how to do presentation without fear

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How to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really!)

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Why do I get nervous before presenting?

How not to be nervous when presenting, 5 techniques to control your nerves, quotes for inspiration, speak with confidence.

If you feel nervous or scared about talking to someone new, giving a speech, or being on stage, rest assured: you’re not alone. 

Experiencing symptoms of performance anxiety like an increased heart rate, trembling hands, or excessive sweating is perfectly normal. In fact, people often fear public speaking . But the more you’re immersed in these types of situations, the more comfortable you’ll become . 

We’ll explore how to not be nervous for a presentation and offer inspirational quotes to help you step out of your comfort zone.

Based on data from the National Social Anxiety Center, fear of public speaking is the most common phobia . The official term for this fear is glossophobia, colloquially termed stage fright.

Stage fright typically arises from the perception that when you're in front of a group of people, they'll judge you. The brain’s frontal lobe aids in memory, and when we’re stressed, increased stress hormones temporarily shut that region down . This is what causes us to freeze up and stop talking. 

There’s nothing wrong with being nervous. We all have different social comfort zones, communication styles, and presentation skills. But we can expand and improve our skills if we’re cognitively flexible .

Cognitive flexibility plays a big role in our behavior and attitudes and impacts our performance. You can use your fears as a catalyst for growth and learning — including giving a great presentation.

The following techniques will help you shift your thinking from reactive to proactive to combat nerves throughout the presentation experience:

Before the presentation:

1. Know your topic

Don’t wing it when it comes to presenting any topic. The better you understand your subject matter, the more confident you’ll feel. You can answer questions right away and won’t have to rely on your notes.

If there are a few points or any information you think might arise during the presentation or Q&A, research it and become comfortable speaking to the subject.

Here are a few ways to study: 

• Break down concepts onto notecards
• Practice answering questions  (especially the hard ones you hope no one asks)
• Explain complex information to peers and colleagues

2. Be organized

Take time to thoroughly plan each aspect of the presentation. Often, that means designing PowerPoint slides or other visual aids like videos. Clarify with the organizer what format and technology you’ll be using.

If it’ll be virtual, get your background and room organized, too. This ensures the presentation will go smoothly, in turn reducing stress.  Consider the following preparations:

• Invite your support network to the event
• Arrive early to set up tech and get comfortable in the space
• Practice timing your presentation with the time tracker you’ll use day-of
• Bring a water bottle and a snack
• Contact your manager or venue staff to discuss any accessibility or tech concerns

3. Practice, practice, practice

Whether you’re rehearsing in front of a mirror, family member, or pet, you can never practice enough. Ask for feedback about your body language , eye contact , and how loudly you project your voice.

If you’ll be giving the presentation on a video conference, record it on the platform to see how you look and sound.

4. Visualize your success

Thinking through possible outcomes is a great way to prepare — but it can also backfire on you. If you obsess over negative what-ifs, this failing mentality might become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

The more often you fill your mind with positive thoughts and visualize your success, the more automatic they’ll be. Positive self-talk can make a big difference to your confidence. Run through the presentation — successfully — in your head.

During the presentation:

5. Focus on your material, not the audience

Your audience is there for your presentation — not to assess you. They’ll be looking at your colorful slides and listening to what you’re saying. Don’t let your mind fill with insecurities . 

6 . Don't fear silence

If your mind suddenly goes blank, that’s okay. It may seem like an eternity to you as you try to figure out what to say next, but it’s only a few seconds at most. 

Pausing isn’t a bad thing, anyway. You can use dramatic breaks advantageously to draw attention before the most important bits. 

7 . Speak slowly

Presentation anxiety often causes nervous energy, so we speak faster than normal. This might make you fumble your words or forget important details.

Slow down. Audience members will be thankful since they can understand you , and drawing out your speech will give you time to calm down, ground yourself , and stay organized.

8 . Take deep breaths and drink water

Breathing delivers oxygen to your brain, allowing you to think more clearly. Drinking water ups your energy, and also gives you a moment to pause. 

