The last of the public speaking series: easy tips
“Theory and big ideas. Don’t you have any tips I can start using right now?” Why yes, I do. Thanks for asking.
Hyperventilate your way to a successful talk
Everyone is nervous before a performance (see the next tip). But if you find your nervousness might distract you from being effective, do what I do: hyperventilate.
A series of six or seven really short breaths will starve your brain of a little oxygen, and give you a slightly “buzzed” feeling. It only lasts for a few seconds, but if you time the breaths with the beginning of your talk those seconds can be just enough to get you over getting started, which can be the hardest part of all.
Nervous energy gives you the edge
Giving a public talk or presentation is a performance. Even seasoned actors will tell you that they get butterflies every time they go out on stage. If your attitude is that being nervous is a sign of inadequacy on your part, then you will curse yourself for being nervous and try to bury the feeling.
Nervous energy is like nuclear waste. You can bury it for a while, but it generally just makes a bad problem worse.
Instead of shunning the feelings, embrace them. Tell yourself that this nervous energy is going to give you that little extra kick you need to stay fresh, focused, and connected with the audience.
Run a preflight check
A group of pastors were at a retreat being given by their church organization, and the featured speaker at the event was an internationally known evangelist. When his talk was over, one of the pastors asked “You frequently speak to audiences of 10,000 or more when you appear in stadiums, and millions see you on TV. What is the last thing you do before you come out on stage?”
The pastor asking the question expected to hear something like “I review my notes” or “I pray before going on stage.” Instead the evangelist replied, “I check my fly.”
In order to connect with your audience you have to be confident, channeling your nervous energy to good use in focusing on your audience, watching for signs of feedback from them, and staying on message. You can’t manage all this multitasking if you are worried about whether you hair is sticking up in back or that lump in your teeth is part of the salad you had for lunch.
So, before you head up to the front, duck into the restroom and check yourself out.
Get some armor
I’m not crazy about drawing analogies between public speaking and medieval battles, but this one works OK.
Before medieval warriors went into battle, they spent a lot of time and money making sure they were properly outfitted with mail and swords and shields and such. Some of their armor was very fancy with lots of gold flourishes and feathers. To some extent it is clear that a warrior’s armor conveyed who he was—a man to be feared in battle—and could even help him to win a battle by striking fear into his enemies and giving him a little boost of confidence.
You probably won’t benefit too much from having a flaming dragon emblazoned on your handbag, but you can get the warrior’s lift of confidence by investing in some presentation armor.
My armor is a good suit jacket. When I put that jacket on I know that I have on what is likely the best-looking coat in the room. Sort of a “power tie” for the new millennium, and it gives me a little unconscious confidence kick.
Empty your pockets
We already talked about the why of this tip in the deadly habit of jingling. Empty your pockets before you get up to speak. This tip has the added advantage of improving the drape of your clothes—no extra weight to tug at your jacket and bulge your pants. I often don’t even carry my wallet when I’m speaking.
Drinking on the job
Make sure you know before you get up to speak whether you, like me, are likely to run dry.
I invariably dry up about 10 minutes into any presentation, which is why I always have a bottle of water around to sip from. If you are in the same boat, make arrangements ahead of time to have a refreshing beverage at the podium or area in which you’ll be speaking before the action begins.
Note this. Or don’t.
When you start reading books and attending classes on effective ways to give presentations, you’ll run into the idea of notes. Some authors advocate them. Some don’t. Some do, but only in certain formats (like 3×5 cards).
I am in favor of doing whatever it takes to enable myself to connect with the audience and communicate my message to them. At this particular point in my life, this usually means that I work without a net: no notes.
If having a set of notes puts you at ease and you can manage them without distraction, then you should use them. Just be sure, if you are going to use notes, that they are only notes and that they’re easy to manage. Ideally they should fit into your pocket and be few enough in number so that they can be quickly reordered if (when) you do drop them.
