What are some ways to calm your nerves before speaking in public?
Many people experience nervousness before speaking in public, whether it's a presentation, a speech, or a pitch. This can affect your performance, your confidence, and your message. However, there are some effective ways to calm your nerves and prepare yourself for the challenge. In this article, we'll share six tips to help you deal with public speaking nervousness and deliver your best speech.
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Jason SchenkerFuturist | Economist | 1,000x Keynote Speaker | 36x Author | 15x Bestseller | 26x #1 Bloomberg Forecaster | 1.2 Million…
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Brenda Bailey HughesCommunication Educator and Coach, LinkedIn Learning Author
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Dr. Richard MunangMultiple Award-Winning Environmental Thought Leader | Strategic and Innovative Leadership| Climate Change & Sustainable…
One of the first steps to overcome your nervousness is to know who you are speaking to. Research your audience's background, interests and expectations. This will help you tailor your speech to their level, language, and goals. Knowing your audience will also help you anticipate their questions, reactions, and feedback. This way, you can prepare your answers and avoid being caught off guard.
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Lisa (Peplinski) Jaster, PMP
Leadership Workshops | Executive Coach | Keynote Speaker | Amazon Best Selling Author | Soldier | Delete The Adjective | Ally Energy | Talent War Group
This is the most important tool to presenting well. I try, whenever possible, to hang out in the back of a room for lunch, breakfast, or coffee breaks (when speaking at a convention) in order to get a feel for the human side of the event. You can gain a lot of insight from hearing what keeps employees up at night with regards to work load and office culture.
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Dr. Richard Munang
Multiple Award-Winning Environmental Thought Leader | Strategic and Innovative Leadership| Climate Change & Sustainable Development Expert | Author of "Mindset Change"|. All opinions expressed are my own.
Before speaking in public, managing anxiety and nerves is crucial for delivering a powerful message. Grounding techniques can be immensely helpful. Begin with deep breathing exercises: inhale for four counts, hold for four, and exhale for four, focusing on the rhythm to center your mind. Picture yourself confidently addressing the audience and receiving positive feedback. Prior to the event, familiarize yourself with the venue, perhaps even practicing your speech there to build familiarity. Engage in positive self-talk, reminding yourself of past successes and the value of your message. Remember, it's natural to feel nervous, but these strategies can help redirect that energy into a compelling presence on stage.
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Dean Carter
Being a little nervous is actually ok before speaking in public… roll with it, embrace it, harness it for what you’re about to do. Remember 2 things… your start… and your close. Once you get started… you get in the groove. One more tip from my good friend and neuroscientist, David Rock… eat a cookie 5 minutes before. You use a lot of glucose in your brain when you get jittery… and a cookie feeds it fast and keeps you thinking sharp. Be confident… I’m certain you’re going to crush it.
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Rangga W. Primanto
Head of Supply Chain & Logistics, Manufacturing Specialist, at Indofood International Operations Division
I totally agree that one of the key ways to conquer nervousness in public speaking is to know your audience. Personally, when I'm invited as a guest speaker, I always make sure to find out who will be in the audience - their age range, educational background, interests, and what they expect from the event. This helps me prepare my materials to match their perspective and anticipate potential questions. And let me tell you, it really helps calm my nerves!
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Mohamed Hafez
MBA | Marketing | Quality & Risk MGMT | Internal audit | Account MGMT| Supply chain | Strategy | Planning | Learner
Just be yourself, have confidence in yourself but get prepared. Involve your audience and make it simple as much as possible, no room for complications. Again be yourself is the key for a good presentation.
Another key to reducing your nervousness is to practice your speech as much as possible. This will help you improve your delivery, your timing, and your transitions. Practice in front of a mirror, a recorder, or a friend. You should also ask for feedback and suggestions to improve your speech. Practicing your speech will also help you memorize your main points and avoid relying too much on notes or slides.
