“Picture yourself in a living room having a chat with your friends. You would be relaxed and comfortable talking to them, the same applies when public speaking.” — Richard Branson.
As a beginner in Public Speaking, there may be situations where standing and speaking on stage will make you uncomfortable, which will eventually make you nervous while speaking. Well! This is something that every public speaker goes through. They do feel nervous on stage, but rather than showing fear; they choose confidence.
It’s all about practice and practice that will help you in becoming comfortable with Public Speaking. Read this write-up till the end so that you get the best understanding of getting familiar with Public Speaking.
Do you know why most people are not comfortable with Public Speaking? Don’t come up with those general lines like :
“I don’t like the eyes on me.”
“I don’t like being in the spotlight.”
“I don’t like being watched.”
And many more reasons, but the main reason you are uncomfortable with Public Speaking is your “BRAIN.”
To understand this, let me take you back to Prehistoric Times. During ancient times when humans were developing, they perceived eyes keeping a watch as a threat. Like a Tiger watching its Prey. A part of our Brain’s amygdala responds to danger and kicks in full gear like a monkey. This makes you go in a fight-or-flight response and makes you feel a lot of stress and anxiety.
Unfortunately, our DNA has transferred this to us. Due to this, we feel stress, anxiety, and discomfort while getting involved in Public Speaking. Now, what is the solution?
“You are not being judged, the value of what you are bringing to the audience is being judged.” — Seth Godin.
Well! The very first thing you need to prepare is your content. Many people develop a Fear of Judgement, whether their information is relevant or not. Due to this, they don’t present their views. So, if you are confident about your content, that will help you gain confidence, as you will know that you are presenting the right information, which adds value to the audience.
Now, as you get started with content, you need to start putting the content into practice. Practice as much as you can. It is rightly said, “Practice makes a man perfect”. The more you put yourself into practice, the more comfortable you will get with Public Speaking.
Understand this; why are public speakers around you so good? Because they have researched their content and they have thoroughly practiced it.
All the other things, such as body language, tone, non-verbal communication or, etc., are secondary. First, you need to have the basic things under your belt.
These two things might seem simple to you at first, but it will require a lot of hard work and consistency when you start applying them.
In the end, your efforts will be reflected in your performance.
“There are always three speeches for every one you give. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”
Let me add a cherry to the cake for you. If you feel shy speaking in front of many people, start talking in front of a camera. You may also begin with speaking in front of a mirror and gradually move to the camera.
Speak anything, like your introduction, any story you like, any experience you recall, like anything. Just record it.
After you record it and watch your video, analyze it from an audience perspective. You will notice where the improvement is required and also will figure out where it is going wrong.
Don’t stop after 2–3 videos. Daily take out at least 3–5 minutes from your schedule to practice. Over a while, like after 15–20 days, you will start noticing the change.
Your video will look interesting. Your introduction or story will sound engaging and this will help you observe the improvement you have made over time.
P.S — Don’t Delete Your First Video.
When you are watching videos, make sure that you look for scope for improvements. Like what are the areas you feel are needed to be worked upon. Along with this, note down your key points where you are doing good, like your body language, the way you are taking pauses, or anything specific about your video.
Just a quick reminder, if you are either a beginner, intermediate or advanced at public speaking, never forget to focus on the content you will deliver. As quality content gives you the confidence to speak fearlessly.
Practice is the key. Practice the content as much as possible. Start small but consistently, and there will be a time where you will become comfortable with Public Speaking.
Remember, Public Speaking is all about connecting and communicating with people. If you want to do it, a lot of hard work is required. You have to step into the arena and practice. Cheers!
