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| Nervous OR Anxious? There's a Difference |
It wasn’t long ago that somebody about to take the stage for
one of their first really big speaking opportunities said to me, “The anxiety
is killing me! I'm nervous and I really don’t think I can calm down.”
Now... I could have said a bunch of things, but the look on
their face told me that not much was going to stick if I rambled on with long
winded last minute advice. So I kept it
simple. I’ll tell you what I said in a
moment.
The fact is that everyone has a degree of anxiety. Everyone wrestles with finding the best way
to combat the internal chaos of nerves and excitement and energy that goes with
making a speech or delivering in front of an audience.
If you don’t have nerves, then the speech probably doesn’t
mean that much.
BUT … first and foremost, don’t let your mind tell you that
you are “nervous.” Let your mind tell
you that you’re anxious. There is a huge
difference. Anxious means you’re dealing
with energy. Nervous means you are
scared or uncomfortable about the potential outcome.
The key is a great beginning. And for less experienced public speakers the
opening moments are the most critical and most nerve wracking.
Here are three things you can do in the early moments of
your talk to get off to a positive start.
I do each and every one of these – without fail – every time I take the
stage.
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| Work the Room BEFORE Your Talk |
·
Find a
Friend & Laugh a Bit – whether you are at a table with others before
hitting the stage, or mingling with guests in a cocktail hour, or sitting in a
conference room before standing before the group, there is the chance to engage
and the chance to talk. Sitting (or
standing) silent prior to the talk only lets your mind focus on the speech. Relax, joke with people and take your mind
off the big moment.
·
Bring
Quick Energy – start with a smile, pose a question, show your enthusiasm
and give them a visual clue that you aren’t nervous. Go off script a bit to come across as natural
and conversational. Starting off trying
to be “perfect” makes you seem rehearsed.
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| Don't be LOCKED to a Podium |
·
Take the
Focus OFF You – A great opening shouldn’t take long. But getting to a great video or a key slide
or a perhaps even going so far as to walk OFF the stage into the audience with
a question that makes someone else
talk can help. Movement helps relax you.
Standing stiff (if nervous) and facing a big audience can add to
nervousness.
I can’t make your anxiety (or mine) go away. It happens for everyone. The key is to embrace it and find a way to
make any butterflies you may be feeling fly
in unison.
So here is what I said.
“Enjoy the moment. Somebody
picked you to do this. Don’t be what you
think they want you to be, just be you
and make sure you smile and have fun.”
Remember, there is a difference between nerves and anxiety
so find your way into a mindset that has you anxious and excited to walk in
front of your audience, not afraid of it.
Thanks for reading this blog. I welcome your comments below and your
thoughts on twitter @KraigKann
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| Find a Way to Smile - It Relaxes EVERYONE |
Thought for the Day: When it comes to speaking in front of a large group,
remember that if you aren’t smiling, nobody is. It’s really that simple.
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