Tips for Building Confidence in Public Speaking

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?

I remember being scared to death to speak in front of my classmates.    For most people, fear of public speaking is greater than fear of death! Being able to speak effectively to groups is a key leadership skill, but fear can hold us back, cause us to doubt our abilities and shy away from opportunities that could propel us forward. I decided to follow my mother’s advice and take a public speaking class. Fast forward to today, over forty years later. I learned public speaking skills, taught university classes, and became a marketing and sales director.  I went on to become a paid speaker, life coach and the host of The Hero Within Podcast.  Learning public speaking was one of the most important career decisions I've ever made. Through the years, I've had the privilege of coaching others to become better entrepreneurs and leaders.   Whether it's delivering a sales pitch, leading a staff meeting, or engaging the audience, effective communication is critical to success. I continue to learn from my coaches who are helping me improve my presentation skills.  It isn't a one-time endeavor; it's an ongoing process that significantly enhances our effectiveness as a leader. Here are seven steps to becoming a better presenter and a more effective communicator: 1. Know your audience, their needs and interests.  Research and understand their problems and gear your message to solving a specific problem. 2. Become well versed in your content, allowing you to deliver it confidently.  Don’t memorize your material because then you’ll sound scripted.  Instead, be comfortable enough that you can talk about the main points from your heart. 3. Practice, practice, practice and practice some more!  It’s great to practice in front of a mirror, and it helps to become comfortable hearing your own voice. 4. Become an engaging storyteller to connect with your listeners.  Personal stories or hypothetical scenarios can make complex information more relatable to the audience. 5. Pay attention to your nonverbal body language, using posture, gestures and movement to enhance your impact.  Your posture conveys your level of confidence and your eye contact helps the audience build connection with you. 6. Manage nervousness by focusing on the excitement to share your message.  Instead of telling ourselves to “calm down,” reframing our anxiety as excitement is more effective because the feelings are nearly the same physiologically!    7. Actively seek feedback and continuously work to improve.  Be the first to give yourself feedback, assessing what you think went well and what you think you could improve.  You may also seek feedback from audience members, mentors, or your coach.  Take the feedback that you feel applies, disregard the rest and continue practicing.  See #3. By embracing these principles and dedicating yourself to ongoing growth, you’ll increase your speaking skills, empowering yourself to lead and inspire others with clarity and confidence.  

I was terrified of public speaking and had embarrassing verbal tics. So what did I do? I joined the speech and debate team. I’ve turned my kryptonite into my superpower & given speeches in front of large crowds, including 60,000 on the lawn of Central Park. 5 tips to help you crush your next talk: 1️⃣ Do not pace. It distracts the listener and projects disorganized structure. Instead - only during major transitions in the speech - move to a fixed point on the stage 3 or 4 steps away, stop and square your shoulders to the audience. Take the listener on a journey with you. 2️⃣ Keep it on the up and up. Always gesture with your hands above the waist. Science shows you command respect when you use your hands to accentuate key points. 3️⃣ Hold space. Early on, project confidence and comfort with tension by pausing so long that it’s almost uncomfortable. But don’t do this too much or else it’s annoying and overly emphatic/preachy. 4️⃣ Be spontaneous. Say something up top that keys off the room, the day, ideally funny or ironic or self deprecating - anything that makes you appear unscripted and more natural. When you show you’re present, the audience mirrors you. 5️⃣ Never read. Sure, write out prepared remarks. Read them as many times as you want in front of a mirror. Then, burn them. Learn how to speak from the heart with simple notes that remind you of the key points. The audience came to hear you SPEAK - not listen to you read. Public speaking can set you apart. You probably are great at it and just don’t know it yet. With these tips, all the world’s a stage.

