HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR STAGE FREIGHT

1. F E A R— many of us realize FEAR the main cause of our discomfort. Our mind creates the worst-case story, in the absence of facts: False Evidence Appearing Real. How to demystify the fear factor? Simple: Find the facts that are present in the moment, and shift your attention to what you know is true. As you do, notice how your heart slows, your breathing relaxes, and you have a sense that all is well.

a. Know the people who make up your audience—who they are, what they do, what they came to learn, and how many will attend.

b. Arrive at least two hours early to test equipment, conduct a dry run, and most importantly, interact with people as they arrive.

c. Visit the room prior to your engagement. Practice in the room, if possible.

d. Have a friend videotape your presentation, if at all it’s possible. It’s very scary but very effective in giving you the facts about what the audience will experience, rather than what you imagine the audience will experience. It is always so much better than we feel it is.

e. Watch the video three times: once with no sound, once with your eyes closed, and once with full sight and sound.

f. Visualize yourself actually giving the presentation, complete with hearing the words, seeing the audience, and noticing how great you are feeling.

g. Get clear about why you are giving the talk and what you want the audience to know or achieve as a result of your presentation.

h. Write down the facts about why you are the presenter. Remind yourself frequently that you are the expert today.

i. Finally, leave nothing unknown. The unknown becomes the Petri dish on which our fears can grow.

2. Perfect practice makes perfect presentations.

a. Practice, practice, practice, and then practice again. Being completely comfortable with the material eliminates the possibility of surprises.

b. Prepare a practice schedule, and stick to it. Be reasonable, but plan plenty of time for practice.

c. Practice in front of a mirror, in front of your dog, and in front of friends. As your comfort with what you are going to say rises, so will your confidence.

d. Relax. Practice deep abdominal breathing before you practice your presentation, as part of your practice, and immediately before the presentation.

e. Relax. Practice isometric muscle tensing, starting at your head and ending with your toes. Contract and squeeze the muscles, and then release.

f. Take the day before the presentation off. That’s correct: no practice the day prior to the presentation. Sleep well, and eat a light meal several hours before the presentation.

3. Make it memorable.

a. Think about a presenter who captured your attention. What was it about this person that engaged you? Think of what you are passionate about, and utilize it in your presentation content, in your delivery style, or in your personal stories and facts.

b. Remember, people may not remember what you say, but they will remember how you make them feel. Decide how you want your audience to feel about your message and how you will need to act to make the audience understand your message.

c. Use quotations, facts, and stories that support the content or pertinent details you want the audience to absorb.

d. If possible, find a way to check back with audience members after the presentation to see if they took the action you wanted them to take as a result of your material, to learn how you can improve your presentation, and to gather more information on how your performance was received.

e. Have fun, and your audience will have fun, too!