My friend Lina was invited to speak to a small class of marketing students at the local college. No big deal, right?
We discussed some strategies for organizing her talk and keeping the audience engaged.
But she froze up. Her hands got sweaty. “The speaker before me covered so many things I had planned to talk about. I don’t remember anything I said. I don’t know if anyone got any value out of my presentation! As far as I can tell, it was a complete disaster!”
If you suffer from stage fright, you’re not alone … and though I wish I could share a few magic words and instantly fix that problem, a short video just isn’t going to accomplish that.
So I’ll start with a confession: Though I do my best to hide it, don’t think for a moment that I’m not plagued by the same voices of self-doubt that you are.
“I sure hope people get some value out of this video.”
“Do I look okay on camera?”
“What if I say something stupid without realizing it?”
Stage fright is universal… But anyone … and do I mean anyone can master their jitters and rock the platform. I’ve seen pathologically shy people—the ones who stare at their feet and give you the “limp noodle” handshake find their footing in a surprisingly short time.
You can, too.
The crumhorn is a musical instrument that fell out of fashion in the mid 1600s.
Unless you’re an early music enthusiast, if you were asked to give a crumhorn recital next week, you’d probably feel excusably nervous. Well of course you’d feel nervous. But if I were to offer you a large sum of money to give that recital next year, you’d start practicing every day. Twelve months from now, you’d probably feel pretty confident.
It’s not as if you’d have to compare yourself to thousands of virtuoso crumhornists showing off on YouTube!
So why should it be any different with public speaking?
Oh, I get it. You’ve never played a crumhorn before but you’ve been talking since you were a small child.
But that’s not how it works.
Though you’ve been communicating with words for many years, speaking is an altogether different discipline than talking. Even if you’re skilled with what-to-say, the how-to-say-it part will only shine with practice and experience. If you don’t practice speaking … or playing the crumhorn or playing tennis or cooking omelets or pretty much anything else … guess what. You’re not going to get good at it.
My friend Lina is a brilliant marketer and a talented designer, but her presentation bombed because she didn’t have any speaking experience—not because there was anything wrong with her or her message … or you and your message.
So here are a few ways to get some experience and keep your nerves at bay.
Be patient with yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others and enjoy the journey. Keep practicing and you’ll keep improving. Put one foot in front of the other and head in the right direction. The top of the mountain will have no choice but to come to you.
Join a live or virtual Toastmasters club.
Toastmasters is a 364,000-member, international organization that’s dedicated to the art of public speaking.
The program is powerful, effective, and ridiculously affordable. And Toastmasters clubs offer something that no coach can ever give you—an audience!
Show up. Participate. Do your best, even if that means falling on your face a few times, and fail forward. You’ll get used to presenting to a supportive audience and used to evaluating others.
And finally, turn nervous into service. Your fears—Will the audience like me? Will I remember my lines? Will I run overtime? and a million more are just that—YOURS! Once you stand up to speak, rehearsal’s over. Your job is to serve the audience.
Remember what I said in a previous video?
The purpose of a speech is to transform your audience.
Stop thinking about your fears—about yourself and put 100% of your focus on delivering value to your listeners.
Whether you’re an experienced keynoter or a shy professional who doesn’t want to clam up whenever the conversation turns to money, be patient with yourself, enjoy the journey, and practice and grow!