The Public Speaker’s Secret Weapon

Eyes Behind Red Curtains On Wood StageAlthough I’m pretty comfortable speaking in front of a crowd now, I wasn’t born that way. In fact, I remember being absolutely terrified for at least the first few dozen presentations I gave. I managed to get the terror under control but it took many years before I discovered the secret weapon that has completely turned around my experience speaking in public.

You’re probably familiar with the problem of confirmation bias – the human tendency to look for, recognize and remember information that confirms our preexisting beliefs and theories. As info pros, we have to be on guard against confirmation bias; it can blind us to relevant information that could challenge the entire premise of our research.

But for public speakers, keeping this human default setting in mind can be very reassuring. Remember, people chose to come to your presentation, join your webinar or attend the meeting you are leading. That means they all have a vested interest in confirming to themselves that they made a good decision to spend their time listening to you. They’re not secretly counting up your grammatical mistakes, judging your choice in footwear, or wondering why your hair looks like that. Rather, they are looking for evidence that they made a good choice.

Once I realized this, I developed a quick little ritual that I now practice before every presentation I give or meeting I lead. I find a quiet space (and yes, it might just be a bathroom stall), close my eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. I imagine the room filling up with people, each of whom is – subconsciously at least – rooting for me. I conjure up a feeling of gratitude that every person in the audience is on my side; they are confident that I’ll do a fine job and they know they will be glad they chose to spend time with me. I smile, even if I have to force myself, and take one more deep breath, inhaling gratitude and exhaling a calm confidence that I will show up at my very best.

Yes, it sounds woo-woo, but this technique has changed my experience of public speaking. The people who have joined me for this event are my allies, not something to be feared. They’re more than willing to forgive me when I suddenly lose my train of thought, as long as I get myself back on track and keep going. They won’t focus on whether or not I have a particular degree or so many years of experience; they just want to come away knowing more than they did before.

I still feel that adrenaline rush as I’m being introduced and I walk to the podium, but it’s not immobilizing. I recognize it as a tool to help me think on my feet, and I look at it as confirmation that I’ll give a great presentation.

Try this approach and see how it works for you. Public speaking may never feel completely natural, but you can hone your skills in managing and channeling your initial anxiety.

See more of my thoughts about managing yourself.

One comment on “The Public Speaker’s Secret Weapon

  1. MaryEllen, yes the idea of taking a few deep breaths before presenting is so important physically so you can fill your lungs with air, and feed your brain. Recently I heard a judge in a pitch competition tell people to ‘remember to breathe’ before, during and right after the presentation. Confirmation bias is something in this case, we can be proud of falling into! By the way, you’re not alone in the bathroom stall scenario, it’s the best!

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