What do you do if you need to conquer your fear of public speaking?

Firstly, it is important to accept that whether it is your first public speech or 100th one, most of us will always feel those butterflies in our stomach. Secondly, use that fear to focus. One common fear is to have a non-receptive audience: · use icebreakers and humour to get positive reactions from the audience. This will boost your confidence. · Familiarise yourself with the audience and the other speakers prior to the event: (sector they work in/job titles etc.) so you can make it relevant to the audience, and avoid unnecessary repetitions. · draft a speech or presentation that is true to yourself and to your style. · make sure that you have neat, tidy, clear notes that you can easily rely on

If you talk about a topic that you know very well and it is your great passion, then this is already one big advantage that helps to overcome the fear. Every presentation should be like a good story with a beginning and an end. The story must offer an opportunity to relate. A good joke is one that takes the pressure off both you and the listeners (it also makes the audience more lenient towards you). If you know what you are talking about, are well prepared and know your audience, then there is no reason to be afraid. A little anxiety before a performance is always helpful because it keeps you in shape.

Practice, practice, practice. When we're nervous, our performance deteriorates. The best way to counteract this is to over-practice until you are very confident in the delivery of your speech. Even if your performance ends up being less than perfect because you're nervous, it'll still be great!

In addition to practising on your own, you may wish to elect a few people you know, to deliver that speech/presentation to; Why? There is a big difference between rehearsing by yourself and actually delivering a speech/presentation in front of an audience. Having said that, make sure that the latter does not make you more nervous; sometimes the artificial environment that we create for rehearsals, can put us off and give the impression we are not ready. In this case, my advice would be to stop. Another way of practising is to film yourself while you are practicing. Again not something for everyone. Ultimately, what matters is for you to remember your main messages, so do not worry too much about rehearsing every single word.

La mentalidad correcta y la visualización positiva es, en mi opinión, el 90% del éxito al hablar en público. Con mis alumn@s dedico buena parte de las sesiones a trabajar y reforzar este aspecto. Hay que impresionar el subconsciente e instalar una imagen poderosa primero, sólo luego se agregan las técnicas. Todo comienza en la creencia profunda de SER un buen orador@.

This is an important tip; it helps you believe in yourself. Like anything else, if you go into it with a defeatist attitude, you are more than likely to reflect this vibe in your speech/presentation, which will then lead to the audience not being engaged . If you are to visualize yourself and the audience, you may also want to picture the other panellists/speakers, agreeing with what you say.

Remember: People in the audience are there to hear your message, and not to judge you as a person or the delivery of your speech. Most audiences are quite well-meaning. They are well intentioned. And people also understand when you're nervous or if you misspeak. There's really no reason to be anxious. Realize that the anxiety is in your head and there's no real threat out there in your audience.

If you're worried about speaking in front of a big group, focus on one person at a time and just look at that person. When I speak, I tend to walk around so I get close to different parts of my audience. I always look at individuals, rather than the broad mass of people.

Above all, enjoy the public speaking. It takes some time to get to that realisation, but it is such a great experience getting to share your thoughts and views and that project you have been working on. So my advice is, think about it as something you can and should enjoy, as if you were speaking to a group of friends. Understand that you can make an impact, and that it is not about you: those in front of you are just as you are, they crave connection, learning your story, maybe share the same concerns or frustration and have been looking for a solution. That shift itself can make your public speaking better… and more enjoyable.