In my experience, part of what builds fear of presenting is fear of saying “I don’t know.”

Joe touched on this in his comment above about his teacher saying he would be an “expert” on his subject matter.

We have built up the societal expectation that if you are speaking on a topic in front of an audience you should be able to answer any question from the audience; however, in this age of information overload, that is simply not possible. Robert Burton touches on this in “On Being Certain.”

I’m not advocating that a speaker should be totally unprepared to answer questions or rebut points that oppose their position; however, I feel we need to get over the “speaker as expert” mentality that shuts down promising speakers before they start their first PowerPoint slide.

My second thought is that “Prepare Your Mind to Conquer … Anxiety” has broad application. Some of us are afraid of interacting with other people because we might trigger an angry reaction that we are anxious to avoid. Preparing mentally for interactions and interacting frequently seems like a good way to dull the fear.

Subconscious fears handicap us in realizing our full potential. No one in leadership or management talks about that.

Really enjoyed ALL your tips, especially #5. Learn to plan your message. I’ll use your tip of mind mapping the core message onto one page.

For me, knowing the message is really the key to overcoming anxiety. If I have a burning desire to communicate a message — and real clarity as to what my message is — I LOVE being on stage.

My first “big” public speaking event was in 2000. I was speaking and moderating a panel on intellectual property and artists’ rights. I was so nervous. I sweated the details and prepared for two months — I even had my questions for the panel projected behind the panelists so the audience could see exactly what the question was (and spot if the question was dodged).

By the time I got on stage I was very confident everything would go well… and thankfully, it was a big success. Many speeches later, I’m comfortable with this realization: I am not a seat-of-the-pants-just-wing-it type speaker. I admire people who can go on stage with no notice, but for me, I need to have a clear message to feel great on stage.

One more tip I could add is to take the time to visit the speaking location beforehand and run through your presentation. That way you can spot the glitches (lighting, microphone, audio, staging, and laptop connection) that could otherwise trip you up.

Thanks!

Franke

Author, Artist, Speaker
Bothered By My Green Conscience
Dear Office-Politics, the game everyone plays

Over the years I have had the opportunity to speak publicly in front of large and small groups and in spite of this understanding, I too, get the pre-speaking jitters as well. When I hit the stage or subjected to the hand-holding podium, I immediately look out to the audience and connect to them. I remind myself I want to share my knowledge and they are here to hear my message or lesson for the day. And with that in mind, all the jitters are gone and I actually enjoy myself immensely. The audience will pick up on that, and they too, will enjoy your presentation. This has never failed me!

That was over 30 years ago. Since then I have spoken to groups and made many presentations. I welcome the opportunity. I seek out speaking engagements and actually get a kick out of entertaining and informing my audience.

But there is still a healthy fear that I believe we must have of presenting lest we become complacent and lay an egg on stage. That fear (respect) of the privilege to hold a group’s attention and deliver a meaningful message keeps one focused on preparation and practice.

A minister once told me that aside from praying in public, speaking in front of a group was scarier than death itself for most people. Overcome that fear and a whole new world opens for the presenter. You discover that you can do something that very few others will EVEN try. That skill makes you valuable and suddenly your opinion matters.

Like anything else in life overcoming one’s fear of failure is the key to success. Prepare, practice and then go have fun with your audience.

Thanks. I enjoyed your post.

According to him, in Neanderthal times, the ancient human went out in search of daily sustenance. Making direct eye contact with others meant that you either *ate* breakfast that day or *became* breakfast that day.

Somehow, just knowing this made it easier to make my presentations. After all, no one was going to eat me. Besides, if this fear had such deep-seated origins, what I felt when standing to present would probably be no different that what others felt when it was their turn. Solidarity in fear is somehow comforting.

Thanks for another good read, Art.