. Breathing and voice exercises are excellent.
7. Confidence: Exude confidence. Perhaps easier said than done, but so important. Your opening gives your audience a first impression of your presentation. Make sure not to leave anything to chance. Your opening sets the tone for your entire presentation. Remember to show warmth, smile.
8. Visuals: Know the major points you want to make. This will help ease your worry and increase your confidence. You may want to use electronic visuals, note cards, or memory techniques to outline your key concepts. However, do not write your speech on these – use them for a prompt or to highlight a point. Do not use PPT unless it adds to the presentation – it is not a means to display your script!
9.  Support Ideas with Evidence: It is always important to provide evidence to support your main points. Supporting evidence will help your audience understand your points and will give you a chance to explain your points more fully.
10. Close with a Call to Action: This will be the last impression your audience has of you and your presentation. It is important to ensure the closing reflects the purpose of the presentation. Your closing should summarize your content and give your audience a clear direction.

Photo Credit

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