Public Speaking Tips #12 Dealing with Nerves

Even after all these years public speaking I still get nervous.

So how do you learn to change that nervous energy into positive energy?

TRANSCRIPT:
A question I’m almost always asked during my public speaking workshops is “How long did it take to overcome your fear of public speaking?” The answer invariably shocks them.

I say I never have. Every single time before I get up to speak I still have butterflies churning around in my stomach. The secret is I’ve learned to control them, to harness that nervous energy and turn it into positive energy.

To feel anxious before a performance is entirely normal. Ask a footballer before they run out for a game, an Olympic athlete on the starting line, a singer about to go on stage. Nervous energy is totally normal but it’s how you handle it that its you apart.

As long as you’ve practiced many times and are confident about your subject you’ve got nothing to fear.

Remember your presentation isn’t about you it’s about your audience. Now once you turn your focus to your audience the quicker you take the heat of yourself.

But the great news is it can be taught.