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Public Speaking Course: 

Stage Fright Strategies

Stage fright is not necessarily that bad, it can be good for you and might just make you better looking!

My public speaking course teaches that it is more vital that you be ready to speak in public, before you actually need to learn how to speak in public.

You must learn to control your stage fright if you ever want to be good at presenting. Actually, the term stage fright isn't the most accurate description for the extreme nervousness that occurs when considering getting up in front of people. In fact, most of the fear occurs before you step out on to the stage. Once you're out there, it usually goes away.

In my public speaking course I try to show stage fright in a positive light.

Think of fear as your friend. It makes your reflexes sharper. It heightens your energy, adds a sparkle to your eye, and color to your cheeks. When you are nervous about speaking, you are more conscious of your posture and breathing. With all those good side effects you will actually look healthier and more physically attractive.

When making public performances, many of the top performers in the world still get stage fright so don't feel alone. Stage fright may come and go, but it usually does not disappear permanently. You must concentrate on getting the feeling out in the open, into perspective and under control. That too is part of preparation from your public speaking course.

Remember no one has ever died from stage fright or speaking in front of an audience (well maybe a few who were stoned for telling the truth too boldly).

But, according to surveys, most people would rather die than speak in public. If that sounds like you, try out some of the strategies in this section to help get your stage fright under control. Realize that you may never completely overcome stage fright, but you can learn to control it.

• Dry mouth.
• Tight throat.
• Sweaty hands.
• Cold hands.
• Shaky hands.
• Shake my hand?
• Give me a hand...? (Oops, I couldn't resist).
• Nausea 
• Fast pulse. 
• Shaky knees. 
• Trembling lips. 

Any out-of-the-ordinary, outward or inward, occurring before or during the beginning of a public speaking engagement. (Wow! What a dry mouthful! My lips are trembling just trying to say it at a fast pace without shaking...).

Not everyone reacts the same and there is no universal fix for everyone. Don't try to use all these fixes at once, just pick out items from this list and try them out until you find one that works for you. Some strategies from my public speaking course to help reduce stage fright are:

• Visualization strategies that can be used anytime
• Concentrate on how good you are at speaking in public.
• Pretend you are just chatting with a group of friends.
• Close your eyes and imagine the audience listening, laughing, and applauding.
• Remember happy moments from your past presentations.
• Think about your love for and desire to help the audience.
• Picture the audience in their underwear (OK, that's just to get you to lighten up, but could create "toxic shock"!) .

Strategies in advance of program.

• Be extremely well prepared.
• Join or start a Toastmasters club for extra practice.
• Get individual or group public speaking coaching. (Remember professionals have coaches.)
• Listen to music.
• Read a poem.
• Get in shape. Exercise. Exercise your heart, body, and soul. I don't know why it helps stage fright, but it does.
• Anticipate hard and easy questions.
• Organize your speaking notes. (Advance preparation...)
• Absolutely memorize your opening statement so you can recite it on autopilot if you have to. (Advance preparation...)
• Practice, practice, practice. (This could be the daily slogan from my public speaking course you will learn, Boy Scout's is "Do a Good Deed Daily".)
• Especially practice bits (or sections of your speech) so you can spit out a few minutes of your program no matter how nervous you are.

Strategies just before the program.
(Remember Stage fright usually goes away after you start speaking. The tricky time is before you start.)

• Be in the room at least an hour early if possible to triple check the public address system and everything else on your checklist.
  (That contributes to your assurance that nothing is going to jump up and "bite you" or embarrass you in front of your audience.)
  
• You can also schmooze with participants arriving early.
  (That allows you to "connect" and gather intelligence about the current state of mind of the people on whose mind you will be "painting".)
  
• Notice your surroundings and think about the things around you.
  (Knowing the environment allows you to control it, and being in control reduces the potential for stage fright.)
  
• Concentrate on searching for current things that are happening at the event that you can mention during your speech. 
  
• Get into conversation with people near you. Be very intent on what they are saying.
  (Connect with the audience members, one by one, let them know you care about each of them.)
  
• Yawn to relax your throat.
  
• Doodle.
  (If you are a Yankee, "drawl" if you are Southern.)
  
• Draw sketches of a new car you would like to have.
  (or of a NASCAR you want to win if you are Southern...)
  
• Look at your notes. 
  
• Put pictures of your kids/grandkids, dog, etc., in your notes. ("Don't worry, be happy!")
  
• Build a cushion of time in the day so you are not rushed. (Being late can cause a lot of stress which can lead to stage fright.)
  
• But do not schedule too much time. You don't want to have extra time to worry.
  
• If your legs are trembling, lean on a table, sit down, or shift your legs.
  (Maybe even dance a step or two, practice "3 Steps, mister..." for your presentation skills on stage movements.)
  
• Take a quick walk. (Walk the Talk, or talk while you walk, practice, practice, practice, and exercise, exercise, exercise.)
  
• Take quick drinks of tepid water.
  
• Don't drink alcohol or coffee or tea with caffeine.
  
• Double check your A/V equipment including the public address system, projectors, etc..
  
• Concentrate on your speaking ideas. (Remember your PaPa said, "Think before you speak." ?)
  
• Hide speaking notes around the stage area so you know you have a backup if you happen to draw a blank.
  
• Concentrate on your audience.
  
• Listen to music ("Music can sooth the soul and tame the angry beast...").
  
• Read a poem. ("Be still my heart...").
  
• Do isometric exercises that tighten and release muscles.
  
• Shake hands and smile with attendees before the program. (Connect with people, show that you care.)
  
• Say something to someone to make sure your voice is ready to go.
  
• Go somewhere private and warm up your voice, muscles, etc.
  
• Use eye contact.
  
• Go to a mirror and check out how you look.
  
• Breathe deeply, evenly, and slowly for several minutes.
  
• Don't eat if you don't want to and never take tranquilizers or other such drugs.
  (You may think you will do better if you eat, or take a drug, but you will probably do worse and not know it.)

Strategies to use when your public speaking program begins

• If legs are trembling, lean on your podium or table or shift legs to move.
• Try not to hold the microphone in your hand in the first minute.
• Don't hold  your notes. The audience will be able to see them shake. Use three-by-five cards instead.
• Take quick drinks of tepid water.
• Use eye contact. (It will allow you to "connect" and make you feel less isolated.)
• Look at the friendliest faces in the audience. (Talk to them, but don't fixate on one area, find them throughout the room.)
• Joke about your nervousness. (What's the right wine to go with fingernails? Anyone have leg braces I can borrow?)
• Remember nervousness doesn't show one-tenth as much as it feels. Being prepared from taking a public speaking course means you plan ahead to control it.
• Before each speaking engagement make a short list of the items you think will make you feel better.

• Don't be afraid to experiment with different combinations. You never know which ones will work best until you try.

• Rewrite them on a separate sheet and keep the sheet with you at all times so you can refer to it quickly when the need arises.
• When speaking in public use these steps to control stage fright so it doesn't control you.