14 Public Speaking Secrets That Will Reduce Anxiety And Increase Confidence

Have you ever watched somebody performing on stage to a large audience, whether that person is a public speaker, a singer, comedian, magician, or whatever, and wondered, how on earth do they have the confidence to do that in front of all those people?

Does the thought of you doing that make you nervous, even nauseated?

It’s clear that some people are more natural performers than others, and many of them, of course, do what they do by choice.

But sometimes, you may be put in a position where you have to give a presentation, whether you want to or not.

It may not be as imposing as standing on stage at Carnegie Hall – it may only be a short presentation at work to a relatively small audience of your colleagues, but at least for the first time, it really doesn’t matter, because stage fright is stage fright.

There are so many things you can (and likely will) worry about – what if you cannot remember what you were going to say, what if you have a “clothing malfunction”, what if your nerves manifest themselves visibly?

The good news is that, like with so many things in life, the required skills can be learned, practised, and improved upon.

So, this guide provides 14 tips and secrets that will help reduce any pre-performance anxiety while increasing your confidence on the day itself.

Scripting

By scripting, I mean actually writing out what you want to say – even if you’re going to be using a slide deck during the actual presentation.

Yes, this takes time and effort, but it accomplishes two goals:

1. It helps you become completely familiar with your presentation, which will give you confidence that you’re not going to forget what to say mid-speech.
2. It will help you assess your presentation’s duration – which is important since you will often be assigned a specific time slot in which to give your talk, and it’s crucial that you do not go over that time. Doing so may affect the schedule for other speakers who may have to follow you, or you may just be told to wrap up before you’ve made all of your points.

Now, here’s something people fail to realize about scripting – it does not mean that you have to read your script word for word, as though you were reading from a teleprompter.

The idea is that you are so well versed in your presentation that you can change the actual words you use on the day, depending on how you feel and what sort of flow you have going – but you definitely do not want to sound like some robot reading from a prepared script.

Practice & Rehearsal

Of course, to become that familiar requires not just writing your script down, but also practising it.

You must practise your presentation until you are comfortable with it – preferably to the point where you can work from just bullet points that contain the key issues.

At first, this may just be you in front of a mirror or video camera, either in a spare room at home, your garage, or maybe an empty conference room at work.

This will seem strange at first – trust me, I’ve been there many times.

Practice is more about the speech itself – but you also need to rehearse, which is different.

Rehearsal is more akin to the dress rehearsals done in theatres, the goal being to make it as close to the real thing as possible.

This may mean wearing the clothes you will wear on the day, using whatever props you may want to include in your presentation, and, at least once before the real thing, you should try to rehearse in front of a small audience (e.g. of family members, friends, colleagues).

The reasons for this are twofold – firstly, they can provide feedback on anything that’s not clear or any bad habits you may have, and secondly, it will get you more used to talking in front of others.

And if you can do this practise or rehearsal in the room where your presentation will be given, so much the better, although this is obviously not always practical.

Another key factor is finding out whether you will be using a microphone on the day or not, and if so, what type (e.g. fixed on a podium, on a stand, hand-held, or a clip-on one).

In most professional speaking engagements, you are most likely to find that there is either a microphone on the podium, or you will be given a clip-on mike, probably with a remote transmitter that you’ll have to put in a pocket or clip to your belt.

Using a hand-held microphone will be disconcerting unless you are used to it, and you should therefore avoid these where possible.

And lastly, on this subject, try to rehearse with a microphone if that’s what you will be using on the day. Trust me, suddenly being expected to work with a mike for the first time will throw you off your game in an instant.

Become Familiar With Professional Speakers / Performers

The goal here is not to copy other people’s styles or words, but to look for lessons you can learn and make use of.

For example:

• How do they make use of the performing space?
• Are there any habits you find annoying that you should avoid?
• Listen to how they use their voice, in terms of tone, pitch, timing.

You can do this by watching television (e.g. stand-up comedians), or looking on sites such as YouTube or TED Talks, and if you can find any videos where you’re seeing things from the performer’s or speaker’s viewpoint, so much the better, since this will give you a feel for what you can expect.

Also, see if you can find transcripts of any speeches you enjoy or found useful, because you can analyze those, looking for things you can model, such as the overall structure, or turns of phrase (but only if they would sound right for you).

Speak To Your Audience’s Needs

In most cases, your objective when speaking in public will be to inform your audience of something you know and they don’t – it is rarely the right occasion to show off.

So, remember to focus on what it is they need to know, and make sure you deliver those key points clearly.

Talk About What You Know

This may seem obvious, but it’s likely you’ve been asked to speak because you know more about the topic than your audience does – which is, after all, the whole point.

Personally, I’ve always used this fact to help me relieve some of that anxiety and stress.

So, focus on what it is that you know that your audience doesn’t, and resist the temptation to stray into areas where you’re less familiar with the subject matter.

If you ignore this basic tenet, think about you’ll handle it when you get a question you cannot answer. Not only can this be embarrassing, it can also reduce your overall credibility.

