I thought I would do a summary of some tactics on “how to overcome the fear of public speaking”
Common mistake: We breathe in and then speak; you should breathe out and then speak.
To avoid panic attacks: Practice the square breathing which entails 4 steps while counting 1-4 in each step
1. breathing in
2. Holding the breath
3. Breathing
4. Holding again
Relax your jaws: Chew like a 15-year-old with attitude. Great tip for those who wake up with jaw pain and headache from biting too hard during sleep.
Articulation: Exaggerate articulation before a presentation to make sure you will articulate well during the presentation.
Find your right base of tone: check for the vibration in the chest – the lower the tone and the louder the voice, the more confident you will sound.
If you get nervous before a presentation: Don’t say “No No No” – This won’t help you! Build up on the excitement and adrenaline rush you experience to deliver a great presentation.
Amy Cuddy: Her research proved that emotions and body are inseparable and that the fastest way to change our emotional state is through the body i.e. sit relaxed and you will talk more; take an open posture and you will be more confident in your speech; open your arms widely in an empty room (also called power posing) for 2 mins and you will feel more confident and ready.
Pitching tactics: Speak with stamina – hold a chair above your head and practice, remember how it felt and do it again without the chair; identify the objective behind the pitch – what should they feel or do after I’m done? Pause when you mention an important point; put the focus on others when speaking rather than paying attention to yourself.
Finally: Be more skillful than good looking but more naked than skillful – be genuine and speak from the heart!