Smiling is a simple yet effective way to soothe your nerves. Doing so releases endorphins, helping you physically feel more confident. And a friendly face will make the audience more open to what you’re saying. 

10 . Remember the three "audience truths"

These include: 1) for the duration of the presentation, the audience believes you’re the expert, 2) they’re on your side, and 3) they don’t know when you make a mistake. 

After the presentation:

11. Recognize your success

Giving a presentation is something worth being proud of — celebrate it! In addition to family, friends, and coworkers, you deserve a high five from yourself, too.

1 2. Collect feedback

Feedback is a wonderful gift if you use it as a tool to help you do even better next time. Ask some of your audience members what they liked and what they didn’t. Remember, you can learn a lot from your mistakes . 

1 3. Don't beat yourself up

You did the best you could, and that’s all anyone — including you — can ask for. 

Nervousness is perfectly normal, but sometimes our symptoms hold us back from doing — and enjoying — scarier tasks. Here are five tips for overcoming nerves:

1. Practice impression management

Impression management requires projecting an image that contradicts how you actually feel. It’s essentially a “fake it ‘til you make it” strategy.  Let’s say you’re about to make a corporate-wide presentation and feel worried you’ll forget important information. You’ll counteract this worry by imagining yourself remembering every detail and delivering it entertainingly.

Learn from this practice by noting the information chosen in your hypothetical and how you expressed it effectively. 

2. Talk to someone

Emotions are contagious. We absorb others’ positive vibes . Chatting with people who are excited about and confident in our presentation abilities rubs off on us. 

Before a presentation, call a cheerleader in your life — someone who’s on your side and understands your nerves. Be specific, discussing which parts of presenting are nerve-wracking and what you need from them.

3. Do breathing exercises

Mindful breathing is when you pay attention to the sensation of inhaling and exhaling while controlling and deepening breath length. Breathwork has several health benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety and improving memory, attention, and focus. 

Before the presentation, find a quiet and solitary space. Breathe deeply for at least a minute, focusing on sensation and depth. This practice brings you into your body and out of your mind (away from nerve-wracking thoughts).

4. Practice reframing 

Reframing is a technique used in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to improve negative automatic thought patterns over time. One such pattern is viewing certain emotions as bad, and others as good. Nervousness feels the same in the body as excitement. Instead of panicking even more when realizing you’re nervous, reframe your impression of nerves as excitement for what you’re about to do.

This excitement will propel you forward with confidence and pride for stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something scary.

Here are seven inspirational quotes to help you feel confident and excited when doing something you’re nervous about:

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” John Ford

“ When speaking in public, your message — no matter how important — will not be effective or memorable if you don't have a clear structure. ” Patricia Fripp

“The most precious things in speech are the pauses.”  Sir Ralph Richardson

“The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.” Lady Bird Johnson

“It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public.” Tony Robbins

“The worst speech you’ll ever give will be far better than the one you never give.” Fred Miller

Like any other skill, learning how to not be nervous for a presentation takes time and practice. Acknowledging this hurdle is the first step to making a change in the right direction.  Facing your fears will empower you to take on scarier — and more fulfilling — goals and enjoy the experience along the way. You don’t have to start with a TED Talk. Tackle small challenges like presenting an idea to your manager or practicing a short speech with a friend.  We won’t sugarcoat it — it’s hard to change our minds and habits. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll be rewarded with increased confidence and new experiences.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

30 presentation feedback examples

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Detailed Guide for Overcoming your Fear of Public Speaking

February 16, 2021 - Dom Barnard

Public speaking is a common form of anxiety and fear. Over 75% of people experience some degree of anxiety or nervousness when it comes to speaking in front of others.

People who have been surveyed commonly rank this fear above spiders, heights and death. So the first thing to remember is that your fear is totally normal.

It can range from slight nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic, with more extreme fear known as glossophobia. Many people with this fear avoid public speaking situations altogether, or they suffer through them with shaking hands and a quavering voice.

