What do you do if your mentee struggles with public speaking?

If your mentee’s knees knock and their voice trembles more than a leaf in a hurricane when they’re up to bat for public speaking, it’s all about understanding that fear. Dive into the deep end with them to discover what’s got them shaking in their boots. Is it the crowd, the fear of fumbling? Whatever it is, spotlight it. Once you know the boogeyman, you can start to strip away the power it holds. Remind them it’s okay to have butterflies, but show them how to get those butterflies flying in formation. They’ve got to remember, they’re in charge, not the fear. Fear’s just the cheap seats chatter while they’re center stage. Now, let’s help them find their voice and turn up the volume, big league style!

I like the idea of identifying and focusing on all of their strengths to help them clearly understand their speaking foundation. From there, I would ask them to work on and practice one skill at a time while speaking. Always remind the mentee to focus on that 1 skill when they speak. Then focus on the improvement the mentee has made immediately after you see them speak.

I will always show them my previous speaking videos and remind them how I got started. Build their confidence by telling them that every master was once a beginner. Encourage them that previous failures are not hurdles towards progression but rather a foundation for you to rely on to show progression in the future.

I like the idea of structure. Give the mentee a simple structure so that it helps them in any situation. You may choose to start with a simple structure to respond to questions. Every speaker gets questions at the end of a speech. Help them develop a structure so they can easily fit their thoughts into the structure when responding to questions.

I've observed one of the fastest ways we can trip ourselves up when we're presenting is to ask the wrong questions. That is: -What should I do with my hands? -How should I enunciate? -Should I walk around? If so when? These are all questions that keep the attention on ourselves and often keep us locked in our heads and, in turn, out of the moment. One of the keys to being a confident, clear and captivating presenter is knowing how to put your attention on the audience. That is ask different questions like: What do I want the audience to think, feel or do after this presentation? When you put your attention on the audience and off yourself, you instantly become captivating. In short, make it all about them and not you.

I believe the most important thing for the mentee is to be authentic, even if he learns several techniques on how to structure and deliver a presentation, they need to develop their own style, their signature.

One thing i found helpful is a "do it ANYWAY" mindset. So ok you're fearful...And that's fine Do it anyway. As fear decreases confidence will grow