by George L. Rosario for GC Rosario Group
Glossophobia or the fear of public speaking is the one social phobia that is the most common fear amongst people of all ages. It is considered an anxiety disorder and includes excessive self-consciousness when presented with any social situation where the sufferer is expected to speak in front of others. The fear of public speaking is more common than the fear of death. Public speaking can be remarkably nerve-racking.
Being a great presenter is difficult for those who were not born with a natural desire to be in front of people. Presentation skills are usually tough for those not born with natural eloquence. And even for those who are comfortable in intimate settings, when presented with an opportunity to present in front of strangers, coworkers or larger groups, they experience a phenomenon we call stage freight.
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned from being a public speaker is that it is key to develop a personal, unique speaking style that matches your personality. You should never try to imitate another great speaker word for word, energy for energy, style for style. You will never come across as trustworthy unless you come across as yourself.
Here are my top 20 tips to improve your presentation skills:
1. Practice Makes You Better
A clean mirror is your best friend.
One of the best ways to become a better presenter is to rehearse your presentation several times, preferably in front of a mirror. You never want to just wing it. Even if your time is limited, make the time to practice your presentation. Write out your speech and read it at least 50 times before the day of presentation. Studies show that if you write it out with blue ink on white paper, your brain will remember it clearer.
Practice the presentation in different scenarios. Strategists suggest that if you rehearse your presentation in different scenarios, in different positions, and in different environments, you’ll remember better. For example, you may want to practice it early in the morning, then late at night. You may want to practice it in a suit, then in jeans and a t-shirt, then in pajamas, then in your underwear, etc. You may want to practice it standing up, sitting down and even laying down. You may want to practice it in a cold setting, and then in a hot setting. I often record myself reading the presentation, and then listen to it while I jog or work out.
Finally, don’t limit yourself by practicing it by yourself and no one else. Rehearse it by yourself, and then do a couple of practice runs for a friend, family member or colleague, who does not hold back. Practicing in front of a “yes man” or “yes girl” will not help you. Choose the toughest and most brutally honest friend or family member you know. My two youngest daughters have heard many of my speeches, from as early as 3 years of age. Want honesty? Ask a kid!
Welcome your adult friend to record your presentation on YOUR phone. I emphasize your phone because you should always protect your intellectual property. Record it on your phone as you present in front of a friend or friends, and then watch yourself. Your phone will see what your audience will be seeing when your presentation is live.
2. Turn Nervous Into Excited
Simon Sinek has a great video on YouTube where he explains that your body responds to nervousness and excitement the same way. But you can learn to interpret it differently. Simon explains that you can train your mid to perform under pressure by shifting your narrative.
Positive excitement will lead to enthusiasm, and studies show that an enthusiastic speaker will often win over an eloquent speaker. So turn your nervousness into excitement and be as enthusiastic and energetic on stage as possible.
Train your body and mind to do this naturally. If you are going to reply on energy drinks, caffeine, legal or illegal substances to drive your excitement, your mind will never be as clear as it should be. But if you train your mind to see public speaking as something to be excited about rather than nervous about, you will definitely be a better speaker.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
3. Fighters Study Other Fighters
If public speaking scares you, you can get over that fear by watching and studying other speakers. Keep in mind that in the intro to this blog, I suggested that you need to develop your own authentic style rather than trying to imitate or impersonate other speakers. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn valuable lessons to apply to the development of your own style by studying other great speakers.
I’ve been a fighter for many years, and one thing I learned when developing my fighting style was that I could learn about weaknesses in my own style by studying the weaknesses that led to other fighters’ losses. I have also picked up some great pointers by studying top champions who had great styles. I carried this over into my speaking career.
Whenever I am going to speak at a conference or event, I make it a point to sit in on some of the earlier talks of the day. I sit in the back because I am watching the speaker, and watching how the audience receives his or her energy. I read the crowd before the crowd gets to read me. It helps me prepare mentally and often helps me put the finishing touches on my speech to make sure the audience gets it.
I take it as a huge compliment when a speaker I respect sits in on my presentation. I know that the speaker respects me enough to want to hear what I have to say, and that this well respected speaker is probably sitting in to do exactly what I do when I sit in on his presentation. I especially love it when another speaker play off of something I said in my own presentation. What an honor that is!
4. Never Be the Last Person In
I make it a rule to arrive at a venue at least half an hour before I am scheduled to present. I like to settle in, say my hellos and feel out the room before I go up on stage. Being early gives you a chance to feel the mood of the crowd and ride that mood in your presentation.
I am a very social person, a true extrovert. I love it when I make a friend or two before I go up to present on stage, and you should too. Meeting someone on the day of the speech, and then acknowledging them in your speech shows you genuinely care about connecting with your audience.
I also like to make a quick restroom visit right before I go up. That’s not easy to do if you are running late. No one wants to see a speaker speed through a presentation because he has to use the restroom.
5. Make The Stage Yours
Go on stage early, before the meeting starts, and acquaint yourself with the speaking area. If the mic is too low, raise it or at least educate yourself on how to raise it so if you have to adjust it, you won’t have any trouble doing so. In my case, the microphone is usually too high since I stand at a whole 5’4” tall.
While on stage, look around at where the cameras are, if the event is being recorded. Look at the camera a few times during your presentation. It will give the audience who watches it later a sense of being present in the moment, and helps them connect with you.
If you are the type that moves around the stage, become aware of anything that could potentially be a tripping hazard. Trust me, I tripped during one of my speeches and although I recovered pretty quickly, that speech became known as George’s Great Fall. Thankfully it was not being recorded by anyone but my son on his cell phone.
Finally, remove any distractions from the stage that may steal your attention or your audience’s attention. You are there to capture them, not to lose them to the strange and overpowering flower arrangement someone decided to place right in front of your stage. If your audience talks more about the flowers than about your speech, you failed.