Tell A Story

Storytellers have been revered for millennia, because most humans love a good story.

Not only is it entertaining, of course, but it also makes your message easier to engage with and remember.

If this is not something you are particularly good at (I’m sure everybody can think of people they know who are great at telling jokes, and people who aren’t), then it’s definitely worth digging deeper into this skill, because it will make your presentations more effective.

Personal anecdotes work best, but any story that helps make your point can work, provided it’s not one that’s become hackneyed through overuse.

Take Tips From Stand-Up Comedians

This may seem like an odd one, but there are lessons you can learn from professional comedians, even if your presentation is serious rather than funny.

So what are these lessons?

Firstly, remember the Rule Of Three.

This revolves around the fact that people find it easier to remember information that is presented in groups of three.

Comedians use this to set up jokes – they tell a story, then repeat a similar version of it, and then on the third iteration, they make an unexpected change. The first two instances set up a pattern, which they then break on the third and final time just when you think you know what’s coming.

The fact that this approach has its own name should confirm it’s effective – and it’s not just for comedians. In a business presentation, it can be used to drive home important messages.

Secondly, there is the Callback.

Comedians might use this near the end of their set to draw attention back to a joke they made earlier on. It’s a sort of “closing the loop”, which is good because humans typically don’t like having to deal with what are known as incomplete transactions.

In a business presentation, it is, of course, a great way to reiterate key points to increase the chances of your audience members remembering them.

Be Different

Many people attend a lot of business presentations, and they can become very blasé about them.

It’s important therefore to make your presentation fresh and interesting, so if you can find a way to inject something they don’t see or hear very often, go for it.

If you’ve ever heard of the term “Death By PowerPoint”, or suffered it as an attendee yourself, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

This may be as simple as finding an unusual, novel, or funny analogy to make your point, especially if you can find appropriate visuals to accompany your point.

For example, I once based an entire 45-minute talk about a somewhat dry business strategy approach around The Wizard Of Oz.

Another alternative, which I tried to use whenever it made sense, was to incorporate physical props.

In my case, as an amateur magician, i liked to include a couple of magic tricks during my business presentations, but only where I could use them to help emphasize points I needed to make, of course. I wasn’t doing a magic show – I was presenting a serious talk that I felt would be enhanced by something rarely seen in such environments.

Obviously, this is not for everybody, but think about some of your other interests and hobbies, and see if there’s a way to incorporate aspects of them, sensibly, in your talks.

(As an aside, some people, including magicians, will turn their hobby or interest or profession into a talk they can give at organizations such as, in England at least, the Women’s Institute. This can actually be a great way to hone your performance skills in front of audiences who will typically be more forgiving than many business audiences.)

Attempting to inject novelty into your talk may be even more important if your assigned time is what is known as the graveyard slot, which in conference terms is the presentation immediately after the lunch break, when attendees will naturally tend to struggle to stay awake.

Perfect Your Introduction

No matter how well scripted your presentation is, it’s vital that you have your introductory remarks down pat.

This is important because those first few seconds or minutes on stage will be when you are most nervous – you’ll be getting used to seeing a whole bunch of people in front of you (whom you may or may not know), you’ll be seeing where everything is, there may be bright lights shining in your eyes that you’re not used to, etc.

So, being able to open your presentation with a few sentences that you absolutely know by heart will allow you to make those adjustments while starting, and without appearing to be nervous.

Dealing With Stage Fright

OK, so you’ve done all of your preparation, and it’s almost time to go on stage.

If you are not feeling nervous at this point, there is probably something wrong with you. 🙂

Seriously, this is entirely normal, and there is an adage that says not having butterflies before a performance will end up with you not putting on your best show.

You should treat this stage fright as a positive thing – it’s nothing more than adrenaline, which you should use as your energy source.

Having said that, a few breathing exercises will help calm you down, and if you have a time or place to do a brief meditation session, then that will help too. (Controlled breathing is still important while you’re giving your talk.)

Also, it should go without saying, make sure you have everything you need, such as a copy of your notes, or any props you may need, because when you know you’ve prepared as much as possible, this will reduce your anxiety.

Finally, check your clothing. For example, are your shoes clean, is your tie knotted well, are your flies done up, is your hair well-groomed, is any jewellery attached to your clothes or body securely and positioned correctly?

And make sure your clothing is not distracting your audience – the focus should be on you and what you have to say, although in most cases, the general rule of thumb is to make sure you’re a little bit better dressed than your audience.

Speaking of which, when I used to perform magic acts, many years ago, I used to get awful stage fright, to the point where I could barely eat a meat for several days beforehand (depending on the size of the venue – an intimate gathering might give me one day’s nausea, while the local town theatre might be a week’s worth).

These butterflies would continue right up until the point where I changed from my casual clothes into my performing outfit (typically a dinner jacket, or tuxedo to my Americans members), and when I did that, something magical happened (pun intended) – it was like I had donned a different personality, one who wasn’t nervous any longer.

