How to Build Confidence on Stage

After seeing me give a keynote last week in Seattle, a client asked me for my go-to stage prep tips—a question I get asked often this time of year. (Yes, even the most practiced public speakers still actively prepare for getting on stage. There’s no autopilot button for this!) Here’s what I shared with her: Physical Prep— >> Breathe: Diaphragmatic breathing. In through your nose, fill your belly, exhale slowly. It centers your body and gets your mind focused. (Also calms jitters). >> Posture: Stand tall. Feet shoulder-width apart. Chest open. Shoulders relaxed. Helps project confidence… and helps you physically own the space (think Executive Presence). >>Chew gum: Yes, really. Chew gum before you get up there. Releases tension, reduces dry mouth. (Just be sure to spit it out before you start speaking!). Mental Prep— >> Reframe nerves: Instead of “I’m nervous,” tell yourself “I’m excited.” That adrenaline? Let it FUEL you. >> Visualize success: Picture yourself delivering your message with confidence. Imagine the audience responding positively. Set the tone before you even start. >> It’s not about you: The key. Focus on them, not you. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about making a connection with the audience. Shift the spotlight to them in the first 20 seconds by asking a question or inviting them to move their body. You’ll get a second to catch your breath and actually take in the stage, lights, and audience at hand. One last thing? Thank the backstage crew for all their help. Because having a working mic and flattering lighting really matters—and you most definitely couldn't do that part without them.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 ❤️ 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴? 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗽. Speaking to a group, big or small, can be daunting. But here's how to tackle it head-on and turn nerves into a powerful presentation. 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗹𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. → Fear of judgment is often in our heads. Most audiences are rooting for you. They want to see you succeed. → Perfection isn't the goal. Authenticity is. Mistakes make you relatable. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱: →Visualize success. Imagine your audience engaged and responding positively. → Breathe deeply. It calms nerves and steadies your voice. → Know your material inside out. Confidence comes from preparation. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱, 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: → Arrive or dial-in early. Familiarize yourself with the space. → Warm up your voice. It’s a muscle that needs stretching. → Make idle conversation with participants. You will be surprised by how relaxing it will be for you. 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵, 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆, 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱: → Start with a story or anecdote. It breaks the ice and draws your audience in. → Maintain eye contact. It builds connection and trust. → Use pauses effectively. They emphasize key points and allow your audience to digest information. Fifth, e𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: → Ask questions. It invites interaction and keeps them attentive. → Use humor appropriately. Laughter relaxes both you and your audience. 𝗦𝗶𝘅𝘁𝗵, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: → Be yourself. Authenticity shines through and puts everyone at ease. → Acknowledge your nerves if they surface. It humanizes you and makes the audience empathetic. Remember, stage fright signals that you care about your message. Embrace it, and you'll turn your fear into fuel. 💪 How can I help?

𝐍𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐬? 𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 You’re waiting to speak. Your heart races. Your stomach flips. Your mind goes blank. Sound familiar? Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or stepping onto the stage for the first time, nervousness is natural. The founder of NSA Cavett Robert, said “The key is not to eliminate the butterflies, but to teach them to fly in formation.” Here’s how I coach my clients to turn anxiety into impact: 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲:  Preparation is your best tactic. As a rule, invest six hours of preparation for every one hour of speaking. Memorize your opening and closing. Know them cold. These are your most high-stakes moments, when you’re most nervous and need to be most fluent. 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲: Arrive early. Get comfortable with the room or stage. Walk where you’ll stand. Test the tech. Make friends with the stage before your audience arrives. 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲:  Shake out the tension. Backstage or in the bathroom, try this: shake your hands, loosen your jaw, bounce on your toes. Also, greet your audience! Shake hands, make eye contact, connect before you speak. You’re rarely nervous about people you’ve already met. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Don’t get stuck sitting down right before speaking. If you are going to talk about an hour into the agenda, sit in the back of the room so that for some portion of that hour, you can stand up. It isn't easy to immediately jump into your presentation and be dynamic when you have been sitting down and relaxed. Sitting in the back of the room allows you easy access to the bathroom before a speech. One of the greatest orators of the twentieth century, Winston Churchill, said, "𝑁𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑢𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑜 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚." This is very true with delivering presentations. 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: Nervousness is a sign that you care. With the right preparation and techniques, your audience will only see confidence. Good luck with your next presentation. #presentationskillsexpert #keynotespeaker #publicspeaking #frippvt

Is public speaking your worst nightmare? For many, the fear of public speaking ranks above the fear of death. Sounds dramatic, right? A couple of weeks ago, an employee asked for my advice on being less anxious and more confident on stage. There is no perfect formula that works for everyone, but I shared what helps me get more present and confident on stage. 1. Remember that the audience is rooting for you. People don’t go to talks hoping to be bored, they go hoping to learn something or to be entertained. If you see people who look like they are not paying attention, often that has more to do with them than with you. 2. Find happy faces and focus on them. There are usually some people in the crowd who are vibing with the talk. When you find them, focus on and deliver the talk to them. As an audience member, it’s hard to know who the speaker is talking to, and it can look weird if the speaker’s gaze is constantly darting around the room. 3. Stand confidently. The audience can sense your energy during the talk. If you are constantly pacing or shuffling, you can look uneasy, which can make you uneasy. Find a position that you feel confident in and own it. How you show up is who they will read your energy. 4. Make clarity your number one goal. It’s easy to set the expectations for yourself out of whack if you compare yourself to an entertainer. An audience can learn a lot from someone who might be nervous but who focuses on making their message as clear as possible. But if you go too far in the direction of entertaining and you don’t have a clear message, nerves can kill the whole talk. The more you build confidence in the clarity of your message, you will be more confident and able to add more jokes and personality. 5. Anxiety is a signal you care. It is normal to feel some nerves before a talk. It signals that you care about the audience and how the message will be received. When you harness that anxiety, it can ultimately drive you to do better and be more prepared, so try it use it that way instead of letting it shut you down. 6. Pick topics you care about. When picking the topic for your talk, find something you genuinely care about. It is very hard to give a great talk about something you don’t genuinely care about. When structuring a talk, focus on putting yourself in a position to speak genuinely about the topic. Bonus: If you are feeling confident and want to take your talk to the next level, you should think about the emotional arcs throughout your presentation. It’s more interesting to watch someone talk through the highs and the lows, than it is to hear only about the highs. Bring us on the journey of your story, or how you found your insights. This is just a start of how to up your presentation game. To my pros out there, what other advice have I missed? What would you say to someone who is starting to hit the talk circuit?