But with preparation and experience, you can overcome your fear.

Sections in this article:

Glossophobia: more than a common fear of speaking, what fear does to us during a speech, verbal communication is essential for your career, why do we have this fear.

• Video: Tips to overcome anxiety

8 tips to overcome your fear of public speaking

What to do before and after the event.

• The cure for insecurity is preparation

Speaking Up without Freaking Out  webinar , with Matt Abrahams, Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Most of us have experienced some sort of fear when speaking in public. However, a person with glossophobia is unable to control their nerves and has an extremely strong fear of public speaking, sometimes to the point of a nervous breakdown.

With this can come uncontrollable trembling, sweating, and a racing heartbeat.

This anxiety may not be confined to speaking to large audiences – people suffering with glossophobia may struggle to speak in a meeting, classroom and other smaller group settings.

This can make it very difficult for sufferers to communicate verbally in order to express their ideas and thoughts. As a result, glossophobia may hamper the sufferer’s ability to further his or her academic, social or career opportunities.

• Read more:  What is Glossophobia and How to Overcome it

Being nervous during a public speaking event affects the way we come across to an audience and the quality of our delivery. Nervous speakers tend to  talk too quickly  and generally  ignore the audience , focussing instead on their presentation slides or the floor.

They  talk in a flat voice , with little excitement or vocal pitch variation, and they try to get through the experience without committing to the speech or presentation.

Talk too quickly and in a monotone

Rushing through a talk requires that you talk fast, and talking fast interferes with your breathing. Instead of breathing comfortably, you breathe in a short, shallow manner, or you might even hold your breath.

This gives you the sensation of running out of air and being unable to breathe, a common fear in this situation, and one that greatly increases fear of public speaking.

Talking quickly reduces the chance the audience can enjoy your speech. It creates a barrier between you and them, as they might struggle to understand what you are saying.

Here are some common issues with talking too quickly:

• You won’t be breathing deeply enough to fill your lungs with air
• You’ll sound monotone due to lack of vocal range and air in your lungs
• You’ll sound nervous to the audience
• The audience will struggle to understand what you are saying

Remember, the human voice is in theory capable of paying 24 notes on the musical scale. Most people only use 3 in their everyday speech so if you can incorporate more then you’re already well on your way to becoming an interesting and engaging public speaker.

• Read more about how to  Use your Vocal Toolbox

Ignore the audience and avoid eye contact

Fearful speakers often try to ignore the audience, hoping this will decrease their speech anxiety. For instance, lots of speakers  avoid eye contact  with the audience. This prevents you from noticing any audience reactions. You won’t notice when people seem more interested, or have questions.

When you have no audience contact, you focus on your own thoughts. And if you’re a nervous speaker, your thoughts are virtually guaranteed to be far more negative, and unrealistic, than anything your audience might think or say.

Fight to hide your fear

Finally, efforts to hide your fear create the additional fear of being “found out” as a nervous person. This only adds to the public speaking anxiety you already experience.

It has another negative side effect. After you’ve given a speech, even if it has gone well, you may not feel like it was a success because you think: “If the audience knew how afraid I was, they’d think less of the presentation.

Despite many people fearing speaking in public,  communication skills are essential in the workplace :

83% of human resource directors saying employees who couldn’t develop social skills would not  become high performers .

So, if you manage to overcome your fear of public speaking, this is a brilliant skill for your resume and you’ll be able to accelerate more quickly in your career, as well as be more confident in your personal life.

The core of being a great public speaker lies predominantly in one thing:  confidence .

GMAT study on skills companies demand in new graduate business school hires.

Let’s discuss how this fear comes about and why so many of us fear speaking in public. Understanding the root cause will hopefully help you deal with it better.

In the book, “Confessions of a Public Speaker” by  Scott Berkun , he suggests that our brains identify the following four conditions as extremely bad for survival:

• Standing alone
• In an open territory with no place to hide
• Being without a weapon
• In front of a large crowd who are staring at you

These conditions made sense during the early years of humans. Being alone, or without a weapon for example, could have been very dangerous with wild animals and other fierce tribes nearby.