So, this is another strategy you could try – not because you need a specific outfit to give your presentation in, but because changing clothes can have a calming effect.

Smile And Be Authentic

This is easy to forget when you’re nervous, but you must smile, because it will not only put you at east, but also relax your audience too.

It should go without saying that your smile should be natural and not forced – people can tell, and one of the key characteristics any audience wants is authenticity.

In fact, this goes for your entire presentation – you have to be you, because if the audience thinks for one second that you’re being disingenuous, you will lose them in an instant, regardless of how strong your message is.

And as part of this, you should try to play to your strengths, wherever you can.

For example, if you’re a natural joke teller and funny man (or woman, of course), then make use of this.

Conversely though, if you’re not naturally funny, then don’t try to be something you’re not.

Engaging With Your Audience

First and foremost, remember that at least 99% of your audience want to like you and enjoy your presentation. They do not want to see you fail or to hate you.

It may not always be possible, but you should try to look directly at your audience members, as though you were talking to them one-on-one.

This will help to relax you, and it will help your audience feel more engaged.

But, obviously, I hope, do not fixate on just one person – it will make them feel extremely uncomfortable.

As part of this, it is important that you also make sure you address the back of the room, since it’s easy to feel left out back there.

And if the thought of having a large audience in front of you freaks you out, you can always try the oft-quoted strategy of imagining your audience as something else.

The classic tactic, suggested by many people over the years, to reduce your audience’s perceived power over you, is to imagine them being naked.

I have to say I’ve never tried this, and I’m not sure whether that would make my nerves better or worse, but an alternative approach might be to picture your audience as heads of cabbages, for example.

And if the worst happens and you make a noticeable mistake for some reason, just keep moving – in the grand scheme of things, it really won’t matter provided your talk is engaging.

Speak Slowly

This one has always been really tough for me, but the problems with speaking too fast are:

1. It will make you appear nervous (whether you actually are or not).
2. It will make it harder for your audience to assimilate what you are saying.
3. It may throw out your timing, since you’ll finish your talk a lot sooner than you thought.

It should feel as though you are talking much too slowly – slower than normal conversation, for example.

One expert recommends speaking no faster than 150 words a minute (compared to up to 200 words a minute when talking face to face with people).

So, if you think you’re talking far too slowly, you’re actually probably going at about the right speed.

Related to the speed of your delivery is the tone and intonation.

I once had the misfortune to sit through a 30-minute presentation at work that was given by somebody whose voice was quite literally monotone.

So, try to vary the pitch and intonation of your voice. For example, you can always include rhetorical questions, which will naturally cause your voice to rise in pitch.

Record Yourself

Ideally, you should try to record a video of your presentation, from the audience’s perspective, but if this is not possible, an audio recording will have to do.

The reason for this is that, no matter how uncomfortable you find it (because many people do not like the sound of their own voice), analyzing your performance can be used to look for weak spots (e.g. jokes or stories that didn’t work, points that could be better made, bad habits such as putting your hands in your pockets and playing with your change, verbal tics such as um’s and er’s).

This then gives you a way to improve, both in terms of the content of your presentation (if you are likely to give it again) and in terms of delivery style (which will be of benefit in any future presentation, whether it’s on the same topic or not).

Believing that you can improve will ease your stress – nobody is an expert at anything the first time they try it. But if your reaction is that you’ll never by any good at it, you’ll be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Even more difficult (for many people, myself included) is watching or listening to your performance with other people, who can also provide feedback.

If you choose to do this (because you may not have a say in the matter – I was forced to do this many times at work, both in training courses and with actual business presentations), make sure those helping you know that you are looking for honest and constructive feedback only.

Bonus Tip

Anxiety and excitement are actually very closely related – they both stimulate many of the same systems in your body.

So, when you’re anxious about giving a presentation or performing, try renaming and reframing your anxiety (which is usually seen as a negative emotion – i.e. something you dread) as excitement (which is usually seen as a positive emotion – i.e. something you are looking forward to).

Looking back to when I was performing magic acts, I wish I had known this tip – because the funny thing is, no matter how anxious I was beforehand, I always ended up enjoying myself, and I don’t ever recall having a disaster either. If I’d just reframed those pre-show nerves as excitement (e.g. at the opportunity for me to have some fun and for others to be entertained), I could have avoided all those upset stomachs, etc.

So remember, it’s all a matter of perspective, but it shows that your choice of words can make all the difference.

Conclusion

There may only be 14 sub-headings in the above guide, but there are probably many more actual tips than that.

A lot of the above comes from my own experiences, both in business and as a magician, so I know that many of these tips do work.

I hope that you can find multiple strategies to help you prepare for your public speech or performance, and give you the best chance of delivering the best talk you can.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Guided Breathing Exercises
2. Meditation For Beginners
3. Public Speaking Confidence
4. Rule Of Three
5. Secrets Of The Astonishing Executive
6. Storytelling Techniques For Electrifying Presentations
7. TED Talks