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Jason Schenker
Futurist | Economist | 1,000x Keynote Speaker | 36x Author | 15x Bestseller | 26x #1 Bloomberg Forecaster | 1.2 Million Online Learners | Board Member | JSOU Non-Resident Fellow
Don't use notes during a talk. I've seen it done, and it always comes off as stifled, academic, and boring. I have never used notes in the over 1,000 speeches I've given. But I do use slides as touchstones of my remarks. Images and data give you something to speak to without overly hemming yourself into stale pre-prepared remarks.
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Brenda Bailey Hughes
Communication Educator and Coach, LinkedIn Learning Author
I encourage my communication clients to practice their speech with their heart rate elevated. Run up and down the stairs and then present. On the day of your actual presentation, nervousness may get your heart rate thumping, but you've prepared. You'll be able to keep your breathing controlled and your thoughts sorted despite the racing heart because you have prepped for this!
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Saad Hamid
Growth Manager @Google
If I reflect on the past decade, I think I have given around 300+ public talks, speeches and presentations. Here are a few tips that always work: Take a moment: When you are given the chance to speak, always take a moment to read the room and reflect on the key message that you want to land at the end of your presentations. Find your buddies: Look around the room and read through people expressions. The ones who are nodding or smiling to your messages are the your buddies that will give you positive reinforcement throughout your talk. Go slow: Its just a talk, not a marathon. Go slow and take ample pauses to let your audience absorb your messages and to give yourself enough moments to breathe in and out.
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Chris Ferris
Co-Founder & CEO at Coposit
Ditch the slides! Talk to your audience directly via storytelling and focus on a few main points to get across. To ditch the slides you need to feel confident in what you are saying which takes practice. As difficult as it may be, practice as much as possible to become comfortable and confident… remember the nerves usually go away after the first 10seconds of talking!
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Erion Serti
CIO / COO Member of Management Board at Raiffeisen Bank Albania
Learn your material 200% . You do that and first it reduce nervousness second do need notes or even slides. Last but not least it allow to interact with the audience, feel their emotion and and potentially give you the options to steer left or right if needed
A powerful technique to calm your nerves is to visualize yourself giving a successful speech. Imagine yourself speaking confidently, engaging your audience, and conveying your message clearly. Visualize the positive outcomes, such as applause, compliments, or new opportunities. This will help you boost your self-esteem, your motivation, and your optimism. Visualizing your success will also help you replace negative thoughts and emotions with positive ones.
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Devin Banerjee
Sr. Managing Editor, Industry News & Community @ LinkedIn
A tactic I use all the time is stepping into a 'character' version of myself who is a confident and engaging public speaker. Create this version of yourself in your mind — their voice, their mannerisms, their expressions and gesticulations — and then visualize them in the setting where you will speak. When it's time, step into character; when it's over, step out and enjoy the applause.
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Vivek Khandelwal
LinkedIn Community Top Voice | CXO | Mentoring Career Aspirants & Workplace Professionals | Speaker | Culture & Skill Mentor | LinkedIn Growth Specialist | India's Top 35 Mentors Niti Aayog | Content Creator | Writer
For me, this exercise brings in the finest out of me. One may ask WHY? I am a firm believer of having not just Self Belief but also the right Self Concept! I take a moment to reflect the target audience in front of whom I would be speaking - thinking how confident and authentic I am while answering to them I am making things pretty simple for my audience and they are simply loving it - even if something goes wrong in terms of the sentence that am using, I have the capability to bring the situation back in control This is one process that can never leave you behind ;)
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Kathy Caprino
Global Career & Leadership Coach | LinkedIn Top Voice | Speaker/Trainer | Author | Former VP | Trained Therapist | Senior Forbes Contrib | Finding Brave™ host - supporting the advancement and success of women in business
Years ago, a top speaker shared with me a powerful practice he engages in before every talk he gives. Right before he goes on stage, he breathes deeply, taking three deep breaths, down to his toes, and sends up a meditation or "prayer" if you will, with this intent: "May this information I offer today be for the highest and greatest good to all who hear it." I loved that idea, and I've embraced it. Before any talk I give -- whether it's a workshop, course or keynote, and no matter the size of the audience, I meditate on that thought before I present. It calms and centers me and helps me recognize that our talks and our teaching are not about "us" but about the people we hope to serve and support. Hope that helps!
