4 Key Tips to Elevate Your Confidence in Public Speaking

Does Public Speaking make you nervous? It shouldn’t! Here’s why!

Have you ever sat in an audience secretly hoping the public speaker will fail? Of course not! You want that person to succeed. After all, you have given up your time to listen to them and you want that time to be worth your while.

Here’s a significant tip for you! Your audience wants you to succeed. Believe me, if you have given them what they came for, they will love you.

It’s only our anxiety and lack of confidence that makes an audience seem scary. In reality, they are 100% on our side.

As a speaker, I’ve been backstage with many a nervous speaker and heard them use terminology like…Have you seen the crowd? Using the word crowd stirs up images of people packed into a room. In actual fact, the word crowd stems from a Germanic word which means to push or shove. That’s not a particularly pleasant image to have of the people you are about to present to.

The word audience on the other hand is much more pleasing. It stems from the latin word “audientia” which means “act of listening, group of listeners”. A much more pleasant description of the people you are about to share with.

If you think about it, a live performance is a group of people coming together to share a moment. If you put it into this context, you are sharing moments of your expertise, advice, important updates, and information in this context day in and day out. You are, after all, an expert in your field, with knowledge to share right? So you are constantly presenting.

My motto is “All speaking is public speaking”

So if you are doing this day in and day out, getting up to present information that you are an expert on, and constantly speaking about, should be easy for you right? The stage doesn’t have any big obstacles. So why is it so difficult? Because, we create the obstacles ourselves and then wonder why they are so hard to overcome!

If you want your audiences to like you, be yourself!

We see this all the time. A presenter gets up to speak, and suddenly their voice sounds different, they look awkward, they don’t know what to do with their hands. They are suddenly no longer themselves. Your audience wants to see and hear the person you are when you are relaxed and not self-conscious. Think about how you are when you are hanging out with friends having a BBQ, describing something you experienced on your weekend or on your recent holiday. Think about how your voice is in those moments. Relaxed, expressive, passionate, energetic. In these moments you never wonder what to do with your hands...you instinctively use them in a way that contributes to the message. That’s how your audience wants you to be when you are on stage. Yourself!

I know what you are thinking. Lisa, when I get up to speak, I have a presentation I have to follow, I’m not just having a chitchat with my friends.

1- BREATHS

When we get anxious, our heart starts to beat faster and our breathing becomes shallow and fast. This is a natural instinct our body goes into as if to say get me out of here. The fight of flight response to a dangerous situation. Taking a moment to take some deep breaths will help to keep you calm, reduce your heart rate, keep you focused and get you back on track with what you are there to share.

2- POSTURE

How we feel is reflected in our voice, our body language, and our expression. If you are anxious, intimidated, or uncomfortable, you may find your shoulders will hunch over, your voice will lose its strength, and your facial expressions will reflect your fear. Stand up straight, look at your audience, and smile. Guaranteed this change in body stance will make you feel more confident and comfortable. As long as your smile is genuine, your audience will feel more connected to you. They will like you and trust you more.

3- MOVE

Have you ever been on a phone call and felt the need to walk around your office or house while talking? That’s because moving while speaking helps your thinking process and consequently will help you when you are public speaking. Standing still, like when you are stuck behind a lectern is unnatural. Move or at least gesture if you are stuck at a lectern the same way you do when you a speaking in everyday conversations. That’s the real you and that’s what your audience wants to experience.

4- VOICE

Train your voice. When you can control the sounds you make, especially in moments of pressure, you will be able to maintain a sound that is warm, energetic, and inviting.

Your breath is the foundation for your voice. Learning how to breathe deeply and incorporating the diaphragm will keep your voice sounding strong and confident. When we breathe shallow (like when you are nervous), you voice will become thin, shrill, and possibly even shaky. Get a coach to develop your voice so you can remain fully in control. Why not schedule a call with our team here?

Learn how to assess your own presenting skills. Download my Free Guide to Assessing your own presenting skills.

You’ll also find lots of other articles on successful public speaking on my blog page.

And remember, your audience is on your side. When you are more at ease your audience will also be more comfortable and this will help them to retain the information you have to share. It’s a win-win