How to tame your fears of public speaking | The Salt Lake Tribune

Some people make public speaking seem so easy.

They make just the right hand gestures at just the right time, use just the right tone of voice, provide a super PowerPoint presentation and conclude with a riveting message that has the audience leaping to its feet and applauding.

But for many people, speaking in public can be a nerve-wracking, knee-knocking experience that leaves them with clammy hands and a churning stomach. It doesn?t matter if the presentation is in front of a small group of people or a major speech in a large auditorium, the heart-pounding anxiety is the same.

If you?re nervous speaking publicly, you?re not alone.

While some nervousness can keep you focused, being too anxious can undermine your efforts.

If you?re so nervous that you begin reading your PowerPoint slides in a monotone instead of trying to connect with your audience, then your professional reputation could take a hit or you might lose an important client.

You can manage your nerves in several ways, says Darlene Price, who has coached thousands of executives and professionals on how to improve their public speaking techniques.

"Fear is what drives nervousness," Price says. "For extroverts, fear of embarrassing themselves in front of others is what drives their nervousness while for introverts it?s that fear of not being perfect."

You can master your fear of public speaking in several ways, she says. The most common mistake is not prepping for the audience.

"If people would just take the time ?? while they?re walking the dog or taking a shower ? to just practice out loud what they want to say, it would help them be better prepared," she says.

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Price says that those who get nervous should look for strategies that better help them manage their fears. Among her suggestions:

? Visualize it

Close your eyes and see the space where you?ll be speaking.

See yourself walking out with a big smile on your face. Visualize yourself saying the first few lines of speech and looking out into the audience.

"The brain doesn?t know the difference between vividly imagined events or a real events," she says. "Get all your senses involved. Hear yourself speaking. See the people."

? List 10 "I am" statements

This is an exercise that Price finds effective for clients.

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