7 Tips to get over your fear of public speaking

I’m a proud introvert and 4 is about the size of a group I’d like to ideally hangout with. Beyond that I crave for space and time to process the various emotions in the room. Naturally, this turned into anxiety / fear every time I got on to a stage. But as a business leader, I had no choice but to win this battle.

From the boy who acted sick because he didn’t have the guts to recite a poem on stage to the product evangelist who represents his company at large tech-conferences, webinars and mainstage kickoffs, I’m proud of the person I’ve become. I tell my story to every introvert, and every aspiring leader as a reminder that persistence and practice can make you better at literally anything. So, here are a few thoughts/actions that helped me become a world-class public speaker:

1. Pick topics and styles that you are comfortable with. You don’t have to take on impromptu debates and panel discussions on day 1
2. Remember that people are not there to judge you, but to learn from you
3. No one remembers a mistake or two, but they do remember a laugh. So, add humor.
4. Take time to reflect on your feelings before, during and after the event. You’ll realize that your mind/heart tricks you into overestimating the number of things that can go wrong. With this simple piece of information you can easily trick your heart/brain/stomach that everything is going to be fine like the last few times
5. Rehearse the **** out of your presentation, but don’t try to remember every word. Practice is good, but you need to spare yourself some space for spontaneity. Too much rigidity can throw you off balance if you miss a line/thought.Start small before you go big. Choose fail-safe environments. Put yourself out there. Latch on to any opportunity to get in front of crowds — do a toast, volunteer for a magic trick, ask a question, answer a question, join Toastmasters, speak at a meetup, etc.
6. When you are facing the crowd, try not to think of them as a large group but as multiple individuals. You may not be smarter than the entire crowd, but you are definitely smarter than most individuals on the topic of your choice.
7. And finally, feedback is critical. Whenever you have an option, record yourself. Pay attention to how often you smile, your pace, your confidence, and your body language. Keep a track of what you are improving on and what you need to work on. Feedback is as much about retrospecting as it is about celebrating the small wins.

Did you find these tips useful? Do you have anything else that works well for you? Please share them with our community in the comments section.