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Hallie Haupt
IQ Manufacturing | Purchasing | Content Creator | Women in Manufacturing Member
Something I always do before a speech is, close my eyes and picture myself getting through the speech successfully with positive reactions from the crowd listening.
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Sri Sudharshan M
Head of Project Management Office at CES | Director of Communications at PMO Global Alliance India Hub | Certified Career Counsellor | LinkedIn Top Voice in Project Management | Thinkers360 Top Voices APAC 2023
The main causes of failure in public speaking are 1. How the audience perceives you, 2. Fear of embarrassment, and 3. Fear of not succeeding. My journey in public speaking started in Grade 5 and was marked by continuous failures for nearly 2 years. Despite preparation and successful drills, on stage, I stumbled and just said "thanks" before leaving. Peers mocked me, a humiliating experience. My correspondent asked, "Sri, If you can't face the audience, you can't face the world." This struck me. In the next elocution, I changed my approach. I decided to speak without fearing feedback. I said to myself that "The audience lacked knowledge, while I had the expertise to share. I envisioned my success and being appreciated". And it happened.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to calm your nerves is to take deep breaths. Breathing deeply will help you relax your body, your mind, and your voice. It will also help you lower your heart rate, your blood pressure, and your stress levels. You can practice deep breathing before, during, and after your speech. You can also use breathing exercises, such as the 4-7-8 technique, to calm yourself down.
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Ariane Davis, Quality in Pharma PMP
Future of Cell Therapy
I both agree and disagree with this statement. I feel like public speaking has become less cinematic and more robotic. Listen to your favorite song. Get pumped. Get excited! Then give them everything you’ve got.
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Richard Stiennon
Research Analyst, Author of Security Yearbook 2024 stiennon.substack.com
Nervous energy is a valuable resource. Don't quench it, embrace it! Sure, know your material cold, know your audience, etc. but don't over think it. Be real, tell stories, enjoy the moment.
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Grace C.
Cross-pollinator 🐝 Community Strategy 🤝 Conversation Starter💡
I try to block off that last hour before a livestream to do my personal prep with as little rush as possible. A long, hot shower, getting dressed, having my coffee, putting on my favorite earrings, etc. Taking my time really helps me stay steady and calm as I sit down and turn on that camera!
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Lisa Hammett, CPQC
A Vocal & Personal Advocate for Obliterating Burnout in Healthcare & HR | Transformational & TEDx Speaker | Author | Certified PQ Coach | Mental Fitness * Wellness Coach
The breath can be very powerful. I also find that slowly rubbing two fingers together can be effective. It’s important to notice how the fingertip ridges feel and the temperature of the fingertips.
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Ratna Juita
I help HR to Elevate Well-Being & Build High Performing Team 🔸 Well-Being Strategist 🔸 TEDx Speaker 🔸 LinkedIn Top Voice 🔸 Personal Branding Coach 🔸Certified LEGO Serious Play Facilitator
Making friends with anxiety has been the biggest breakthrough in my Public Speaking journey. Mindfulness made it possible by noticing the sensation in my body : - strong heartbeat is a sign of aliveness - butterfly in my belly comes and go - accepting the emotions as it is Without judging, or interpreting them as proof of my own inadequacy. Breathing in, I have arrived. Breathing out, I am home.
Another way to calm your nerves is to use positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are statements that reinforce your strengths, abilities, and goals. You can repeat them to yourself or write them down. Some examples of positive affirmations are: "I am a confident speaker", "I have prepared well for this speech", or "I can do this".
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Amal Douglas
Entrepreneurship, Financial Justice and Effective Healthcare. So many of the ills and evils of today can be attributed to greed, ignorance and an unjust money and commercial system that permeates everywhere.