There conditions happen to all be experienced during public speaking. You’re often alone on a stage, open to the audience who are looking at you, without a weapon and with nowhere to hide (assuming you don’t hide behind your laptop).

So what exactly can you do to gradually overcome the fear of public speaking? Here are key tips that you can apply before, during and after the speech.

Videos: Tips to overcome public speaking anxiety

Speech anxiety tips:

Watch 10 anxiety management tips to use when giving a presentation.  Matt Abrahams  talks us through these tips and explains how best to deal with your fear of public speaking.

Learn more about  practice in virtual reality (VR) .

1. Practice aloud

This is the most important point – you need to practice, over and over again. You can practice in front of friends or family for feedback, join your local  Toastmasters club  or use a virtual reality (VR) app. VR apps are highly effective at tricking the brain into thinking the audience in the app is real.

Methods of practicing aloud:

• Join a local Toastmasters club
• Give a  speech in virtual reality
• Present to a friend or colleague
• Practice with a mirror (ideally full length)
• Practice in a  video conferencing simulator

This is a great way of bridging the gap between practicing in front of a mirror to practicing in front of a group of people (something that you might avoid altogether depending on your fear of public speaking).

Grow your confidence with  interactive practice exercises , on skills such as public speaking, impromptu speaking, giving feedback, and more.

2. Remember why you’re there

Usually you are on stage because people value your expertise and knowledge – or at the very least, whoever has put you there has confidence in your capability. You might be speaking about a recent publication, or a branch of research you successfully tested.

Use this thought to try and relax – people aren’t there to give you a hard time. In fact, most people are probably just grateful it’s you speaking on stage and not them!

To ensure you connect with your audience, you need to plan your speech accordingly. For example,  don’t use jargon or acronyms  if your audience is from a different industry to yours. Keep your language and your slides as simple as possible.

3. Have a script, but don’t memorise it

What are people most afraid of? Forgetting what to say in front of hundreds of people. Even the most  notable public speakers  in history have used scripts, forgotten what they were going to say, and then panicked. The fear of public speaking can consume all we think about.

This might seem really daunting at first and will increase your anxiety levels just thinking about not having the safety of a script. However, remember that when you have a script you tend to either read from it (and therefore lose your connection with the audience) or you memorise it word for word.

The problem with the second method is that if you lose your place, you’ll panic, stumble, and not know what to say next.

A better approach is to make your script into a series of bullet points or, better yet, a list of themes or connecting sentences on a cue card. This will make the speech sounds more authentic and less rehearsed, and you’ll be more likely to show your passion for your topic when speaking from your heart rather than your head.

Method for going from a topic to a speech

Start with a rough outline of the topic you want to talk about. Type up this outline in a conversational style and read it aloud several times to yourself. When certain parts of the speech don’t sound right, correct the outline accordingly.

As you keep rehearsing, try to use your written outline less and less. Highlight certain keywords and phrases you need to mention and add those to cue cards or something similar.

Now start practicing with just the cue cards as you would when speaking at an actual event. On the day of the event, keep the cue cards as backup, maybe next to your laptop, and you’ll be able to speak much more naturally than if you had rehearsed from a script.

4. Don’t rely on technology

If there was something more nerve wracking than forgetting the lines of your speech, it would be for a live  demo to fail . It is a horrible, gut wrenching feeling.

One way to have more confidence and reduce your fear of public speaking on the day is to make sure you have a backup such as a video showing of your presentation or a second method of presentation.

Make sure you’re prepared for technology breaking, including your slides or videos not loading.

For example, if you’re using PowerPoint software and the computer or projector isn’t working, it can be handy to have printed out the presentation for the audience (and yourself if you need it).

Similarly, you should import your presentation offline so that if the internet doesn’t work, you can still present without becoming flustered.