6. Meet ‘em And Greet ‘em
As I mentioned in tip number 4, I am an extrovert and I like to arrive early to a venue so that I can meet new people and make a friend. If you are not an extrovert, but rather an introvert, setting aside some meet and greet time before and after your presentation will make you a better speaker.
Give yourself enough time to speak with people before your presentation. The audience will see you as more likable, more approachable and a lot more genuine and authentic than the guy who comes out from behind a curtain and then disappears the same way.
Don’t rush out after your presentation. Let people come to you and when possible, invite them to your next event. Let them know how much you appreciate them being a part of your event. Take pictures with them. Share your social media and website with them. Interact with your people.
7. Visualize the Win!
Have you ever worried that your speech or presentation may be a total wreck? Don’t feel bad, I used to be right there with you. Early in my career I used to practice the hope for the best but prepare for the worse strategy. I would try to imagine all the things that could go wrong and prepare for them in case they did. Talk about adding anxiety to the mix.
I soon discovered that most of the bad things I prepared for never happened. I wasted so much time preparing for the worse that I didn’t give myself permission to enjoy the best. Please focus on and enjoy the best.
When I started visualizing positive outcomes, I started having more of them, and consequently started having more fun. I noticed that the more positivity I filled my mind with, the more positive my experiences became. Plenty of studies prove that positive thinking and positive visualization is very effective in creating positive outcomes.
I take this one right back to the Holy Bible. In Philippians 4:8 we are instructed to fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. We are told to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
8. Your Audience Wants You To Win
Anxiety is usually misled, misguided and completely unfounded in the idea that your audience is waiting for you to mess up in order to make fun of you. That is absolutely not true. Maybe one or two haters are waiting for your missteps or mistakes. But most people are happy to see you win.
Whenever you are stepping up to a mic, convince yourself that your audience wants you to succeed. Otherwise they would just be wasting their time listening to someone that doesn’t bring them any value. Your audience is there because they want to hear what you have to say. They could be home watching a game or out with friends for a dinner and a drink, but instead they have invested time to listening to you speak.
Also, remember that the fear of public speaking is one of the most common if not the most common fear amongst the whole world’s population. So when you start to feel anxious, remember that your audience feels your pain, and most of them would never have the courage to stand where you are standing, delivering the message.
9. Breath In Air, Breath Out Fear
Whenever you begin to get anxious, your muscles tighten, your palms probably get sweaty, you go into survival mode, and you may even end up holding your breath as if you were underwater. This is why people say they felt like they were drowning when they were nervous.
Taking the time to take deep breaths between important points helps you refocus and keep calm. Harvard Medical School published a paper in its publication, Harvard Health Publishing titled Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response published on July 6, 2020 that explains in details how breathing exercises can help you relax and combat anxiety.
10. Smiling Makes It All Better
Want to be happier? Smile more. Your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides when you smile. These help you fight off stress. It also releases other neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. Endorphins act as a mild pain reliever so if public speaking is causing stress related physical discomfort, you feel better. Serotonin is an antidepressant, which will make you happier and help you enjoy delivering a public presentation.
Smiling will help you calm down and make you feel good when you’re in your presentation. It replaces anxiety with positive excitement and good feelings.
Since the goal of this blog is to help you become a better public speaker and presenter, consider the following. Smiling makes you come across as confident. You will seem enthusiastic about the topic and the enthusiasm will be contagious with the crowd.
What if you are doing an online webinar? What if you are doing a podcast, or are speaking during a phone conference? What if your audience can’t see you? Studies prove that smiling, even when on the phone, will help your audience connect with you. The energy comes through your voice.
Please, do not spend the whole time with a creepy clown-like smile on your face. That might come across as fake or as a sign of nervousness. Practice smiling during your presentation in front of a mirror.
Proverbs 17:22 “Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.”
11. Get The Blood Flowing Through Exercise
I am a gym rat. That doesn’t mean you have to be. I am 50 today, when I am writing this blog, and I can honestly say I am in better shape and in better health than when I was 21. I am not adding exercise as a tip here to push you to go to the gym and become a professional bodybuilder or fitness model.
Whenever I am scheduled to speak, I work out in the early AM. I get the blood flowing and leave the gym feeling great about myself. I don’t overdo it because I don’t want to be tired and groggy on stage. But I push myself just enough to increase the heartrate and get more blood pushing more oxygen to the bran.
Remember those happiness creating endorphins? Well, exercise boosts endorphins, which helps you cope with anxiety and fear. I’ve even recommended that my consulting clients do a few pushups or take a brisk walk prior to their presentation to get those awesome endorphins pumping through their system.
12. Go, Go, Go, Stop, Go, Stop, Go, Go
When you practice your presentation, include carefully placed pauses. These help people collect their thoughts, helps your audience catch up, and subconsciously tells them one thought is complete and a new, and important one is about to be delivered.
I’ve consulted for many law enforcement organizations. I’ve consulted for attorneys and judges. I’ve consulted for investigators from private investigators to government agencies. I’ve often discussed that nervous people with a guilty conscience speak quickly and rarely take a breath between sentences.
Nervous people tend to speed through a public presentation, speaking way too fast, running out of breath, and causing them to get more nervous, which makes them speak even faster because they just want to get the experience over with, which makes them even more nervous, and breathing because heavier, and then the sweat begins to roll down their neck, forehead and back, and panic sets in. If this sentence made you remember a moment when you felt this, then you definitely need point number 12.
Not to push the God card on you, but did you know when God’s name in the Hebrew Bible is pronounced, it sounds like you are taking a breath. It’s beautiful to think that are born with his name on our lips, and that it is the last thing we say as we take our last breath.
