5 Simple Secrets to Breakthrough Terror of Speaking in Public

There's no skill that drives us so mad with fear yet it can drive our careers on a rewarding journey. Here are 5 starting points so you don't feel vulnerable about conquering public speaking.

1) Don’t do it Alone!

Find a practice partner, a coach, a friend - ideally it needs to be someone who can give your professional level feedback however if that is not at hand then anyone is better than no-one. It also really helps to be clear with the person you are practicing with. Do you want feedback or just a form of accountability to get you into the driving seat of trying out your talk? Sometimes a friend serves best to give you their time and re-assurance, but depending on who they are, their feedback might not be accurate enough to be of use. I remember practicing for my driving test with my Great Uncle Freddy. What was fantastic was that he didn’t give me any advice at all but had the patience to give me the space to practice. I grew in confidence because I just got to drive without being taught. So you might want a “Great Uncle Freddy” to practice in front of who just lets you do it, and you might also want the advice of someone who has more specific experience who will be able to give you expert feedback. Notice the difference. A violinist friend of mine went to a fellow violinist for feedback before an orchestral audition. Her friend knew how to play the part of the cold auditioner who simply asks you to play in a neutral way. It gave my friend a chance to play emotionally and fully in a context that was un-emotional and formal. She wasn’t waiting for smiles of reassurance to play at her best.?

2) Knowing your “why”

This is something that has been written about a lot recently by Simon Sinek who in his?book “Start with Why" tackles the question of how to share ideas that inspire action.?So in giving a confident talk this is your moment where your mission, passion, purpose and all that jazz comes into the air. If you have deep in your bones your motivation and reason to speak, then your voice will sing out in a different way. It might shake but it will resonate with your public. Give yourself time to prepare for your speech to accustom yourself to speaking with and through the emotion. Again practice with someone who can sit with you as if they were a member of the public who didn’t know you. Think about the speeches made by like great political leaders seeking ground breaking change - you feel that each of their words is like a fingerprint because they carry the sense of the importance as they speak. Take time to find your personal motivation.?

3) Find the smiling faces

Conquer those nerves - it is so easy when you are nervous to home in on any face in the audience that looks like they are not enjoying your talk. It is natural as we are animals and need to watch out for danger! However noticing this will easily steer you off road. Make sure you balance your gaze by also noticing who is nodding their heads. Concentrate on those that are responding to your talk. You will feel more enthused and therefore the rest of the audience will find you more easy to listen to. The person with the serious face might well have their own reasons for looking that way so you help no-one by concentrating on them.?

4) Beginnings and endings

You might think your talk starts with your first word but actually is starts before then. It starts the minute you put your foot on the stage. You are treading the boards. You are part of a line of history of the sacred space of the theatre. So for the audience the minute you step onto that stage you are part of their world. Therefore make your actions clean and clear. If you need to arrange your papers do it calmly. This is not the moment to wander about or shuffle - the audience are already drawing their conclusions about whether they will like you and your talk. Be at home whilst at the same time have the awareness that you are in a special place and something special is about to happen. So if you have to prepare papers try to do it to the side of the stage or in a discrete way so that when you “take the stage” and begin your talk there is a sense of occasion. Feel the responsibility of the stage and at the same time be response-able - this comes from the preparation you have put in. Be decisive in your movements and don’t paddle around aimlessly. Winning focus is from being focused and knowing that you and your public are there for a reason.?

5) First words are not your first words

Make sure your first word on stage is not the first word you have uttered all day. The voice is an instrument that needs to be warmed up just like any sports person would warm up. So whether it is singing in the shower before you leave, or humming in the car on the way - find a way to get your voice moving before you get up on stage. Some warm up exercises at the side of the stage will help. Deep breathing even whilst sat listening to other speakers will help. If you are travelling by public transport you can hum along to the background sounds without worrying that someone will hear you.?

If you've got questions about how to learn more about speaking on stage, don't hesitate to be in touch.

Deborah Claire Procter (MFA, FRSA, Creative Wales Award)?-?Clear Insight Productions??|??Cynyrchiadau?Gweledigaeth Glir - Multimedia Artist, Mentor, Producer: Email | Website |?Facebook |?Twitter |?Youtube |?Linkedin |?Instagram

New ways of being, doing & knowing | Ffyrdd newydd o fod, gwneud a gwybod - Clear Insight Productions makes theatre, opera, film, music & dance productions that present the opportunity to find wider perspectives & new ways of seeing the world. | Mae Gweledigaeth Glir yn gwneud cynyrchiadau theatr, opera, ffilm, cerddoriaeth a dawns sy'n cyflwyno'r cyfle i ddarganfod safbwyntiau ehangach a ffyrdd newydd o edrych ar y byd.?|

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About Deborah: She is a multi-media artist from Wales who makes performances for theatres, galleries and site-specific spaces. She gained her degree in theatre at the University of Exeter and a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Wales, Cardiff. Her performances have been shown in numerous prestigious theatres and galleries such as The Ferens (Hull), Spacex (Exeter), Hemsley (Madison, EEUU), and the Museum Theatre (Madras, India). She has worked with Theatre Alibi (U.K.) and received training with Gardzienice Theatre Association in Poland. The theatre critic David Adams (U.K.) described her solo show Don’t Know as both “lyrical and quirky.” In 2005 she received the Creative Wales Award for her work with video & experimental dance. In 2003 and 2005 she was funded by Wales Arts International to visit Argentina to collaborate with Oscar Edelstein. She set up the independent production company Clear Insight Productions, works as a consultant on social media marketing for performance groups, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.?She mentors new businesses owners to dig into finding their voice in their branding and marketing, whilst discovering the joy of feeling of powerfully speaking about what they do on any stage in order to playfully and intuitively expand their business.