What can go wrong with technology during a speech:

• Embedded videos might not play or have no sound
• The presentation pointer / clicker may stop responding
• Projector doesn’t link to your laptop
• Any live demo may fail (an example being the face recognition for the iPhone X demo)

5. Know your audience

The type of audience you’ll be facing affects your choice of language, humour, opening sentences, length and many more. There are several ways to understand the audience you’re speaking to:

• Research the event using their social media and blog posts
• Learn about the other speakers (if it’s a conference) and the types of presentations they are giving
• Greet audience members when they enter the room and ask them a few questions about their background, expertise, what they expect etc.
• Find out the size of the audience (this may determine the structure of your speech, including where to do the question and answer session, whether to include humour etc.)

Once you understand your audience, you’ll feel more confident about the questions and answers session at the end and that you are delivering a speech the audience actually want to hear.

• How to Analyse your Audience before a Presentation
• Guide to Choosing a Successful Speech Topic

6. Pause and take deep breaths

This simple advice cannot be emphasized enough. When you’re nervous, you breathe rapidly and shallowly. This is telling the audience that you’re not confident. Slow and measured breathing is a sign that you’re in control.

Before you go to the front of the room, concentrate on taking a few slow breaths. Repeat this several times. When you start to speak, remember to pause and breathe after you make a point.

It’s important to remember that there is nothing wrong with a bit of silence during a speech. It can actually be a good thing and bring emphasis to what you’ve just said. Be aware that on stage, pausing for just a few seconds can seem like a very long time – resist the urge to break the silence for at least 3 seconds.

• 10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech

7. Create backup slides for audience questions

One reason people often experience anxiety before a presentation is the fear that they’ll be asked questions that might be difficult to answer. Don’t get caught off guard.

Think carefully about  potential questions  that might arise and rehearse the answers. Go one step further by creating slides for some potential questions about complex issues.

You can include in your extra slides important information, numbers, stats or even an interesting graph or pie chart that would be helpful to the audience. If such a question arises, it’s okay to say, “I thought I might be asked this question and I’ve got a slide which explains it well…”

8. Focus on the beginning and ending

Your opening sets the tone for your speech and your closing is what you will leave your audience with. You’ll have a few seconds when you start to capture the attention of the audience and prevent them returning to their mobiles.

So you need to make it good. Try starting with an attention grabbing statement, statistic or interesting quote.

• How to Start a Presentation Effectively

The ending brings the presentation to full circle and is when your audience’s attention peaks again. This may be one of the few sections they remember so it’s important you get it right.

• Different Ways to End a Presentation or Speech

Rather than leaving the opening and ending to chance, write and practice them over and over again. What you can do is memorize certain sentences or phrases you think are key to your speech and note down bullet points of other information you want to include in these sections.

Video: How I Overcame My Fear of Public Speaking

In this talk, Danish Dhamani discusses how overcoming your fear of public speaking is key to leading a fulfilling life and unlocking your true potential.

Before the public speaking event

Use these tips to help deal with your fear before an event:

• Greet audience members as they enter the room you’ll be presenting in. Knowing a few of them before you start will ensure you have a few friendly faces you can look at during the presentation
• Do the breathing exercises detailed below this section to slow down your heartrate
• Check that your slides and laptop are working with the projector
• Drink some water to prevent a dry mouth
• Perform some vocal exercises to  warm up your voice before a speech

After the public speaking event

It’s a good idea to reflect on your speech afterwards. Dale Carnegie once said about public speaking, “There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practised, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”

For that speech you wish you gave, this is why you need to invest some time to reflect in your performance. Be honest with yourself on three points – what was good about your speech, what didn’t work about your speech and what could have been improved?

If you have trusted friends who were part of your audience, run through these questions with them to obtain a better and more diverse perspective.

Better still, record all your speeches and review them personally. Yes, it can be painful and you will probably cringe while watching yourself on video or listening back to an audio recording. But this process is absolutely necessary for you to become a better speaker and one who is committed to overcoming their fears of speaking.

The cure for insecurity is preparation and experience

The key to overcoming your fear of public speaking is preparation and experience. Solid preparation will leave you feeling more confident in your ability as an excellent public speaker, able to deliver a clear, engaging speech.

