A racing heart, a dry mouth and a blush spreading from chest to cheeks; what is it about public speaking that has most of us quaking in our boots?
My legs have actually quaked in my boots – once during a business pitch and once live on TV when I was delivering the weather forecast for the BBC! I was sure everyone could see my knees knocking!
You’re not alone!
I know now that I’m not the only one who has experienced these feelings. Colleagues and friends have shared their experiences of dread about upcoming presentations and I have media-trained seasoned professionals who have lots of live TV experience but as soon as they see the lights and camera, even in a training room, they experience exactly the same as the rest of us – shaky voices, sweaty palms and huge lumps in their throats.
So how did I go from a quivering wreck to a poised professional, finding my voice and delivering with ease on camera as a news presenter for GMTV and BBC? And not only doing it, but relishing the experience.
I found techniques that helped me to manage my nerves so that I could appear cool, calm and collected no matter what was happening in the background and sometimes it was total chaos!
My Top 5 Tips
Here are my top 5 tips for you based on my 20 years experience of working in the media – in news as a broadcast journalist and as a producer of short films.
1. Change your mindset
Replace fear with excitement. Repeat over and over; ‘I’m so excited, I’m so excited’. Fear and excitement share similar psychological responses in the body, the key difference is how the mind interprets them.
2. Master your breathing
It’s normal to feel that rush of adrenaline and the release of the stress hormone cortisol. I felt it 30 seconds before every live TV and radio bulletin – use it – you don’t want to be completely flat, your body is getting ready for a performance.
Breathe in for 4 seconds, expanding the ribcage out and then very slowly, breathe out for 8 seconds. Repeat this twice. Feel calm in your core. This one was an absolute game changer for me!
3. Practice out loud
Not in your own head. And as painful as this is – record yourself and watch it back. Do it at least twice. Trust me, nobody likes the sound of their own voice! Every time you do this, you will notice a big improvement.
4. Break it up
Insert questions, videos or some form of audience participation, especially at the start of your presentation – it improves audience engagement and it allows you to ground yourself: regulate your breathing and have an overview of where you are in your presentation.
I’m saving the best to last! This was another ‘game changer’ for me!
5. Present to one person
Instead of thinking about all the faces watching you, whether you are delivering in person, online or to camera, imagine you are facing one person. Either someone you know and are not intimidated by or a fictional character.
I chose my Mum’s elderly neighbour Lily, who never missed my early morning TV news bulletins. I imagined I was presenting only to Lily and it had a profound effect on my delivery and overall experience:
- It helped remove a lot of the nerves and anxiety about ‘who was watching’ and ‘what were they thinking’
- It warmed up and strengthened my whole performance as I wanted to make it an informative and engaging experience for Lily
- It took me out of my own head and what I was doing and into Lily’s and how she was receiving me. It felt like a very meaningful and personal experience and this is how I grew to love speaking to large groups of people in person or on camera.
If I can go from being painfully shy to presenting with confidence in front of live cameras and audiences, so can you.
Good luck and I hope these tips help!