The Tetragrammaton (from Ancient Greek τετραγράμματον tetragrámmaton), or Tetragram, is the four-letter Hebrew theonym יהוה (transliterated as YHWH). This is the name of God in the Hebrew Bible. The four letters, written and read from right to left (in Hebrew), are yodh, he, waw, and he. When read, the two first letters make the sound of inhaling, and the last two letters make the sound of exhaling air.
So hey, the next time you find yourself getting nervous when doing a presentation, take a deep breath. It will force you to slow down, collect your thoughts, make important stops (pauses) during the presentation that allow you find your place, and for believers, it connects us to God through his name.
A strategically placed pause can be used to emphasize important points, and will help your audience feel as though they are in a conversation rather than in a presentation. If you find yourself speeding through your presentation, pause, take a breath and thank God for the opportunity.
13. Keep Is Simple Silly… Don’t Overdo It
You need to include pertinent, useful, informative, insightful material, but no presentation should be so full of facts that it doesn’t include attention grabbers and thinking breaks in between. Add a story or two in between facts. Make it a story that is true and personal which will make it come across more authentic.
Only give the facts that support the aim of your presentation. Exclude useless, unnecessary facts. It is important to know what to keep in and what to leave out of the presentation. Practice the presentation in front of a good friend and invite this friend to help you edit out the stuff that is not absolutely necessary.
Enough said.
14. Make Your Audience a Part of It
Presentations don’t have to be one-sided.
Ask some yes or no questions right from the beginning of your presentation. I usually start my conversation with an introduction of what to expect to hear and gain from it. I then go right into my favorite transition question, "Are you ready?"
Throughout the presentation, ask questions that get your audience to raise their hands or stand up. I love the “Stand up if you…” questions. I never make them a serious or confession, “come to Jesus” moment. I make them moments for laughter, for activity and a way to get the crowd’s blood flowing.
Asking questions that you know the answer to will make you look like an expert, and help the audience feel like they are experts as well. Asking the audience what they think about something you are speaking of works great for a small crowd, but you might want to save these type of questions for a Q&A session at the end of your presentation when speaking to larger crowds (I’ve spoken in rooms with well over 5,000 people in attendance). Deep questions in large rooms may stifle your flow.
Encouraging questions and other forms of audience participation can boost engagement and make your attendees connect with the presentation in a more personal manner. They will also make the presenter (that’s you) more relatable which makes the attendees connect with the speaker (still you) in a more personal manner.
A great connector in the middle of your presentation is to inform them that you will be conducting a voluntary poll or survey at the end of the presentation. It breaks up the presentation and gives them something to look forward to. Don’t tell them exactly what the poll or survey will ask, but instead let them know that there will be benefits for those who voluntarily participate (like perhaps a free e-book or discount to your merch store).
15. Entertain Them & They’ll Remember You
Information is not enough to make your presentation memorable. Even if you are giving the audience the secret to life (which is Jesus), many will miss the message if they are bored to the edge of a coma. Even if your presentation is packed with the greatest secrets to wealth, health and happiness (also Jesus), if you bomb on stage, you will bomb in their memory.
No one expects you to be a clown, a theatrical genius or a standup comedian. But, including a joke here or there, moving the audience to laughter with a clever story, moving them to tears with a memorable story, or telling a story that the audience can connect with will help your audience feel more comfortable, especially when your presentation has a lot of meat in it (lots of important information).
Be very careful not to fill your presentation with so much fluff that the audience misses the point. It’s important to maintain a good balance between the meat (info) and the dressing (stories, metaphors and analogies) because your audience did not simply come to be entertained, but to be fed as well.
My great friend, coach and fellow speaker Darryl Davis is a genius at this. He believes in stories, metaphors and analogies that he dedicates a section of his coaching to it. And if you’ve ever been blessed with the opportunity to see him speak live, you know he is amazing! Find his collection here.
Don’t stop yourself from injecting stories, metaphors and analogies into your presentation. If you are not sure if the balance is right, run the presentation by a couple of your friends and give them permission to be brutally honest.
16. Be An Expert, NOT A Know-It-All
Being a know-it-all is never the right way to go. My wife Claudia and I have been studying the teachings of David Pawson, an awesome Bible teacher. John David Pawson, born February 25th, 1930 and departed on May 21st, 2020, was an evangelical minister, writer and prominent Bible teacher based in the United Kingdom. He was by far considered one of the greatest Bible experts to have ever walked amongst men, and yet he was the first to admit that he was not perfect and that he did not know it all.
The vast majority of speakers and presenters are not comfortable admitting that they don’t actually know everything about the subject they speak on because they feel it undermines their authority and marketability. Yet don’t we all know that there is no way anyone can know everything there is to know about a subject?
So if you want to be authentic, be an expert when you speak, and speak with authority over the subject that you are speaking of, but do it while admitting that you are open to growth because you still don’t know everything about the subject. If you admit, right in your presentation, that you don’t know everything about the subject, you will improve your credibility and likability.
This is important during the Q&A part of your presentation. It is powerfully liberating to honestly respond to a question that stumps you by saying “I don’t know the answer to your question but I will be researching it to get you and I both an answer.” Remember also to thank the person for pointing out something you don’t know yet. They have done you a favor because they’ve given you something new to think about. It will also make you more credible and authoritative about the topic you’ve spoken on because since you admit not to know everything about the subject says that you actually know everything you said and that it must be true. In other words, George L. Rosario doesn’t make stuff up because he never pretends to be a know-it-all.
17. Mom Was Right… Stand/Sit Up Straight!
Your body posture matters. A power stance gives you the appearance of authority and strength. I included sitting because some of my favorite speakers, such as Stella Young, Chad Hymas, Muniba Mazari, Sean Stephenson, Tamara Mena, Timothy Alexander, Dean Furnes, Alycia Anderson, Stacey Copas are in wheelchairs. Then we have Nick Vujicic, Minda Dentler and Rohan Murphy who own wheelchairs but spend a bulk of their time out of them. Have you heard of Aimee Mullins? She redefined beauty by speaking about her 12 set of legs. Talk about a group of speakers with onstage presence and posture!
