Public speaking is like Halloween. Scary. 😱

Here are three things to keep in mind to make your public speaking experience less horrific:

👻 The audience doesn’t know what you wanted to say

 

When people make „mistakes”, the only reason the audience will realize this is that the speaker draws their attention to it: “I’m sorry, that’s not what I wanted to say”, etc. The audience only knows what you say and not what you wanted to. Therefore, more often than not, they won’t even realize your „mistake”. So don’t announce it. Just go with the flow.

 

💡 Not saying what you wanted to say is only a mistake if you advertise it.

 

 

👻 The audience is on your side

 

„I don’t think I’ll ever lose that little bit of stage fright. But if I can admit it to myself and to the audience, then I’ll be okay. Because they are there really to support me. They are my friends, in a sense.” – Barbara Streisand.

 

Most of the time your audience will want you to succeed. It’s in their interest to listen to a well-delivered presentation. Look at them as allies.

 

💡 Draw strength from the support of your audience.

 

 

👻 Everybody* gets nervous

 

“I turn pale at the beginning of a speech, my brain whirls, and I tremble in every limb.” – Cicero, De Oratore Book I.

 

If one of the first greats of rhetoric felt it, it surely is normal if you do too.

 

* Okay, maybe not everybody gets nervous. Psychopaths, for example, might not. But would you want that tradeoff?

 

💡 It’s normal to feel stage fright. Most people do.

 

 

If after all these considerations, you still have stage fright, there are techniques to manage it. But that is for another post. 😉

 

Until then, if you’d like to improve your public speaking skills, get in touch here!

 

And of course, happy Halloween! 🎃