Summary

The article "Four Ways to Silence the Shakes" provides guidance on how to speak confidently by being well-prepared, practicing thoroughly, using physical presence effectively, and remembering to breathe and engage with the audience.

Abstract

The article outlines strategies for overcoming nervousness and delivering a confident speech. It emphasizes the importance of knowing the subject matter thoroughly, practicing the delivery, including timing and visual aids, and being physically present and engaged. The author, with a decade of Toastmaster experience, suggests that speakers should prepare their material carefully, practice with recordings, and visualize success. Physical presence, including hand gestures and eye contact, is also highlighted as a key component of effective public speaking. The article concludes by encouraging speakers to remember to breathe, to not apologize for mistakes, and to consider joining Toastmasters for additional practice and feedback.

Opinions

The author believes that preparation is key to a successful speech, including understanding the logic and flow of the material.
Practicing the speech, especially the opening and closing, is crucial for making an impactful impression.
Recording oneself during practice can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement.
Visual aids like PowerPoint should be used sparingly and not read directly from the slides.
Physical presence, including appropriate hand movements and facial expressions, can greatly enhance a speaker's connection with the audience.
Eye contact should be inclusive and not fixated on a single individual.
The author advises against apologizing for mistakes during a speech and suggests embracing any deviations as part of the performance.
Joining a Toastmasters club is recommended for a safe environment to practice public speaking and receive constructive feedback.
The author expresses empathy for first-time speakers, acknowledging that even experienced speakers have had their own share of initial nervousness and mistakes.

Four Ways to Silence the Shakes

How to calm your nerves and speak confidently.

Have you ever seen someone stand up to speak shaking like a leaf?

Have you been there and done that?

Would you like to be more confident when you are scheduled to speak?

If so, I have several suggestions for you from my 10 years of Toastmaster experience.

KNOW YOUR SUBJECT

It would seem that this is elementary, but many people skimp on it. Preparation of the material, not just the facts but the logic and flow, is paramount. You need to carefully prepare your material and make sure it makes sense. You want to have it persuasive, informative, and entertaining. You can use notes or a script or even memorize (though I don’t recommend that -especially with technical material). You need to ask questions of yourself — if you were the listener would this make sense? Why should the listener care? Is there something they can take away from this to be better at their job or in their lives?

You must start with the end in mind. Every speech or presentation should have a purpose, which gives energy to the presentation — and confidence to the speaker. And you want to have your closing, your call to action, your takeaways, firmly in mind and ready to pop in to give the speech/presentation a concluding punch. It should be memorable and a firm conclusion — so that the speech ends with a bang not a fade out.

PRACTICE

After you write your speech (recommended) let it set a little and then edit. Read it aloud to identify any weak spots or places where it could be improved. When you read it first also time it. You probably have been given a time limit and you don’t want to exceed it — especially if the time is set by management. If you have some leeway, you can adjust your time estimate based on the material you want to cover. Practice it with planned pauses that allow your listeners to absorb what you said and also not run over laugh lines, if humor is included.

If possible, record yourself, preferably both audio and visual. It may dismay you at first, since you don’t see or hear yourself the same way from an external point of view. At the very least try practice in front of a mirror. You want to hear and see it as the audience will.

Visualization is another good tool for practice. Imagine giving the speech and try to imagine a very positive response (visual and audio) from your audience. Visualize success.

Practice especially your opening and closing — make sure they pop. You can lose your audience in 30 seconds so be careful. You want to snag them right off the bat — question, startling statement, something that grabs their attention. You want them to walk away having learned something. what is it? State it in a few words — no more than 30–60 seconds.

If you are using power point or other technical software, make sure you practice with it beforehand. Make slides simple, not wordy, and never read from the slides- the audience can do that themselves. Make sure the slides are readable — especially figures.

BE PHYSICAL

When you watch your recording or watch the mirror check out where your hands are, how your body looks, your expressions. Plan what you will do with your hands — even if they are just at your side. Don’t fidget or clasp them in front or in back. If you can use your hands to emphasize points in your speech, plan that out and know where it is coming. Don’t move artificially but plan. Make sure your face matches your mood and passion. As the saying goes “if you’re happy and you know it, don’t forget to tell your face”. If you don’t look engaged, your audience won’t be either.

Practice eye contact. You don’t want to be laser focused on any one person, nor be like a searchlight panning back and forth. But rather look and move. Find a friendly face to deliver your first point, then pivot to another for the next point. Use friendly faces in the crowd to bolster your confidence, but don’t fixate on anyone.

Plan to include pauses — they will allow you to breate (more about that in a moment), gain energy for the next point, and moderate your delivery. If you go too fast people will get lost. They also deliniate points of your presentation.

REMEMBER

And finally remember. Remember to breathe — several deep breaths right before you take the stage. This will help calm your nerves. Remember if you miss something or add something else in just act like it was supposed to be that way because no one has your script. Don’t apologize, don’t say you are nervous (people will know that, especially if this is your first time). Don’t say “I want to tell you a story” just tell the story.

Remember that everyone in the room has had their first time of speaking in front of a group, even the CEO or professor, or community leader. They all went through what you are going through without any experience to back them up. Some might have done it real early, like me in church at age 8 or 10, but all did it the first time. They probably all had goofs — like me getting lost in the chords when I first played guitar with one of my own compositions. They have been there and remember.

So, remember that they want you to succeed. They’re not sitting there waiting to see you fall. They are waiting there to clap and applaud your performance. And if you need more help and want a safe place to practice, why not consider joining a Toastmaster club where you can practice and receive valuable feedback designed to build your confidence and help you keep on speaking.

Toastmasters is an international organization which is designed to help people practice their communication and leadership skills by holding regular meetings where members can practice those skills in a safe environment and improve their competence and confidence.

Thanks for reading. If you want help connecting with a local Toastmasters club, please mention that in the commnets or email me at [email protected] I can direct you to a search site where you can find a club in your area. I welcome your comments no matter your experience.