Does the thought of public speaking make your palms sweat? You're not alone. Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, impacts over 75% of people - even experienced leaders. This fear can become a significant professional roadblock, hindering career advancement and leadership effectiveness. I've been there myself. Early in my career, I struggled with public speaking. My words would rush out, my body would shake, I would freeze up, and my forehead would bead with sweat. Despite my discomfort, I knew I needed to conquer this fear to progress in my career and amplify my influence. You might be feeling the same way. Maybe you've missed opportunities to share your insights during critical meetings. Perhaps you've seen potential promotions slip through your fingers because you couldn't present your vision convincingly. Or maybe you're holding back from speaking engagements, knowing they could raise your professional profile, but dreading the thought of standing on stage. These missed opportunities can be frustrating and even career-limiting. Your expertise and vision are invaluable, but if you can't communicate them effectively, it's hard to drive change, inspire your team, or influence stakeholders. You're not alone in this struggle, but you don't have to let this fear control your professional journey. To help guide us through this journey, I reached out to my friend Pascalle Bergmans 🧚♀️, the self-proclaimed fairy godmother for public speaking and the Founder & CEO of PresenTales. She shared four transformative tips to elevate your public speaking skills: Tip 1: Use the power of storytelling to take your audience on a journey into YOUR world. Invite them in. Let them see the world through your eyes. Tip 2: Create a clear and powerful vocal identity. This is your vocal ‘fingerprint’ where you master pace, volume, accent, timing, tone, sound, etc. Tip 3: Nerves? Shaky voice? BREATHE. Using diaphragmatic breathing will not only calm down your parasympathetic nervous system, it will help you keep a steady airflow so you sound confident right from the start. Tip 4: TOP TIP: Take up more space than usual. This one can feel counterintuitive, but when you enlarge the space you take up, your dopamine levels will increase and you will look AND feel more confident. I encourage you to follow Pascalle. She shares expert daily content that will help you become a more confident, effective and influential speaker. 👉 What's your best public speaking tip? Share it in the comments. #leadership #management #communication #publicspeaking

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

Transforming Stage Fear into Stage Presence: Cultivating a Positive Speaking Mindset You’ve all seen it: shaking hands, sweaty fingers, and a blank mind when the stage lights come on. Performance anxiety, sometimes known as stage fear, affects many people, including the most professional performers. But what if I told you that the secret to breaking through this mental barrier is not raw force, but understanding the psychology behind it? Here are some psychology-backed tips which can help you overcome your stage fear: 1️⃣ Understand Your Enemy: Stage Fear ✅ Fear of judgement, rejection, or failure is a common source of stage fear. ✅Recognising and treating these underlying fears is important. ✅Remember that connecting with your audience authentically is more important than being faultless. ✅Accept mistakes as a part of your journey. 2️⃣ Accept the Nerves Before a Performance ✅Those pre-performance butterflies, believe it or not, can be your friends. ✅The adrenaline rush can help you focus better and perform better.  ✅Deep, controlled breaths tell your body that it is OK to relax. ✅Meditation and mindfulness activities can be quite beneficial in stress management. 3️⃣ Visualization and Positive Affirmations ✅Imagine yourself giving your speech or performance with confidence. ✅Combine this with positive affirmations to increase your self-confidence. ✅Use your imagination as a strong instrument to create a mental rehearsal in which you beat the stage fear one good thought at a time. 4️⃣ Connect with Your Audience ✅Change your attention away from yourself to your audience. ✅Keep in mind that they are there to hear your message or to enjoy your performance. ✅Engage with them, make a connection, and you'll notice that the fear fades as your focus changes to providing value to others. 5️⃣ Practice makes a man perfect ✅The more you practice, the more at ease you will get with the material. ✅Practice not only improves your talents but also boosts your confidence. ✅Knowing your material well allows you to overcome stage fear more smoothly, changing your presentation into a well-rehearsed masterpiece. How did you overcome your stage fear? #fear #transformation #publicspeakingcoach #mindset

