Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking

“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Succeed or fail

When I accepted my current position, I knew I would be wildly successful or not progress beyond 90 days. I had a solid digital, marketing background, but I had never consulted before. The thought of speaking in front of a sea of faces felt like a thousand punches to my gut. Challenges make my skin tingle. This one left me holding my breath and clenching my teeth. I could have chosen the job similar to my previous role. The path I followed was unknown.

My first public speaking experience

After several months of successful consultations, I was slated to present in front of 100+ clients, as well as my company’s senior management. The decks were given to me less than a week before our meeting. Although I was the most junior presenter in our group, my boss assigned the most difficult topics to me. As I was already apprehensive about presenting, I wanted to puke.

My plan of attack consisted of tackling the topic I knew would receive the most scrutiny, first. Co-workers in other regions informed me this was the only presentation that sparked questions. I knew I had to be well-prepared and confident in my delivery. Next, I learned the demos. There was no room for error when showcasing the technical piece.

Finally, I started to review the last deck, which was out of scope for my role. However, I did not give myself ample time or energy to learn the talk tracks. Instead, I kept reading the same sentence over and over again. My body ached, my brain was fried, and my eyes felt heavy. Despite my fear of public speaking, I succumbed to sleep.

The following morning, our meeting started before the sun rose. Although I rarely drink coffee, my body needed fuel. The hot liquid trickled down my throat, leaving a sweet trail of energy. I took the microphone and did my thing. My management was pleased with my execution.

Next, I went through the demos. The caffeine continued to carry me. These also went off smoothly.

The third presentation was a different story. My muscles were beginning to ache, as my body began to crash. The slides taunted me, as I realized I had nothing relevant to say. My head spun, and I felt faint. I was grasping for my breathe and the right words to speak. I needed to remove myself from the spotlight, before my limp body would need reviving. The solution I turned to was pitiful for a public speaker. I started reading from the slides, as I rushed through them with sweaty palms.

Thankfully, the audience had checked out and not too many people noticed my incompetence. Obviously, the folks I presented with did, as well as our management and a trainer. The trainer said she could tell I was on the verge of fainting. My co-worker, C, refers to this day as the day I practically cried because I had to present.

My fear vanished

Fast forward to the following year, when I was tasked with public speaking in the form of multiple workshops. My co-worker, C, and I were asked if we wanted to co-present or do the workshops on our own. She is dynamic and engages the audience. I, on the other hand, was like a fish out of water. Although I knew she would outshine me, I wanted my clients to have the best experience possible. Memories of my near ambulance experience flooded my mind. I opted for co-presenting. We tag-teamed most of the workshops together, except for a few when she was sick. I flew solo on those days.

This time, I was well-prepared. By the end of our stint, I also became highly engaging in my delivery, like C. My fear of public speaking evaporated, as I learned how to rise to the challenge. Now, presenting is fun and easy. I present quite often, in-person and virtually, effortlessly.

Tips on how to be a successful public speaker

1. Know your material. In both instances above, the decks were created for me. At my first speaking engagement, my stomach was in knots. However, I was able to plow through the difficult deck and demos. Why? Because, I was prepared. I memorized the talk tracks, as well as the slide order. For the workshops, I knew the material inside and out. When my head started to buzz, I took a deep breath and reminded myself I was well versed in the content. Knowledge is what helped to alleviate my anxiety.
2. Look for a friendly face. At the first meeting, one of my favorite clients, J, sat in the front of the room. When apprehension prickled my skin, I made eye contact with him. J nodded his encouragement. The room suddenly grew smaller, as I directed my words to him, and him alone. In my mind, the audience faded, as I was now engaged in a conversation with J. When my nerves subsided, I was able to run my eyes across the sea of faces and address the room.
3. Exhibit confidence. If you are the presenter, you are the subject matter expert in the room. The audience is there because they want to hear what you have to say. Remember this. If your management is there and they know more than you, forget them and focus on your delivery. When you appear confident, people will listen. If you are visibly nervous, you will lose your audience.
4. Breathe. One of the ways I handle stress is through meditation. Before each workshop, I would sneak off into the bathroom and take three to five meditative breaths. This put me in a state of zen. I already knew my material. All I needed was a calm demeanor to execute.
5. Engage your audience, if appropriate. One of the easiest ways to connect with people is to ask questions. Of course, this does not always work. Some of my co-workers plant people to engage. I want an organic vibe. Thus, I avoid this. When my questions are met with silence, I lock eyes with a person I have great rapport with. This technique encourages this person to participate in the discussion. An engaging audience boosts the energy in the room, which increases the impact of your presentation.
6. Read the room. I need to adapt to my audience and incorporate strategies and talk tracks to keep people engaged. Being aware of body language and facial expressions is key to accomplishing this. Also, if your audience needs a break, they will lose focus on what you are saying. Make sure you read their cues.
7. Make eye contact. Another great way to draw your audience into your presentation is to make eye contact. We connect through human interaction. You will become more relatable to the recipients of your gaze, while boosting your spark on stage.
8. Be respectful. Make sure your presentation does not exceed the allotted time. Allow time for questions, and remember there are no stupid questions. Treat your audience with respect, and they will reciprocate.
9. Smile, and have fun. According to Psychology Today, “Each time you smile, you throw a little feel-good party in your brain. The act of smiling activates neural messaging that benefits your health and happiness.” When you are positive, your audience will reflect that back to you. So, smile, relax, and have fun!
10. Create visual slides. According to INC., “Visual storytelling plays an important role in getting [Google’s] message across. In fact, Google’s employees are being trained to present in a bolder, fresher style - less text-heavy and more visual.” When slides are wordy, your audience will focus on reading the text and not on you. Visual slides allow you to draw your audience into the story rolling off your tongue. When you have a great deck, you can present with confidence.
11. Avoid reading the slides. When you create powerful slides with images instead of text, you never have to worry about missing a bullet point. See the image, and deliver your message. Reading from slides shows a lack of knowledge and/or confidence. The slides are there to guide you, not dictate your speech. Take the slides and make the content your own. Each time you present, the words may be different, but the message will be the same. Remember, what you say is what matters, not what is written.
12. Go with the flow. When faced with technical issues, move through them. You cannot control poor WiFi. But, you can be prepared. What is your back-up plan? When I partnered with my colleague for those workshops, she bantered with the audience when our technology crashed. This allowed me time to fix the issue, so we could resume. Her carefree nature kept us on track. Technology breaks. Your reaction is what counts.

Public speaking is fun

When I first started public speaking, I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. Now, I enjoy the rush of sharing knowledge to an engaged audience. I no longer need to take those deep breaths. I know I will always deliver, which makes public speaking fun.

If any of these tips resonate with you, try them out. I hope your journey in overcoming your fear of public speaking adds a spark of excitement to your professional world.