Before delving a workshop or giving a talk I still get nervous and despite always being well prepared and well on time, I still have to run for a very late toilet break which at least means I'm free of any overwhelming need for a toilet break during the presentation. I found cue cards very useful, but I also often fully script my talk and at times turn to it and read, audiences appreciate you are being careful and often pay a little more attention. Know who invited you to speak and what they and the event are about, and listen to those on stage before you. Make meaningful references to all of these in your own presentation
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Vivek Khandelwal
LinkedIn Community Top Voice | CXO | Mentoring Career Aspirants & Workplace Professionals | Speaker | Culture & Skill Mentor | LinkedIn Growth Specialist | India's Top 35 Mentors Niti Aayog | Content Creator | Writer
I've always been a firm believer of using positive affirmations and they have been nothing less than magical for me. Sharing a few examples that I firmly believe in using prior to my public speaking: - I am brilliant - I am awesome - I have delivered one of the finest presentations This is not to say that I may not get goosebumps...but its a way to manage myself better ;)
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Jen Jackson
Strategic CCO | Driving Revenue Growth, Maximizing Retention, and Innovating New Services & Support
I use positive affirmations to help me quiet the little imposter inside that says you might not want to do this. I find telling myself, "I can do this, I know this content, I have prepared and I am ready!" incredibly helpful. I also love a small dose of sugar or caffeine just before, and a Wonder Woman pose really puts me in the right frame of mind!
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Liam Paschall
Passionate Learning & Development Expert | Driving Inclusive Workplaces & High-Performing Teams | Keynote Speaker | Transforming Cultures & Unlocking Leadership Potential | DEI Trailblazer
I listen to upbeat music (similar to what I listen to when I work out). And often, I play with a fidget toy. Being nervous before a speaking engagement is normal. In my opinion, if you aren't a little nervous, your heart's not in it.
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Rosalyn Palmer Clinical Hyp. ARTT
Award-winning Transformational Therapist & Coach | Helping Entrepreneurs and Maverick Leaders Align Career Success with Inner Peace & Joy | Bestselling Author & Podcast Host
I'm biased here as an RTT therapist but with the success I've seen for those afraid of public speaking I'd add that turning to RTT and hypnotherapy well AHEAD of a speech is crucial as these powerful techniques help calm the parasympathetic system, enhance self-confidence through affirmations and hypnotic visualisation, and address underlying issues that may be affecting public speaking abilities. By utilising these tools, individuals can enter the event with a composed and focused mindset, overcoming intimidation and maximizing their chances of delivering a successful and impactful presentation.
The final tip to calm your nerves is to focus on your message. Remember why you are speaking in public, what you want to achieve, and what value you can offer to your audience. Focus on the content, the structure, and the delivery of your speech. Don't worry too much about your mistakes, your appearance, or your audience's judgment. Focus on your message and you will be more likely to connect with your audience and make an impact.
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Ana Lokotkova
Startup Advisor & Coach | Workshop & Content Design | Speaker | Helping startups turn their ideas into customer & investor magnets
When you, as a speaker, focus on adding value to your audience and really hone in on the core of your message, it's amazing how it helps shift your attention away from any nerves you might be feeling. Think of it this way: instead of worrying about yourself, you're concentrating on what your audience needs and wants to hear. It's not just about you up there on the stage, it's about them. When you get caught up in the importance of your message and how it can truly impact your listeners, your mind doesn't have space to dwell on anxiety or fear.
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Abdulrahman Ibrahim
Thought Leader in Smart Sustainable Cities and Socio-economic Development | Board Member | C-suite | IMD EMBA
Focusing on the key messages is one of the most powerful tools I found in my public speeches and presentations. The speaker shall prepare a short list of three to five key messages, depending on the subject and the length of the speech. Each key message shall be composed of one or two sentences, a maximum of three. Usually, each part or chapter of your speech ends with one of those messages. You need to invest almost 60-70% in practising the speech on the key messages. Practice your tone of voice and how slow and firm you deliver them. Mastering your key messages not only makes you less nervous and better prepared, but it will also guarantee a successful speech. And with repetition, it becomes natural as second nature.