Being confident on stage starts with your posture and body language. When you practice your presentation in front of a mirror, practice your posture. Ask yourself, “am I standing (or sitting) like a person who is confident?” When practicing in front of friends, ask them to pay close attention to your body language and critic it when you are done.
Practicing confident body language is a great way of squashing your pre-presentation anxiousness. If your stance is confident, your mind and heart will follow. Want to boost your confidence before that big speech, presentation or interview? Practice power stances for a few minutes before going on stage or in front of the interviewer. Power stances create a long lasting, confidence building sense of assurance.
If you are standing, walk around, make hand gestures, shift body position, etc. If you are in a wheelchair, move around, change position, make eye contact with your audience. Look at the speakers I listed above. Most of them don’t have the ability to stand and walk around while speaking, and yet they make a conscious decision to move around the stage, taking up extra space and reminding their audience that they are the authority in the room.
Finally, before you go on stage, strike that Superman or Wonder Woman power pose and get ready to elevate your presentation to the next level.
18. H2O Is Your Friend
There was a great article shared by Harvard’s School of Public Health that explains the importance of hydration. This is even more important when you are a public speaker or presenter. Now, that article recommended drinking about 11 glasses of water per day. I am not suggesting you drink them all right before you go up to speak. That would either force you to run out and take a pee break in the middle of your presentation, or could cause an embarrassing situation if you decide to fight through the urge and finish your presentation. No need to make your bladder explode on stage.
Dehydration leads to dry mouth, which is a very common result of anxiety. So imagine this. You are already nervous about speaking and now you are on stage about to pass out because your anxiousness gave you dry mouth and your lack of water escalated the dryness. It’s clear that this is a formula for disaster. I once witnessed a speaker pass out on stage because the lights were hot, she was nervous, she went on stage at noon and she had only had a small cup of coffee at 6 am that morning.
Drink plenty of water before your talk, and remember to show up early enough so that if you need to take a pee break, you do it before you are actually up on stage. Also, when possible (and it should always be possible), take a cup of water or better yet, a bottle of water (you can close it to avoid spilling it) up with you on stage. That way, if you start to develop cotton mouth syndrome, you can reach over and hydrate.
19. Dress For The Occasion
It is better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed. So, I always make it a point to wear a well pressed shirt and pants when speaking on stage. I don’t care if the entire crowd is in jeans and t-shirts. As the presenter, I want to show them respect by being presentable and slightly standing out. Of course, if I know the crowd is a jeans & t-shirt crowd, I won’t show up in a 3 piece suit with cufflink shirt and tie, $1,000 leather wing tips, and the gold Rolex. But throwing on a pair of dress jeans or flat front dress pants with a button down and keeping a jacket at arm’s length will not do me wrong.
Know your crowd and your venue my friends. There are audiences who will respect you more if you show up with that 3 piece suit with cufflink shirt and tie, $1,000 leather wing tips, and the gold Rolex outfit. Then there are the crowds that will immediately distrust you if you do so. Know who you are presenting to. And please, don’t do like the Kardashians who showed up to an event in full Halloween costume just because it was Halloween, when the get-together was not a costume party. Talk about embarrassing.
Dressing adequately for your presentation will boost your confidence, likability and your ability to connect with the audience. It will also help you calm some of the anxiety. As the presenter, it is a sign of respect for your audience if you look good and responsible. Make sure the outfit is not a distraction. Ladies, no need to wear a skirt that is so short that your audience is getting a peep of your secret goods. Men, if you work out, in most cases this is not a time for you to Arnold Schwarzenegger or Lou Ferrigno the crowd. In most cases, men and women should stay away from clothes that are so tight they look like superhero outfits, or so loose that they look like pajamas. Dress like you want to be addressed.
20. Don’t Fight the Fear.
Mel Robbins shares a secret weapon in a YouTube video that has worked wonders for me. You may notice that this tip is very close to tip number two in this blog. Scroll up and read it again. You’ll see that they both talk about nervousness and excitement creating the same physiological feelings in you. Your power lies in how you interpret it.
First of all, accept that fear is real and you can beat it. I’m a Christian and turn to The Word of God (The Bible). There is a scripture that has helped me face fear with confidence, excitement and determination to overcome it. It is 2 Timothy 1:7. In this verse, God’s Word tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Notice that this verse does not say that fear is not real. It says that God doesn’t give you fear. Therefore, if you are a believer, fear should never be a part of your life because although it is real, it should never be a controlling factor within you.
If you allow fear to take a grip of you, it will surely increase your anxiety and make your presentation less enjoyable for you and for your audience. If you fear that the audience will notice that you are nervous, that fear will make your nervousness even more noticeable. I can honestly tell you that I am more nervous about delivering a speech when I have zero jitters than when I do. I love to turn nervousness into excitement and enthusiasm, and I feel like a superhero when I face my fears and chase them away.
Glossophobia or the fear of public speaking is the one social phobia that is the most common fear amongst people of all ages. It is considered an anxiety disorder and includes excessive self-consciousness when presented with any social situation where the sufferer is expected to speak in front of others. The fear of public speaking is more common than the fear of death. Public speaking can be remarkably nerve-racking.
Being a great presenter is difficult for those who were not born with a natural desire to be in front of people. Presentation skills are usually tough for those not born with natural eloquence. And even for those who are comfortable in intimate settings, when presented with an opportunity to present in front of strangers, coworkers or larger groups, they experience a phenomenon we call stage freight.
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned from being a public speaker is that it is key to develop a personal, unique speaking style that matches your personality. You should never try to imitate another great speaker word for word, energy for energy, style for style. You will never come across as trustworthy unless you come across as yourself.
