GETTING OVER
SPEAKER’S ANXIETY
G’day folks,
Today, I present a subject that might interest you. This is a guest post from David Rosman. David is
the winner of the Missouri Press Foundation's "Best Columnist" in
2013 and 2014. His is also an editor and award winning speaker. His newest
book, "A Christian Nation? An examination of Christian nation theories and
proofs", was released on December 15, 2011 as a paperback and eBook.
Welcome, David …
If you believe
that professional speakers are not nervous when they step in front of a new
audience, you are greatly mistaken. In fact, the fear of speaking in public is
so great that some would rather have a tooth pulled – without Novocain – than
to give a public speech.
Fear of speaking
in public even has a name, Glossophobia.
To my knowledge,
no one has ever died from giving a speech, barring the occasional assassination
of political rabble-rousers. I did have one student faint in my class, a Marine
Lance Corporal.
The general rule
is that the audience members are glad it is you up there and not themselves.
The anxiety you
have is natural and the physiology of what is happening is fairly simple to
explain. You are entering the “Fight or Flight Mode.” You are exposing yourself
to a group of people who will critique every aspect of your presentation,
from your grammatical errors to the misspellings on your PowerPoint
presentation. Adrenaline is flowing into your systems causing you to take
shallow breaths and your body is getting ready to either battle or
runaway. Blood is flowing to your core, thus the cold hands and feet, and
turning stomach. Your muscles are tensing, thus your pain in the back or neck.
Most books and
lectures spend little time on how to alleviate the turning stomach, the dry
mouth, the sweaty hands and the shortness of breath. There are usually three
suggestions: Practice, practice, practice. I agree with this bit of advice, but
there are better ways to help focus that energy to your presentation. Here are
a few.
Psychocybernetics: This is using the art of
visualization as a practice tool. Do not just practice your speech in front of
a mirror. Close your eyes and visualize the audience. Visualize giving the
prefect speech with the appropriate audience reactions. Do it over and
over again, at least five times.
If you can “see”
and “hear” the audience, your subconscious does not know if the experience is
real or if it is Memorex. (A reference to an old television commercial.) In
essence, you have given the speech five times already, so number six will be
easier.
Get Set, Then Meet and Greet: Get to the speaking venue at least 30-minutes before the meeting
begins. Get use to the room and where you are going to speak. Make sure the
microphone and projector are working, and your PowerPoint is ready. Then
introduce yourself to individual attendees. Focus on a few individuals, their
names and short stories. It is easier to give a speech to people you know than
total strangers.
(This leads to
another “trick” in winning the audience’s approval, which I will discuss in
another posting.)
Take a Breath and Step In: When you first stand in front of the audience, step back, take a
deep breath and let it go, step forward and open your presentation. Do not
hesitate. It is much like an Olympic ten-meter platform diver. They stop, take
a deep breath and let it out, and then step into the dive. Golfers do something
similar. They stand behind the golf ball, visualizing where the ball should go,
take a deep breath, let it out and approach the ball.
Step Back, Step In and Go: Even if you are reading your script, you will occasionally get
lost or forget what comes next. There are two tricks to use to get around the
embarrassment.
First, underline
or highlight key words in your script or use a Key Word Outline. When you get
lost, step back, find a key word, any key word, and step forward and restart
your speech from there. Few, if any, will know that you skipped a section.
The Linus Blanket – You remember Linus from
the Charlie Brown comic strips. He is always carrying his blanket for security.
You can do the same, but without the blanket. I usually suggest that you bring
a glass of water to the lectern or placed on a table where you are presenting.
I sometimes suggest that you bring your personal glass or mug. Two things are
happening here.
First, this is
something you are familiar with and increasing the comfort level. In fact, you
should practice with your glass close by.
Second, if you
get lost, stop, take a sip of water, find your key word and go. The audience
will not know if you have a dry throat, are nervous, lost your place or have a
natural stopping point in your presentation.
Talk to a Few:
It is easier
to talk to three people than 30. Choose three people in the audience with “kind
faces;” one in the front row, one center and one in the back of the audience. Make
sure one is on the right side of the venue, one on the left and
one center. Focus on these three individuals during the speech. It will
look like you are scanning the audience when you are only “seeing” three faces.
These are only
some of the “Rules” you need to know to make your presentation more
professional.
For more
information or assistance in designing your next presentation, contact David
Rosman and InkandVoice Communication at 573-999-0982, or write us at
Dave@InkandVoice.com.
Clancy's comment: Thank you, David. There are some great points here. There is one extra point I always try to add to any public speaking, whether it be a wedding or funeral. Initially, I try to make people laugh. Then, you have their undivided attention. What's next? Say what you have to say as smoothly and clearly as possible and sit down. Don't drone on.
I'm ...
Think about this!
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