How to Speak in Public Without Getting Nervous

Multiple surveys have shown that Americans fear public speaking more than…death. While some people will never become comfortable, proficient speakers, most people have the capacity to become at least competent if they are able to overcome their fears. Whether it’s a toast at a wedding, a talk at school or church, or a presentation at the office, public speaking is often necessary in our lives. So why not embrace it, and even learn to enjoy it? Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Instructions

1. Write out your speech word for word only if you think you need to. If you haven’t given many speeches before, or if you don’t know your subject matter very well, you might want to write out the text of your speech verbatim. But whether you write out the speech in its entirety or not, make sure to craft a carefully planned outline that contains all the main points of your speech.

2. Speak from the outline rather than reading the speech verbatim. It will take a long time before you get comfortable with doing this, but speaking extemporaneously from an outline is much better than reading something off a piece of paper because it sounds more natural and enhances your ability to connect with your audience. It is also preferable to “winging it” and speaking without even an outline, because it gives you a structure and a “road map” for your speech, and ensures that you cover all the content you intend to cover, and ONLY the content you intend to cover.

3. Practice, practice, practice your speech ahead of time. One of the main causes for nerves is the knowledge that you are not fully prepared. The more prepared and polished your performance is, the less reason for nervousness.

4. Tolerate, and learn to live with, some degree of nervousness. A moderate amount of nerves is actually not a bad thing, because it keeps you sharp and on your toes. Don’t try to pretend like you aren’t nervous at all. Instead, channel that nervous energy into being focused on your speech—what point are you making, where are you going next, are you connecting with the audience. Obviously, too much nervousness can be crippling, and your level of anxiety will decrease incrementally as you gain more experience and confidence.

5. Look just above your audience members’ heads. If making direct eye contact with your audience heightens your level of anxiety, then don’t do it. It’s as simple as that. Look at the crowns of their heads instead, and pan back and forth across the audience as if you were making eye contact with each of them. Chances are, most of them will not even notice that you aren’t looking directly at them. Eventually, as you become a more experienced speaker, this will probably become a non-issue and you’ll be able to comfortably make consistent eye contact with your audience.

6. Relax and be patient with yourself. Becoming a polished speaker takes time, but most people have the innate ability to become at least a competent speaker once they have conquered their initial fears. As with any other skill, the more you speak in front of others, the more proficient you will get.