Experience will help you become more comfortable with the whole experience and stop you dreading that presentation. You’ll need to get out there and speak in public a few times, so join a local Toastmasters, volunteer to speak at a conference, practice in virtual reality or try any other method of overcoming your fear of public speaking.

• See our top rated  public speaking courses  to help you improve your speaking skills.

Summary of tips

• Prepare by practicing aloud
• Remember why you were chosen to speak
• Don’t memorise a script word for word
• Don’t reply on technology, practice without it if possible
• Know your audience
• Pause and take deep breaths
• Create backup slides for audience questions
• Focus on the beginning and ending of your speech

Note:  If these tips are ineffective despite repeated attempts, you may need to look further into the causes of your anxiety and consider seeking medical advice. See the  NHS website  for more information on treatments.

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• Presentation Fundamentals
• App Tips & Tricks

Biggest Presentation Fear and How to Overcome It

February 4, 2021

The biggest presentation fear often comes in the form of a question. Really, it’s that nagging, negative internal voice we all have. It loops and loops until we can’t let it go. It can imprison us.

Fortunately, there are some tips and strategies you use to minimize the voice and the fear. Please note, if you have an actual phobia, what I discuss here may help some. However, I recommend you seek help from individuals and groups ( support group article , Meetup , National Social Anxiety Center ) that are trained to work with individuals with Glossophobia (Fear of Public Speaking) .

Worry is like a rocking chair—it will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.

The Biggest Presentation Fear (question)

Anyone who has stood in front of an audience, whether to speak or act, has asked themselves this question at some point. Left unchecked it can get the better of us. Before we know it, we are hot mess.

What will people think of me if I fail?

Let’s be honest. Most of us deep down (or not so deep down) worry about what others think of us. We know we shouldn’t. But the majority of us have been condition from early childhood to think this way. It is a hard mindset to overcome.

Standing in front of a group of people often brings this biggest presentation fear to the forefront. As a presenter, we give ourselves added pressure to be the authoritative voice in the room. “Failing” means loss of credibility and without that, the presentation is meaningless.

To overcome this common anxiety is a shift in mindset. There are a few things to remember to take that extra weight off your shoulders.

The audience wants you to succeed

Those in attendance are there to gain something whether it is new skills, become more informed, or buy a product or service that makes their life easier. They are not there to make fun of you.

When you attend a presentation, are you there hoping the presenter makes a complete fool of themselves so you can snicker and joke about it? Of course not. Many people share this big presenation fear and actually admire you for having the courage to get up in front of the group.

No one is born a master of anything

Think of someone you greatly admire for their skills and knowledge. They did not magically become that way. Because they worked really hard to achieve that level of mastery. Putting self-imposed pressure on yourself to be a master immediately, will only intensify that biggest presentation fear.

Did you know that Michael Jordan, the basketball great, was dropped from his high school basketball team? The coach told him he wasn’t good enough. Rather than shrink away as a “failure,” he practiced and trained until he was good enough to be on the team. His commitment to practice and training made him a legend.

Improve your presentation skills at your own pace

It’s hard not to compare yourself to someone else who has better skills. I fully admit to falling into that trap regularly. Only you can decide the pace at which you will improve. The key thing to remember - every time you practice, you get better. My blog post, Avoiding Common Presentation Mistakes , can give some guidance for improving your presentations.

Not everyone will like what you say and do

Accept it -- you will never get everyone to like what you say and do. Research has shown that it is rare for speakers to get approval ratings of over 96% consistently. Every time you speak, just plan for the odd 3% of the audience to disagree or dislike some part of the presentation. This is a good thing. Trying to be perfect is too much pressure. That pressure contributes to having this "biggest presentation fear."

Stand in front of an audience is hard. It is natural to be nervous and have a bit of fear. Often, it brings out the biggest presentation fear -- the fear of failure. To not get trapped by that anxiety, you need to make a mindset shift to get past those feelings.