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Dr. Anukram Mishra
Independent Advisor, Smart Utility Metering & adjacent products, solutions
Good inputs. I would try to share my points. 1. Some nervousness is good as it prevents complacency 2. Prepare well but not at micro level as it kills spontaneity. Just enough to keep thoughts organized in a flow 3. Start slowly to prevent initial fumbles 4. Tell interesting stories which audience could relate to in support of each point 5. Summarize, keep it utterly simple
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Angela Payne
I help leaders 'lead well' with Emotional Intelligence (EQ) so they can increase their team and personal effectiveness.
Knowing your content down cold helps you remember to have a conversation.. however for me even more I view my time speaking to an audience as a privilege, an exchange . When I focus on the audience rather than on myself I am more attuned to their needs their cues, their body language and that helps me relax..
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Alana Brittain
APAC LinkedIn Sales Leader| Moderator | GTM Strategy | Singer | Executive MBA Candidate AGSM
Get comfortable with relying on key words or statements and talking around these, rather than memorising a speech word for word. A strong opening statement and closing statement can be learnt off by heart if desired, but let the middle be fluid and different each time. You are hopefully speaking about something you know well, trust your expertise and ditch robotic pre planned speeches in their entirety. There are two main reasons for this: 1.) You sound authentic and natural. 2.) You negate the risk of losing your place and then stumbling over your words to make it through to the end.
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Leela Srinivasan
CMO turned CEO at Parity | Enabling brands x pro women athletes to build powerful partnerships
When I’m speaking at a conference where there are other speakers before me (especially with remotely similar topics), and if my schedule allows, I try to catch some of those sessions. That way, if there are common threads to pick up or allude back to, I can drive the point home in a way that resonates. It’s good karma to call out other speakers and build on their point if they’ve said something you’re echoing - and it leaves the audience nodding rather than rolling their eyes and thinking “Yeah, I’ve already heard that.”
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Nancy Debra Barrows M.S. CCC-SLP
🏆TOP 50 MOST IMPACTFUL PEOPLE OF LINKEDIN | #1 Best-Selling Author | Keynote Speaker | CoHost+Chief Engagement Officer @VoiceYourVibe | Founder+Chief Excitement Officer @THEChickWithTheToolbelt |Co-Founder+CMO @PeakAboo
Allow yourself to be HUMAN! Perfect isn't always what resonates most deeply with an audience. You want to be relatable. Know what you want to say, but do not rely on 'memorization'. You are taking your audience on a journey. You are experiencing it together. In this sense, every speaking engagement will be different and your ability to adjust will make the differrence between 'falling flat' and your audience falling in love with you!
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Anjali Dubey
Learner for Life - passionate about People, Learning, Servicing, Transformation and DE&I
Some tips that work for me: 1) Deep breathing to calm that racing heart (it’s natural to have butterflies/palpitations before going on stage!) 2) Talking a tad slower than normal rate of speech - gives more control 3) Find a few encouraging faces in the crowd to focus on- eye contact with them makes it feel less like addressing a crowd and more like a regular conversation 4) Water at hand - for that pause and to gather thoughts when stuck 5) Verbally acknowledge nervousness or any fumbles - humour target your own self to come across as a genuine human being on stage 6) Never memorise the “speech” - just pointers on cue cards and speak naturally on those- that way even if you miss something you don’t fumble. 7) Smile and nod!
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Emad Ghaly
Top Business Consultant | CEO & Chairman (x5), empowering growth potential in businesses & executives | Growing business 10x and improving business operational performance.
The more you give public speeches, the more you get uses to it. Practice gives a lot of confidence. Not practicing might decrease your confidence and your performance on stage.
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Deepa Parekh
Seasoned sustainability consultant for net zero buildings | Sustainability Education Expert
It helps to remind yourself that it's always about the audience, not the speaker. Put the spotlight on them, not you. This helps in calming the nerves, reading the room well, tweaking your content to suit the mood and energy in the room and delivering the key message.
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