You are not alone if the thought of speaking in public scares you. Giving a presentation is worrying for many people. Presenting or speaking to an audience regularly tops the list in surveys of people's top fears - more than heights, flying or dying.
To quote two popular sayings which feature in many presentations about giving presentations and public speaking:
- "Most people would prefer to be lying in the casket rather than giving the eulogy."
- "Many indeed may (fearlessly) die in the presence of (their) foes; (but) few are those who are fearless in the assembly (of the learned)."
A common physical reaction to having to speak in public is a release of adrenaline and cortisol into our system, which is sometimes likened to drinking several cups of coffee. Even experienced speakers feel their heart thumping very excitedly indeed. This sensational reaction to speaking in public is certainly not only felt by novices, and even some of the great professional actors and entertainers suffer with real physical sickness before taking the stage or podium.
You are not alone. Speaking in public is genuinely scary for most people, including many whom outwardly seem very calm.
Our primitive brain shuts down normal functions as the 'fight or flight' impulse takes over.
But don't worry - your audience wants you to succeed. They're on your side.
They're glad it's you up there and not them.
So, how do you settle the butterflies and get them flying in formation?
Good preparation is the key to confidence, which is the key to you being relaxed, and this settles the butterflies.
Good preparation and rehearsal will reduce your nerves by 75%, increase the likelihood of avoiding errors to 95%.
And so this is the most important rule for effective presentations and public speaking:
Prepare, which means plan it, and practice it.
Then you'll be in control, and confident. Your audience will see this and respond accordingly, which in turn will help build your confidence, and dare we imagine, you might even start to enjoy yourself too.