I've dedicated over 2,000 hours in the past three years to coaching professionals, helping them become more authentic, engaging and persuasive communicators. The ability to command an audience’s attention to tell an effective narrative is crucial for influencing others. With Kaiser Permanente, I recently delivered a two-day intensive public speaking course advising clinicians and hospital leadership on becoming more confident speakers. Here are some best practices that separate good speakers from masterful ones. These tips will be beneficial for: (1) Preparing for your upcoming speaking engagement or presentation. (2) Leading critical internal meetings where persuasion is key. (3) Any situation where you need to effectively convey a story to your audience. Best practices:  (1) 🖼 Use words that evoke vivid imagery in the minds of your audience, no corporate buzzword bingo! (2) 🔬 Pay close attention to audience reactions (or lack thereof) in real-time. If you notice eyes glazing over and no “nodding along” where it should be obvious, you haven’t landed your message. Vary your tone, cadence, and volume or simply repeat your message to make it stick. (3) 👋 If using hand gestures, ensure they are deliberate, crisp and clearly visible to the camera to avoid distracting your audience (otherwise all they'll see is you shrugging your shoulders!) (4) 🎙 Adjust your distance from the microphone to ensure clear, undistorted audio at an appropriate volume (don't yell!) and so you can effectively play with vocal range  (5) 👀 Avoid looking at yourself on the screen; it will derail your delivery. Instead, rotate through the 'gallery view' to see all attendees and vibe off audience energy (6) 📒 Familiarize yourself with your material to speak naturally. But if using notes, place them at eye level so it’s not obvious you’re looking down to refer to them What advice from your virtual speaking experiences resonates with you? I'd love to hear your top tips! #publicspeakingtips #executivecoaching #communicationskills

I was a professional actor for almost two decades. So much of actor training applies directly to being a great speaker of any kind. PUBLIC SPEAKING TIP #1 - Focus on what you need from your scene partner (aka. your audience) Get clear on what you want your audience to do, think or feel. Be SPECIFIC and use ACTION VERBS. ✅ Inspire them to fund this initiative ✅ Rile them up to protest this [specific] inequity ✅ Urge them to take action now ✅ Coax them into coming back into the office ✅ Connect with them so we can build something beautiful together The benefits of doing this are huge: 🌟 You won't be worried about...well...YOU. It's an anxiety buster for sure. 🌟 Your gestures and voice will flow freely and enhance your message 🌟 You'll have a heck of a lot more fun. And so will they! #publicspeaking #communicationcoach #executivecoaching #empowerment #mindsetmatters #askformore

Public Speaking for Lawyers (and the rest of us): How to Stop Feeling Nervous and Afraid Before, During and After Speaking To feel less nervous about public speaking there are specific, easy steps to take. I've helped thousands of lawyers become better public speakers - here's my best advice: Long before speaking • Imagine the speech going well. See it, feel it. DO NOT imagine what might go wrong! • Start preparing early - prepare in chunks - you'll never have 4 hours in a row for prep. • Practice. Spend 70% of practice time on opening and closing. Practice in chunks. Right before speaking • Walk, pace, shrug your shoulders to loosen up your body and reduce nervousness. • Talk to people in the audience - make friends. It reduces fear and gives you friendly people to look at during your speech. While speaking • Think: "I'm here to give value - my focus is on the audience - this is not about me or how I'm doing." • Look at an "active listener" in the audience for the first 3 minutes. GENIUS MOVE: Plant your own "active listeners" in the audience to look at. After speaking • Watch a recording of your speech within 48 hours. NOTICE that you sounded + looked more confident than it felt! Congratulations. 😁 I'm posting #publicspeaking tips here on LinkedIn for 30 days. This is Day 11. Woohoo! What topics would you like me to write about? #law #lawyers #professionaldevelopment

How I learned to love the stage. (I sincerely believe you can too): I have had some fortune in my speaking journey. My first speaking opp went right. That provided me confidence to try again, even when the world tried to dissuade me. But, that doesn’t mean I was without fear. I took on large speaking roles only to become overwhelmed on stage. I showed up to guest in speaking clubs but never left the parking lot. I signed up for speeches, then canceled last minute due to stress. My speaking journey is littered with lows, though lately, not so much. Practice has played a role, though the most pivotal shift was when I got out of my own way. These 3 techniques have been the cornerstone of that shift. Please, use them: 1. Excitement versus nervousness (^my fave framework^) The pressure of a speech is inevitable. I feel it, you feel it, Tony Robbins feels it. Yet, Tony turns it into fuel, most allow it to overrule. Perception is reality. Are you overwhelmed with anxiety OR Peaking with excitement. Choose the latter. 2. Develop a pre-speech routine Call your hype man, find a pump up song, develop a meaningful mantra. Whatever feels right for you. It’s game day, treat it as such. 3. Service over performance It’s not about you, it’s about your audience. Think less about how well you will do, think more about what you have to give. A performance mindset provides pressure, a giving mindset assumes credibility. Once I adopted these strategies I experienced genuine confidence on stage. I want everyone to feel this. The stage can turn your ideas into something more. So, please, take them.