I'm a thirty year old surgical tech at an academic medical center in San Diego. Throughout my education and career I have suffered from a fear of public speaking. Recently, I delivered a presentation as part of a quality improvement meeting and didn't sleep at all the night before. I have made a commitment that this will be the year that I do something about this situation. Can you give me some advice about how to master my anxiety?

Congratulations on making the decision to overcome your fear of public speaking. You are not alone in dealing with this problem. Thousands of professionals dread the thought of standing up before a group to speak. The good news is that you can master this fear and go on to be a very competent speaker. In my corporate workshops and graduate level college courses, I teach a number of relaxation techniques that people find very helpful. Today, I would like to offer you three tips as well as a way to continue polishing your speaking skills over a longer period of time.

1. Focus on the audience and not yourself

   There is a story told about a manager who made an appointment with the late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, an internationally renowned public speaker and author of The Power of Positive Thinking. As soon as he was in Dr. Peale's office the man immediately stated his reason for requesting an appointment. "I am scheduled to deliver a presentation next week to a large audience and I am absolutely terrified. What advice can you give me?" Dr. Peale thought for a minute and said, "Love your audience." He went on to explain that the more we concentrate on how our presentation can help the audience members, the more relaxed we will become.

   In your case, make a concerted effort to write down specifically how your presentation will help the audience. Then find a quiet place to sit and visualize the audience benefiting from your presentation. Do this several times in the days leading up to your speech and watch how you become increasingly relaxed.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice

   Highly poised, competent speakers devote significant time to practicing presentations. Most people would be shocked to learn of the effort these individuals put into preparation. Many of my clients, students and consulting colleagues have shared how they practice in the car, shower and when possible, with a few trusted friends. Remember, there is a direct correlation between practice and composure. The investment in time will pay huge dividends in your presentations. Eventually you will be able to reduce the number of times you rehearse your presentation. My advice for your current situation is to over-rehearse including audio and video taping your presentation. Whenever possible, recruit a few friends and practice in front of them in the actual room where your presentation will take place.

3. Learn to Breathe Correctly

   When we are tense, we tend to breathe high in our chest which results in a squeaky sounding voice. Individuals who practice yoga and/or meditation learn how to breathe from their diaphragm and quickly learn how this practice results in a feeling of relaxation. As you are waiting to deliver your presentation, gently breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. When you breathe in allow your stomach to extend, as opposed to drawing it in. During your presentation, pause from time to time and focus on breathing this way. If you are tense, you will find that you have been holding your stomach in very tightly. Managing your physiology is one of the great secrets to dealing with presentation anxiety.

I mentioned early in this article that I would be providing you with a way to continuously improve your ability to manage fear and nervousness when speaking. As a young man, I discovered Toastmasters International www.toastmasters.org, an outstanding public speaking organization. Almost every major city throughout the world has a Toastmasters club. This inexpensive self-help group offers a proven process to help members improve their speaking skills dramatically. I was a member of Toastmasters for fourteen years and hardly ever missed a meeting. My life is very different than it might have been without the influence of Toastmasters. Today, I teach communication skills to physician leaders at the Harvard School of Public Health as well as corporate clients in workshops and in individual coaching sessions.

Put these suggestions into practice and you will see a dramatic change in your comfort level whenever you deliver a presentation. Please let me know if I can be of any additional help.

Copyright , Mark J. Campbell. All rights reserved.
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