Overcome the fear of public speaking

The fear of public speaking is recorded under many studies as the #1 fear in the world, it is second to death!

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Jerry Seinfeld puts this best: “People would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy!” So here are some steps so you don’t have to be one of these people.
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GET YOUR OWN THOUGHTS RIGHT ON YOUR TOPIC AND YOUR NERVES

One of the most common questions I get asked after I give a talk is “Ah I don’t know how you do it, aren’t you nervous?” and my response is always the same: “No, because everyone here wants me to do well.” The audience have come to this event to see a speaker that can give them good content, a stack of concepts to take back to their workplace, and to be challenged and of course, entertained. No one here wants me to fail.

We have all been tortured in an audience where the speaker or trainer has been so nervous that their shakes or stuttering didn’t allow us to hear their message, plus it’s super uncomfortable.

Like most things, it’s not about you. No one in your audience wants you to be nervous, stumble on words, or waste their time with pointless drivel or speak mono-toned/without energy that puts everyone to sleep. It benefits them if you are great at delivering your message, so get your thoughts in check about this, with a room full of people who want you to do well then let that positivity soothe your nerves.

“The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public” – George Jessel

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GET THOSE NERVES OUT OF YOUR BODY

I was speaking at a large conference and a fellow speaker had put so much pressure on himself to do well, he wanted to ease his tension with a couple of tequila shots. He didn’t even manage to get out one sentence before he threw up in the plant on the stage. 

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DON’T DO THIS, DO THIS INSTEAD: PINCH YOURSELF

When you get some nerves during your talk slightly pinch your thigh, discreetly, this helps your body release the tension, plus it’s a little distraction from the thoughts and creates some energy for you to use.
Might seem a little crazy, obviously don’t do it so hard you cry on stage (yes I have seen this too) but try it and find what works for you.
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Pinch, not tequila!
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RIDE THAT HIGH

Remember last time you spoke in public and you were so nervous before you spoke then after you smashed it you were on a high and wondered what all the stress was about?!! Well next time you are in that moment, write a note to yourself for your next gig to remind yourself what life is like post-presentation-pressure. Use the 20/20 vision of hindsight on yourself.

Remember you are not the only one that gets nervous, Mark Twain says it best “there are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous and 2. Liars.”

It is not that any speaker gets over the nerves it’s just they get better with dealing with those nerves. 

Here at Persuaders, we offer public speaking training. So contact us today if you want to continue to ride that high!

Learn how to effectively clean up a messy presentation
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