Can A Woman Be A Great Speaker?
It’s Easy To Get Control Of Your Nerves—You Can Do It!
If you could do a great job of giving a speech, could it make you more successful? Answer honestly. I know you might want to give yourself an excuse, such as:
- I’m not the kind of person who can do that.
- It’s not really that important in my business.
- I can’t take any more stress right now, maybe later.
- There are a few men in my company who like to do that. I’m not like them.
Knowing that I’ll tell you the secret of how you can control your nerves, would you do yourself a big favor by picturing yourself standing in front of a group giving a good presentation? Visualize this. That’s actually the first step. Pause here and take a look inward. Picture that no one in your audience sees a nervous woman giving a speech. They’re actually listening and enjoying what you’re saying. If you confess this would make you more successful, you’ve passed the second step and are ready to learn the secret of how to control your nerves.
Before I tell you the secret, I want to let you know the most boring speakers are the 1% of the population who do not get nervous in front of a crowd. They don’t come across with energy. Even Donald Trump admits he gets nervous. Controlling your nerves so the audience is unaware is what is necessary.
The Secret
Depending on the room and setup, you can pick and choose which of these techniques you’ll use. If you have the time to do each of them in this order, it’s a slam-dunk.
- Get some type of exercise before the speech. Plan it out ahead. Maybe you can do some aerobics before getting dressed. Maybe you can take off your heels and run up and down a few flights of stairs. Or, this is the easiest, jog in place for a few minutes while raising and lowering your arms.
- Use positive self-talk to override the fear-talk. Concentrate on what you know about this topic and how you can help the audience. Think about how they’ll appreciate your efforts.
- Take 2 to 3 deep breaths.
- Tense your muscles, then release them. If you can do all your muscles at once, great. If that’s not possible, just tense your hands and feet and then release.
- When you’re about to be introduced, take one deep breath and then smile and assume your best posture.
- Stride up to the focal point. Smile. Pause and look around for a few seconds. Don’t avoid that “pause.” It’s what signals to the audience that they needn’t worry about you. You’ll be fine—and they’re glad you’re up there and not them! They want you to succeed.
Tip:
When you’re doing the pause before you start your speech, look around at the most friendly faces. Don’t skip their eyes or smiles. Scan different parts of the room, connecting with people. Channel your nerves into energy—and let that energy show! You can be one of those great female speakers!
Further Reading:
Website, WomensMedia, by Dana Bristol-Smith, You Can Be a Superstar Speaker!
Website, WomensMedia, by Dana Bristol-Smith, Presenting For Success: Simple Strategies to Add Confidence to Your Next Presentation
_________________________________________________________________