Here are my top 20 tips to improve your presentation skills:
1. Practice Makes You Better
A clean mirror is your best friend.
One of the best ways to become a better presenter is to rehearse your presentation several times, preferably in front of a mirror. You never want to just wing it. Even if your time is limited, make the time to practice your presentation. Write out your speech and read it at least 50 times before the day of presentation. Studies show that if you write it out with blue ink on white paper, your brain will remember it clearer.
Practice the presentation in different scenarios. Strategists suggest that if you rehearse your presentation in different scenarios, in different positions, and in different environments, you’ll remember better. For example, you may want to practice it early in the morning, then late at night. You may want to practice it in a suit, then in jeans and a t-shirt, then in pajamas, then in your underwear, etc. You may want to practice it standing up, sitting down and even laying down. You may want to practice it in a cold setting, and then in a hot setting. I often record myself reading the presentation, and then listen to it while I jog or work out.
Finally, don’t limit yourself by practicing it by yourself and no one else. Rehearse it by yourself, and then do a couple of practice runs for a friend, family member or colleague, who does not hold back. Practicing in front of a “yes man” or “yes girl” will not help you. Choose the toughest and most brutally honest friend or family member you know. My two youngest daughters have heard many of my speeches, from as early as 3 years of age. Want honesty? Ask a kid!
Welcome your adult friend to record your presentation on YOUR phone. I emphasize your phone because you should always protect your intellectual property. Record it on your phone as you present in front of a friend or friends, and then watch yourself. Your phone will see what your audience will be seeing when your presentation is live.
2. Turn Nervous Into Excited
Simon Sinek has a great video on YouTube where he explains that your body responds to nervousness and excitement the same way. But you can learn to interpret it differently. Simon explains that you can train your mid to perform under pressure by shifting your narrative.
Positive excitement will lead to enthusiasm, and studies show that an enthusiastic speaker will often win over an eloquent speaker. So turn your nervousness into excitement and be as enthusiastic and energetic on stage as possible.
Train your body and mind to do this naturally. If you are going to reply on energy drinks, caffeine, legal or illegal substances to drive your excitement, your mind will never be as clear as it should be. But if you train your mind to see public speaking as something to be excited about rather than nervous about, you will definitely be a better speaker.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
3. Fighters Study Other Fighters
If public speaking scares you, you can get over that fear by watching and studying other speakers. Keep in mind that in the intro to this blog, I suggested that you need to develop your own authentic style rather than trying to imitate or impersonate other speakers. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn valuable lessons to apply to the development of your own style by studying other great speakers.
I’ve been a fighter for many years, and one thing I learned when developing my fighting style was that I could learn about weaknesses in my own style by studying the weaknesses that led to other fighters’ losses. I have also picked up some great pointers by studying top champions who had great styles. I carried this over into my speaking career.
Whenever I am going to speak at a conference or event, I make it a point to sit in on some of the earlier talks of the day. I sit in the back because I am watching the speaker, and watching how the audience receives his or her energy. I read the crowd before the crowd gets to read me. It helps me prepare mentally and often helps me put the finishing touches on my speech to make sure the audience gets it.
I take it as a huge compliment when a speaker I respect sits in on my presentation. I know that the speaker respects me enough to want to hear what I have to say, and that this well respected speaker is probably sitting in to do exactly what I do when I sit in on his presentation. I especially love it when another speaker play off of something I said in my own presentation. What an honor that is!
4. Never Be the Last Person In
I make it a rule to arrive at a venue at least half an hour before I am scheduled to present. I like to settle in, say my hellos and feel out the room before I go up on stage. Being early gives you a chance to feel the mood of the crowd and ride that mood in your presentation.
I am a very social person, a true extrovert. I love it when I make a friend or two before I go up to present on stage, and you should too. Meeting someone on the day of the speech, and then acknowledging them in your speech shows you genuinely care about connecting with your audience.
I also like to make a quick restroom visit right before I go up. That’s not easy to do if you are running late. No one wants to see a speaker speed through a presentation because he has to use the restroom.
5. Make The Stage Yours
Go on stage early, before the meeting starts, and acquaint yourself with the speaking area. If the mic is too low, raise it or at least educate yourself on how to raise it so if you have to adjust it, you won’t have any trouble doing so. In my case, the microphone is usually too high since I stand at a whole 5’4” tall.
While on stage, look around at where the cameras are, if the event is being recorded. Look at the camera a few times during your presentation. It will give the audience who watches it later a sense of being present in the moment, and helps them connect with you.
If you are the type that moves around the stage, become aware of anything that could potentially be a tripping hazard. Trust me, I tripped during one of my speeches and although I recovered pretty quickly, that speech became known as George’s Great Fall. Thankfully it was not being recorded by anyone but my son on his cell phone.
Finally, remove any distractions from the stage that may steal your attention or your audience’s attention. You are there to capture them, not to lose them to the strange and overpowering flower arrangement someone decided to place right in front of your stage. If your audience talks more about the flowers than about your speech, you failed.
6. Meet ‘em And Greet ‘em
As I mentioned in tip number 4, I am an extrovert and I like to arrive early to a venue so that I can meet new people and make a friend. If you are not an extrovert, but rather an introvert, setting aside some meet and greet time before and after your presentation will make you a better speaker.
Give yourself enough time to speak with people before your presentation. The audience will see you as more likable, more approachable and a lot more genuine and authentic than the guy who comes out from behind a curtain and then disappears the same way.
Don’t rush out after your presentation. Let people come to you and when possible, invite them to your next event. Let them know how much you appreciate them being a part of your event. Take pictures with them. Share your social media and website with them. Interact with your people.
