TWELVE TIPS FOR TERRIFIED SPEAKERS!

(This is an online version of a leaflet which I have been giving away at my speaking engagements since 2002 - many thousands of copies to date! Some of these tips have already been covered in the blog while others will be featured in future posts there but if you are a nervous public speaker with a big, one-off speech coming up, this is a crash course to help get you through it. Do use Tip #7; it has been used for many years by top psychologists as a profoundly effective tool in helping to conquer far bigger fears than anxiety about public speaking).

You’ve been asked to speak in public and you’re not looking forward to it! Here are some tried and tested methods to help you make a success of (and perhaps even enjoy) the occasion...

2. A huge amount of confidence comes from knowing exactly what you are going to say. Invest some time in preparing your speech, time it and then cut it down by about 20% – it always takes longer to deliver on the day.

3. Practise. If there is time before the event, join an evening class or speakers’ club – the results can be dramatic. If this is not possible, rehearse in front of friends or onto a tape. This also helps you become familiar with the material BUT…

4. Do not try to learn your speech off by heart. For a one-off occasion like a wedding it may be acceptable to have a script in front of you. However, you need to look up and make regular eye contact with your audience so write the odd word in capitals or highlight it so that you won’t lose your place. Your writing or typing should be large, clear and well-spaced. Paragraphs should be short (2-3 sentences) and there should be no sentences which begin on one page and continue on the next. Remember that written language tends to be formal so make the content more like everyday speech. It is better to use brief notes as reminders rather than reading an entire script because this guarantees a more informal style.

Avoid using stacks of postcards as these can be dropped or muddled. It can also be awkward trying to hold a microphone in one hand while turning over cards with the other. If your notes cannot be contained on one sheet of paper or a large card, try folding over a sheet of A4 to give you eight small pages and number them. This should give you enough space to write the notes for a longer speech and you can devote individual pages to specific topics.

5. If you are using a PA system, try to test the microphone in advance. The sound of your voice coming through an amplifier can be a little startling at first!

If you are not using a microphone, you will need to project your voice enough for it to be heard by an imaginary back row behind the real one.

6. Visit the loo well in advance of  your speech - even if this means missing the end of a meal. You will also miss the queues and enjoy some privacy when you check your appearance (and perhaps do a little last-minute rehearsing) in front of the mirror.

7. If you are still feeling really nervous before you start, ask yourself, “On a scale of 0 – 8, how nervous am I?” Once you give your fear a ‘rating’, it begins to subside. The hardest part is remembering to do this! (You can read about this in more depth here).

8. When you get up to speak, stand with your feet approximately 30cms (12 inches) apart. Before you say anything, spend a few seconds looking around at your audience, smiling if possible. This makes you look confident, friendly and unhurried.

9. Remember that your audience is not hostile but wants you to do well. You might notice the odd scowling face (there’s always one!) but you should concentrate on the friendly majority. Don’t lose heart.

10. Bear in mind the fact that 90% of your nervousness is invisible to your audience. The quavering of your voice, trembling of your hands, knocking of your knees, etc, always seem far more obvious to you than to them.

11. A little planned audience participation helps maintain interest in what you are saying. This can be as simple as asking a question about something you are about to mention: ‘Does anybody here remember…?’

12. Don’t panic if there is an interruption. This can help you. The person who arrives late, knocks over their wine glass or loudly spills the contents of their handbag onto the floor, has kindly shifted the burden of potential embarrassment from you to them!

I hope Thomas’s Twelve Tips for the Terrified have been helpful. Good luck.  Remember, this speaking engagement will only take a few minutes of your life!

"When I speak in public I wear my invisible crown".  Eleanor Roosevelt 1884-1962.

 Copyright Nick R Thomas 2005.