Ten years ago, I arrived at Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon to give a presentation to 150 people. It was the most public presentation I had ever done.
As I walked through the doors of the bookstore, the manager on duty that night spotted me and said, “Wow! You look terrified. Haven’t you ever done this before?”
Yes, of course I had done this before, just not to a crowd this big. And yes, of course I was nervous but her comment only made me feel more jittery.
But she had made a mistake: she had assumed that if I were more experienced, I wouldn’t be nervous.
How wrong she was! I’ve now given many, many more presentations since that night and I still get nervous, no matter how large or small the crowd. The big difference between then and now is that now, the fact that I’m nervous doesn’t make me more nervous. I expect to feel a bit of public speaking anxiety.
Being Nervous Isn't a Problem.
It’s a sign that I’m getting ready to do my best. And I know that a few minutes into my presentation, the feeling will wane.
Nervousness before public speaking goes by many names: butterflies, stage fright, nerves, public speaking anxiety and opening night jitters.
No matter what you call it, that anxious feeling isn’t something you can abolish forever nor is this something to wish for. A little bit of nervousness is good. In fact, the right dose of butterflies gives you focus. You just don’t want so much of it that the anxious feelings overwhelm you.
To quell your public speaking anxiety,
here are my top 7 tips:
Learn Gigi’s top 7 tips for calming your public speaking anxiety.
1. Normalize
Your tinge of stage fright is not a problem. It’s normal. The only difference between you and someone who’s experienced is that the experienced person doesn’t see the nervousness as a problem. The jittery feeling helps you know you’re ready to perform. Some people even call this feeling "excitement."
2. Exercise
The morning of your presentation, do a harder-than-average workout or take a brisk walk. Exercise helps dispel nervous energy and will calm you down.
3. Imagine the best
If your mind keeps running scenes of you doing a bad job, change the story. See yourself on the real or virtual stage of Zoom feeling relaxed and alert. Envision the most eloquent version of yourself. Imagine you doing your best.
4. Speak the worst
If your mind keeps conjuring “what if” scenarios, describe them aloud to a friend, colleague or your public speaking coach. Usually, once you describe what mishap you fear will happen they sound hilarious and will make you laugh at how far-fetched they are. Or they bring up a worry that you can remedy ahead of time.
5. To change your mind, shift your body
If your nerves are making you feel sweaty and ill and like all you want to do is hunch over and clutch your stomach, do the opposite. Stand up straight and smile instead. Act calm and enthusiastic and you may start to feel calm and excited to greet your audience.
6. Check your ego
The presentation you’re about to deliver, is not about you. It’s never been about you. It’s always about making a connection with your audience. Keep your focus on them. This will also help you feel less self-conscious and edgy.
7. Connect with your desire
Remind yourself of the reason you’re giving this talk, in the first place. Some reasons my clients have include: they’re interviewing for a new job and they’re excited about this new opportunity, they’re giving a toast at a wedding to show their friend how much they care, they’re presenting to the Board of Directors to show that they have the presenting chops to be a leader. In each case, they have a bigger reason that helps them endure the discomfort of nervousness.
Try these out and then tell me how it worked out! I’d like to hear.