7. Visualize the Win!
Have you ever worried that your speech or presentation may be a total wreck? Don’t feel bad, I used to be right there with you. Early in my career I used to practice the hope for the best but prepare for the worse strategy. I would try to imagine all the things that could go wrong and prepare for them in case they did. Talk about adding anxiety to the mix.
I soon discovered that most of the bad things I prepared for never happened. I wasted so much time preparing for the worse that I didn’t give myself permission to enjoy the best. Please focus on and enjoy the best.
When I started visualizing positive outcomes, I started having more of them, and consequently started having more fun. I noticed that the more positivity I filled my mind with, the more positive my experiences became. Plenty of studies prove that positive thinking and positive visualization is very effective in creating positive outcomes.
I take this one right back to the Holy Bible. In Philippians 4:8 we are instructed to fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. We are told to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
8. Your Audience Wants You To Win
Anxiety is usually misled, misguided and completely unfounded in the idea that your audience is waiting for you to mess up in order to make fun of you. That is absolutely not true. Maybe one or two haters are waiting for your missteps or mistakes. But most people are happy to see you win.
Whenever you are stepping up to a mic, convince yourself that your audience wants you to succeed. Otherwise they would just be wasting their time listening to someone that doesn’t bring them any value. Your audience is there because they want to hear what you have to say. They could be home watching a game or out with friends for a dinner and a drink, but instead they have invested time to listening to you speak.
Also, remember that the fear of public speaking is one of the most common if not the most common fear amongst the whole world’s population. So when you start to feel anxious, remember that your audience feels your pain, and most of them would never have the courage to stand where you are standing, delivering the message.
9. Breath In Air, Breath Out Fear
Whenever you begin to get anxious, your muscles tighten, your palms probably get sweaty, you go into survival mode, and you may even end up holding your breath as if you were underwater. This is why people say they felt like they were drowning when they were nervous.
Taking the time to take deep breaths between important points helps you refocus and keep calm. Harvard Medical School published a paper in its publication, Harvard Health Publishing titled Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response published on July 6, 2020 that explains in details how breathing exercises can help you relax and combat anxiety.
10. Smiling Makes It All Better
Want to be happier? Smile more. Your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides when you smile. These help you fight off stress. It also releases other neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. Endorphins act as a mild pain reliever so if public speaking is causing stress related physical discomfort, you feel better. Serotonin is an antidepressant, which will make you happier and help you enjoy delivering a public presentation.
Smiling will help you calm down and make you feel good when you’re in your presentation. It replaces anxiety with positive excitement and good feelings.
Since the goal of this blog is to help you become a better public speaker and presenter, consider the following. Smiling makes you come across as confident. You will seem enthusiastic about the topic and the enthusiasm will be contagious with the crowd.
What if you are doing an online webinar? What if you are doing a podcast, or are speaking during a phone conference? What if your audience can’t see you? Studies prove that smiling, even when on the phone, will help your audience connect with you. The energy comes through your voice.
Please, do not spend the whole time with a creepy clown-like smile on your face. That might come across as fake or as a sign of nervousness. Practice smiling during your presentation in front of a mirror.
Proverbs 17:22 “Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.”
11. Get The Blood Flowing Through Exercise
I am a gym rat. That doesn’t mean you have to be. I am 50 today, when I am writing this blog, and I can honestly say I am in better shape and in better health than when I was 21. I am not adding exercise as a tip here to push you to go to the gym and become a professional bodybuilder or fitness model.
Whenever I am scheduled to speak, I work out in the early AM. I get the blood flowing and leave the gym feeling great about myself. I don’t overdo it because I don’t want to be tired and groggy on stage. But I push myself just enough to increase the heartrate and get more blood pushing more oxygen to the bran.
Remember those happiness creating endorphins? Well, exercise boosts endorphins, which helps you cope with anxiety and fear. I’ve even recommended that my consulting clients do a few pushups or take a brisk walk prior to their presentation to get those awesome endorphins pumping through their system.
12. Go, Go, Go, Stop, Go, Stop, Go, Go
When you practice your presentation, include carefully placed pauses. These help people collect their thoughts, helps your audience catch up, and subconsciously tells them one thought is complete and a new, and important one is about to be delivered.
I’ve consulted for many law enforcement organizations. I’ve consulted for attorneys and judges. I’ve consulted for investigators from private investigators to government agencies. I’ve often discussed that nervous people with a guilty conscience speak quickly and rarely take a breath between sentences.
Nervous people tend to speed through a public presentation, speaking way too fast, running out of breath, and causing them to get more nervous, which makes them speak even faster because they just want to get the experience over with, which makes them even more nervous, and breathing because heavier, and then the sweat begins to roll down their neck, forehead and back, and panic sets in. If this sentence made you remember a moment when you felt this, then you definitely need point number 12.
Not to push the God card on you, but did you know when God’s name in the Hebrew Bible is pronounced, it sounds like you are taking a breath. It’s beautiful to think that are born with his name on our lips, and that it is the last thing we say as we take our last breath.
The Tetragrammaton (from Ancient Greek τετραγράμματον tetragrámmaton), or Tetragram, is the four-letter Hebrew theonym יהוה (transliterated as YHWH). This is the name of God in the Hebrew Bible. The four letters, written and read from right to left (in Hebrew), are yodh, he, waw, and he. When read, the two first letters make the sound of inhaling, and the last two letters make the sound of exhaling air.
So hey, the next time you find yourself getting nervous when doing a presentation, take a deep breath. It will force you to slow down, collect your thoughts, make important stops (pauses) during the presentation that allow you find your place, and for believers, it connects us to God through his name.
A strategically placed pause can be used to emphasize important points, and will help your audience feel as though they are in a conversation rather than in a presentation. If you find yourself speeding through your presentation, pause, take a breath and thank God for the opportunity.
