Stage fright can cause anxiety and trepidation in even the most confident of people. Whether it be an important business pitch, introducing yourself to a new group of people or a best man\’s speech, public speaking can be an absolutely nerve wracking experience. Fortunately, there are five quick and easy tips that can help even the shyest of people overcome their stage fright.

Try Not to Think About It

It may not seem helpful at the time, but try to forget about having to give the speech. Continue to make all the preparations that you have to do for it, but don\’t spend every waking hour worrying about it. If the thought creeps into your head, just acknowledge that it\’s something that you have to do and hope that it all goes fine. The worst thing to do is spend weeks replaying different scenarios in your head or thinking over excuses you can make to get out of it.

Know Your Material Inside Out

Be thoroughly prepared. If you need materials, make sure you have them all ready. Read over what you\’re going to say and try to make it flow as smoothly as possible so that your speech sounds natural. Try reading it to yourself in front of a mirror beforehand so you know how you\’re going to present yourself, and even ask a friend if you can do a practice run for any tips or suggestions. It\’s fine to read off small cards or a reminder sheet of paper in most circumstances, but try not to recite it verbatim as this can make you flustered and trip over words. Small notes or bullet points, rather than full paragraphs and sentences, are easier to read and keep track of.

Relax

Butterflies in the stomach are completely normal. If you feel yourself going red or notice that your voice is starting to tremble, try to take a deep breath and focus on the material. Project confidence even if you feel nervous. Introduce yourself before you start talking, so that it feels less formal. It can be a good icebreaker to say that you don\’t do this often as it can help you feel more relaxed and less pressured.

Take Your Time

Public speaking should always sound natural, and it should flow as if you are just talking to a group of people. Try to take it slowly and give yourself plenty of time. Take pauses and leave small gaps between sentences or when moving on to a new topic. Let the material soak in so the audience so can process what is being said. Trying to get through material as quickly as possible can make your audience confused and bewildered, and it will make matters worse if they start asking you to repeat yourself because they didn\’t catch what you just said.

Recognise Your Audience

No one wants to see you fail, and no one will be nit picking over the small details. Try to see yourself as a medium for the subject you are presenting. The audience is there to hear what you have to say, but they are more interested in what you are saying than how you are saying it.

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of PG Stage – Stage and Theatre Lighting Design

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of PG Stage – Stage and Theatre Lighting Design (http://www.pgstage.co.uk/stage-theatre-lighting.html)

Author Bio: Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of PG Stage – Stage and Theatre Lighting Design

Category: Culture
Keywords: public speaking, stage fright, making a speech