While preparing to give my first public performance at the tender age of 9 years, I was struck with a sudden case of pre-stage fright. I'll never forget the sage advice my grandmother offered me to calm my jitters. "Imagine everyone in the audience is sitting there in their underwear." As a young child with visions of Garanamals dancing in my head, the advice made me giggle. Today with the advent of latex and thongs, acting on gran's advice would stir up significantly more than stage fright! So if not imagining undies-clad audience members, how does a novice speaker battle a bad case of nervousness?
You’ve been assigned a presentation to inform a group of your peers. You’re up for an annual award and you want to follow its acceptance with some words of wisdom. You’ve been invited to share about your job at a civic club. You’ve been asked to give a talk at your church or synagogue. Whatever you are facing, the thought of speaking in front of others has you shaking in your boots. You’re tempted to get in your car and speed off into the sunset. Perhaps it might prove helpful to employ the analogy of a road trip in comparison to giving your presentation or speech. After all, you are in the driver's seat and how this speaking journey goes is predominantly up to you.
First, recognize that a great road trip begins long before your hands touch the steering wheel. Similarly, a riveting speech begins long before you take the stage. Very few drivers embarking on a road trip would instill confidence in their fellow travelers by climbing into the car, firing up the engine, then asking “where are we going?” The surest road to speaking with confidence is a road paved with knowledge and information. Think about it, no one likes to drive around lost…even men who refuse to ask for directions aren’t enjoying themselves…they’re just too stubborn to admit they’re lost! I digress. Researching your topic is akin to getting out the map and planning your trip. The more you know about where you’re headed, the easier it is to get there. So do your homework. Know your subject matter. Become the expert. Prepare to dazzle the audience. It’s darn near impossible to be nervous when you’re brimming with confidence.
Second, take all the information you gathered through research and piece it together in a logical yet compelling format. But be careful not to overwhelm your listeners with mind numbing details. Your audience wants more than mere facts & figures. Don’t be afraid to add a few humorous stories. A couple of pithy quotes can also help spice up your presentation. Relevant personal stories are to speeches what good tunes are to the road trip. They’re not the main focus but they certainly can enhance the journey. In the world of road trips and of public speaking, boring is the unpardonable sin…don’t put your audience to sleep. Ever heard the expression, “I wanna die in my sleep like grandpa, not screaming in terror like everyone else in the car!” There are appropriate times for napping. Your presentation is not one of them. You’re a lot less likely to be nervous when your audience is engaging with you, even laughing rather than yawning.
Next your piano teacher was right, practice really does make perfect. Once all your information is put together the way you want it, get in front of the mirror or a friend if you’ve got a willing partner. Note your gestures, your facial expressions and your posture. Also, listen for inflections, vocal variety, pace & pronunciation. I once heard a fascinating speaker with a gripping story but I was distracted the entire time because she swayed back & forth for half an hour as she spoke! I’m sure I missed some profound pontification on her salient subject but I couldn’t help it. In keeping with our road trip theme, I was suffering from motion sickness! Practice, practice, practice. The more polished you are, the less likely you’ll be nervous.
Finally, the day of your presentation has arrived. The stage is set. The lights have come up…even if they are merely the fluorescents of the company conference room. Audience members have taken their seats. All eyes are on you, sweaty palms. One final thing to remember before you take the floor is that it’s important to be in a positive frame of mind. Don’t forget your pre-performance pump-up. For some that will come in the form of a simple prayer. For others it may be speaking positive affirmations to yourself {even silently}before you take center stage. It’s okay to tell yourself before you speak, “I am the expert”…“they can’t wait to hear what I have to share”… “they are going to LOVE me!” In road trip lingo this is the equivalent of making sure your tank is full and your tires are properly inflated. Your self-talk will fuel you, putting you on the freeway to speaking success. Whatever it is that pumps you up and fuels excitement will carry over to your fellow travelers. Oh yeah, one more thing…after you’ve been introduced…listen, really listen to the applause. That’s for you. There will be even more at the end. Now go dazzle them!