13. Keep Is Simple Silly… Don’t Overdo It
You need to include pertinent, useful, informative, insightful material, but no presentation should be so full of facts that it doesn’t include attention grabbers and thinking breaks in between. Add a story or two in between facts. Make it a story that is true and personal which will make it come across more authentic.
Only give the facts that support the aim of your presentation. Exclude useless, unnecessary facts. It is important to know what to keep in and what to leave out of the presentation. Practice the presentation in front of a good friend and invite this friend to help you edit out the stuff that is not absolutely necessary.
Enough said.
14. Make Your Audience a Part of It
Presentations don’t have to be one-sided.
Ask some yes or no questions right from the beginning of your presentation. I usually start my conversation with an introduction of what to expect to hear and gain from it. I then go right into my favorite transition question, "Are you ready?"
Throughout the presentation, ask questions that get your audience to raise their hands or stand up. I love the “Stand up if you…” questions. I never make them a serious or confession, “come to Jesus” moment. I make them moments for laughter, for activity and a way to get the crowd’s blood flowing.
Asking questions that you know the answer to will make you look like an expert, and help the audience feel like they are experts as well. Asking the audience what they think about something you are speaking of works great for a small crowd, but you might want to save these type of questions for a Q&A session at the end of your presentation when speaking to larger crowds (I’ve spoken in rooms with well over 5,000 people in attendance). Deep questions in large rooms may stifle your flow.
Encouraging questions and other forms of audience participation can boost engagement and make your attendees connect with the presentation in a more personal manner. They will also make the presenter (that’s you) more relatable which makes the attendees connect with the speaker (still you) in a more personal manner.
A great connector in the middle of your presentation is to inform them that you will be conducting a voluntary poll or survey at the end of the presentation. It breaks up the presentation and gives them something to look forward to. Don’t tell them exactly what the poll or survey will ask, but instead let them know that there will be benefits for those who voluntarily participate (like perhaps a free e-book or discount to your merch store).
15. Entertain Them & They’ll Remember You
Information is not enough to make your presentation memorable. Even if you are giving the audience the secret to life (which is Jesus), many will miss the message if they are bored to the edge of a coma. Even if your presentation is packed with the greatest secrets to wealth, health and happiness (also Jesus), if you bomb on stage, you will bomb in their memory.
No one expects you to be a clown, a theatrical genius or a standup comedian. But, including a joke here or there, moving the audience to laughter with a clever story, moving them to tears with a memorable story, or telling a story that the audience can connect with will help your audience feel more comfortable, especially when your presentation has a lot of meat in it (lots of important information).
Be very careful not to fill your presentation with so much fluff that the audience misses the point. It’s important to maintain a good balance between the meat (info) and the dressing (stories, metaphors and analogies) because your audience did not simply come to be entertained, but to be fed as well.
My great friend, coach and fellow speaker Darryl Davis is a genius at this. He believes in stories, metaphors and analogies that he dedicates a section of his coaching to it. And if you’ve ever been blessed with the opportunity to see him speak live, you know he is amazing! Find his collection here.
Don’t stop yourself from injecting stories, metaphors and analogies into your presentation. If you are not sure if the balance is right, run the presentation by a couple of your friends and give them permission to be brutally honest.
16. Be An Expert, NOT A Know-It-All
Being a know-it-all is never the right way to go. My wife Claudia and I have been studying the teachings of David Pawson, an awesome Bible teacher. John David Pawson, born February 25th, 1930 and departed on May 21st, 2020, was an evangelical minister, writer and prominent Bible teacher based in the United Kingdom. He was by far considered one of the greatest Bible experts to have ever walked amongst men, and yet he was the first to admit that he was not perfect and that he did not know it all.
The vast majority of speakers and presenters are not comfortable admitting that they don’t actually know everything about the subject they speak on because they feel it undermines their authority and marketability. Yet don’t we all know that there is no way anyone can know everything there is to know about a subject?
So if you want to be authentic, be an expert when you speak, and speak with authority over the subject that you are speaking of, but do it while admitting that you are open to growth because you still don’t know everything about the subject. If you admit, right in your presentation, that you don’t know everything about the subject, you will improve your credibility and likability.
This is important during the Q&A part of your presentation. It is powerfully liberating to honestly respond to a question that stumps you by saying “I don’t know the answer to your question but I will be researching it to get you and I both an answer.” Remember also to thank the person for pointing out something you don’t know yet. They have done you a favor because they’ve given you something new to think about. It will also make you more credible and authoritative about the topic you’ve spoken on because since you admit not to know everything about the subject says that you actually know everything you said and that it must be true. In other words, George L. Rosario doesn’t make stuff up because he never pretends to be a know-it-all.
17. Mom Was Right… Stand/Sit Up Straight!
Your body posture matters. A power stance gives you the appearance of authority and strength. I included sitting because some of my favorite speakers, such as Stella Young, Chad Hymas, Muniba Mazari, Sean Stephenson, Tamara Mena, Timothy Alexander, Dean Furnes, Alycia Anderson, Stacey Copas are in wheelchairs. Then we have Nick Vujicic, Minda Dentler and Rohan Murphy who own wheelchairs but spend a bulk of their time out of them. Have you heard of Aimee Mullins? She redefined beauty by speaking about her 12 set of legs. Talk about a group of speakers with onstage presence and posture!
Being confident on stage starts with your posture and body language. When you practice your presentation in front of a mirror, practice your posture. Ask yourself, “am I standing (or sitting) like a person who is confident?” When practicing in front of friends, ask them to pay close attention to your body language and critic it when you are done.
Practicing confident body language is a great way of squashing your pre-presentation anxiousness. If your stance is confident, your mind and heart will follow. Want to boost your confidence before that big speech, presentation or interview? Practice power stances for a few minutes before going on stage or in front of the interviewer. Power stances create a long lasting, confidence building sense of assurance.
