When it comes to public speaking, responses are very different. Some people are natural born speakers who have no problem standing in front of a crowd and discussing a topic or trend.
Others are not so comfortable, often dreading the very idea of presenting something to a room full of people. However, this is great experience to have regardless of whether you enjoy it or not. Even a small presentation for colleagues can be nerve wracking for some but #CareerCounsel says it doesn’t have to be!
What is there to be afraid of?
Ever watched a movie or a cartoon where you see public speaking go horribly wrong? It’s a classic TV trope:
- The speaker tries to make a joke that is greeted by a ball of tumbleweed drifting through the room, with a few uncomfortable coughs from the audience.
- The speaker stumbles on their words, loses their place in the cue cards and it all goes horribly downhill.
- There’s a time lapse from the beginning of the presentation to the end…and most of the chairs have now been vacated.
Does this ever happen? Of course there have been presentations that haven’t gone completely to plan but rest assured there is no tumbleweed waiting in the wings!
How can you calm your public speaking nerves?
No you don’t picture the audience in their underwear…EVER! There are other ways to calm yourself and prepare for a great speaking opportunity:
- Relax before you have to speak. Breathe, prepare and be confident. You are more than capable of pulling this off!
- You will know well in advance what it is you’ll be talking about. Whether it is a work presentation or you are part of a panel, you have plenty of time to prepare. You won’t be thrust in front of anyone out of nowhere.
- People want to hear what you have to say; otherwise you wouldn’t be doing it in the first place. Remember that your contributions are important and valued.
- Do not rush through your presentation. You might think the sooner this is over, the better. But it doesn’t endear the audience to you, and you will appear flustered. Relax and take your time.
- If you do happen to lose your place at any point, take some time to recover. If you try to continue you are just digging a hole that is hard to recover from. Breathe, find your place and carry on.
- Look at your audience. It’s great to get an idea of their reactions and feed off that energy accordingly, no matter how tempting it may be to stare at your slides or cue cards.
- It’s completely fine to have water with you and take quick breaks to refresh. Not a single person will begrudge you a sip of water…seriously!
- SMILE!
One way of staying calm is to think of the benefits a great speaking opportunity can bring. Speaking of…
Why are public presentations great for your career?
- Proving your worth is always great in your career. When you pull off a flawless work presentation, you are proving your worth to your colleagues and managers. Show them what you’re made of!
- If you’re speaking at an event, you’ve been invited to do so for a reason. Justify that by delivering a great presentation and your contacts will grow.
- Following on from the above point, you can also use these opportunities to progress in your career. Getting noticed by the right person could open many doors.
- Your skills and confidence will grow. Getting used to the pressure of speaking in front of a crowd will boost your determination to tackle even greater things.
Our final words of counsel this week? Embrace the next time you have to address your colleagues in a meeting or presentation. Furthermore, attend seminars to observe how seasoned public speakers behave…and learn from this when you’re ready to do the same!