If you are standing, walk around, make hand gestures, shift body position, etc. If you are in a wheelchair, move around, change position, make eye contact with your audience. Look at the speakers I listed above. Most of them don’t have the ability to stand and walk around while speaking, and yet they make a conscious decision to move around the stage, taking up extra space and reminding their audience that they are the authority in the room.
Finally, before you go on stage, strike that Superman or Wonder Woman power pose and get ready to elevate your presentation to the next level.
18. H2O Is Your Friend
There was a great article shared by Harvard’s School of Public Health that explains the importance of hydration. This is even more important when you are a public speaker or presenter. Now, that article recommended drinking about 11 glasses of water per day. I am not suggesting you drink them all right before you go up to speak. That would either force you to run out and take a pee break in the middle of your presentation, or could cause an embarrassing situation if you decide to fight through the urge and finish your presentation. No need to make your bladder explode on stage.
Dehydration leads to dry mouth, which is a very common result of anxiety. So imagine this. You are already nervous about speaking and now you are on stage about to pass out because your anxiousness gave you dry mouth and your lack of water escalated the dryness. It’s clear that this is a formula for disaster. I once witnessed a speaker pass out on stage because the lights were hot, she was nervous, she went on stage at noon and she had only had a small cup of coffee at 6 am that morning.
Drink plenty of water before your talk, and remember to show up early enough so that if you need to take a pee break, you do it before you are actually up on stage. Also, when possible (and it should always be possible), take a cup of water or better yet, a bottle of water (you can close it to avoid spilling it) up with you on stage. That way, if you start to develop cotton mouth syndrome, you can reach over and hydrate.
19. Dress For The Occasion
It is better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed. So, I always make it a point to wear a well pressed shirt and pants when speaking on stage. I don’t care if the entire crowd is in jeans and t-shirts. As the presenter, I want to show them respect by being presentable and slightly standing out. Of course, if I know the crowd is a jeans & t-shirt crowd, I won’t show up in a 3 piece suit with cufflink shirt and tie, $1,000 leather wing tips, and the gold Rolex. But throwing on a pair of dress jeans or flat front dress pants with a button down and keeping a jacket at arm’s length will not do me wrong.
Know your crowd and your venue my friends. There are audiences who will respect you more if you show up with that 3 piece suit with cufflink shirt and tie, $1,000 leather wing tips, and the gold Rolex outfit. Then there are the crowds that will immediately distrust you if you do so. Know who you are presenting to. And please, don’t do like the Kardashians who showed up to an event in full Halloween costume just because it was Halloween, when the get-together was not a costume party. Talk about embarrassing.
Dressing adequately for your presentation will boost your confidence, likability and your ability to connect with the audience. It will also help you calm some of the anxiety. As the presenter, it is a sign of respect for your audience if you look good and responsible. Make sure the outfit is not a distraction. Ladies, no need to wear a skirt that is so short that your audience is getting a peep of your secret goods. Men, if you work out, in most cases this is not a time for you to Arnold Schwarzenegger or Lou Ferrigno the crowd. In most cases, men and women should stay away from clothes that are so tight they look like superhero outfits, or so loose that they look like pajamas. Dress like you want to be addressed.
20. Don’t Fight the Fear.
Mel Robbins shares a secret weapon in a YouTube video that has worked wonders for me. You may notice that this tip is very close to tip number two in this blog. Scroll up and read it again. You’ll see that they both talk about nervousness and excitement creating the same physiological feelings in you. Your power lies in how you interpret it.
First of all, accept that fear is real and you can beat it. I’m a Christian and turn to The Word of God (The Bible). There is a scripture that has helped me face fear with confidence, excitement and determination to overcome it. It is 2 Timothy 1:7. In this verse, God’s Word tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Notice that this verse does not say that fear is not real. It says that God doesn’t give you fear. Therefore, if you are a believer, fear should never be a part of your life because although it is real, it should never be a controlling factor within you.
If you allow fear to take a grip of you, it will surely increase your anxiety and make your presentation less enjoyable for you and for your audience. If you fear that the audience will notice that you are nervous, that fear will make your nervousness even more noticeable. I can honestly tell you that I am more nervous about delivering a speech when I have zero jitters than when I do. I love to turn nervousness into excitement and enthusiasm, and I feel like a superhero when I face my fears and chase them away.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
George L. Rosario, #GeorgeTheSpeaker
George L. Rosario is a Brooklyn NY born & raised businessman, entrepreneur, Speaker and consultant. He started GC Rosario Group with his lovely wife Claudia. With over 30 years of service to the marketplace in NYC, George has relocated and been graciously adopted by the business community of South Florida. He now travels the country helping businesses and organizations thrive in today’s noisy environment. The post-Covid era forced many to close their doors, but also opened new doors of opportunity, growth and prosperity for innovative thinkers. George & Claudia Rosario help companies, businesses, organizations and teams develop the necessary skillset and plan of action to not just survive, but thrive in this new world. GC Rosario Group helps both secular and Christian based institutions meet their goals. #GeorgeTheSpeaker #GCRosarioGroup
George L. Rosario, #GeorgeTheSpeaker
George L. Rosario is a Brooklyn NY born & raised businessman, entrepreneur, Speaker and consultant. He started GC Rosario Group with his lovely wife Claudia. With over 30 years of service to the marketplace in NYC, George has relocated and been graciously adopted by the business community of South Florida. He now travels the country helping businesses and organizations thrive in today’s noisy environment. The post-Covid era forced many to close their doors, but also opened new doors of opportunity, growth and prosperity for innovative thinkers. George & Claudia Rosario help companies, businesses, organizations and teams develop the necessary skillset and plan of action to not just survive, but thrive in this new world. GC Rosario Group helps both secular and Christian based institutions meet their goals. #GeorgeTheSpeaker #GCRosarioGroup
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