Remember, the audience isn’t the enemy. They are there to learn from you. The more you present, the more experience you have. The more experience you have the better you become. Lastly, give up the notion that you can get everyone to like every aspect of your presentation. Perfectionism is exhausting.

In the comments below, I would love to hear what mindset strategies you use to overcome your fear of failure and to let go of the biggest presentation fear.

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Fear of public speaking: how can i overcome it, how can i overcome my fear of public speaking.

Fear of public speaking is a common form of anxiety. It can range from slight nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic. Many people with this fear avoid public speaking situations altogether, or they suffer through them with shaking hands and a quavering voice. But with preparation and persistence, you can overcome your fear.

These steps may help:

• Know your topic. The better you understand what you're talking about — and the more you care about the topic — the less likely you'll make a mistake or get off track. And if you do get lost, you'll be able to recover quickly. Take some time to consider what questions the audience may ask and have your responses ready.
• Get organized. Ahead of time, carefully plan out the information you want to present, including any props, audio or visual aids. The more organized you are, the less nervous you'll be. Use an outline on a small card to stay on track. If possible, visit the place where you'll be speaking and review available equipment before your presentation.
• Practice, and then practice some more. Practice your complete presentation several times. Do it for some people you're comfortable with and ask for feedback. It may also be helpful to practice with a few people with whom you're less familiar. Consider making a video of your presentation so you can watch it and see opportunities for improvement.
• Challenge specific worries. When you're afraid of something, you may overestimate the likelihood of bad things happening. List your specific worries. Then directly challenge them by identifying probable and alternative outcomes and any objective evidence that supports each worry or the likelihood that your feared outcomes will happen.
• Visualize your success. Imagine that your presentation will go well. Positive thoughts can help decrease some of your negativity about your social performance and relieve some anxiety.
• Do some deep breathing. This can be very calming. Take two or more deep, slow breaths before you get up to the podium and during your speech.
• Focus on your material, not on your audience. People mainly pay attention to new information — not how it's presented. They may not notice your nervousness. If audience members do notice that you're nervous, they may root for you and want your presentation to be a success.
• Don't fear a moment of silence. If you lose track of what you're saying or start to feel nervous and your mind goes blank, it may seem like you've been silent for an eternity. In reality, it's probably only a few seconds. Even if it's longer, it's likely your audience won't mind a pause to consider what you've been saying. Just take a few slow, deep breaths.
• Recognize your success. After your speech or presentation, give yourself a pat on the back. It may not have been perfect, but chances are you're far more critical of yourself than your audience is. See if any of your specific worries actually occurred. Everyone makes mistakes. Look at any mistakes you made as an opportunity to improve your skills.
• Get support. Join a group that offers support for people who have difficulty with public speaking. One effective resource is Toastmasters, a nonprofit organization with local chapters that focuses on training people in speaking and leadership skills.

If you can't overcome your fear with practice alone, consider seeking professional help. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a skills-based approach that can be a successful treatment for reducing fear of public speaking.

As another option, your doctor may prescribe a calming medication that you take before public speaking. If your doctor prescribes a medication, try it before your speaking engagement to see how it affects you.

Nervousness or anxiety in certain situations is normal, and public speaking is no exception. Known as performance anxiety, other examples include stage fright, test anxiety and writer's block. But people with severe performance anxiety that includes significant anxiety in other social situations may have social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia). Social anxiety disorder may require cognitive behavioral therapy, medications or a combination of the two.

Craig N. Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P.

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• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association, 2013. http://dsm.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• 90 tips from Toastmasters. Toastmasters International. https://www.toastmasters.org/About/90th-Anniversary/90-Tips. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• Stein MB, et al. Approach to treating social anxiety disorder in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• How to keep fear of public speaking at bay. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/02/tips-sidebar.aspx. Accessed April 18, 2017.
• Jackson B, et al. Re-thinking anxiety: Using inoculation messages to reduce and reinterpret public speaking fears. PLOS One. 2017;12:e0169972.
• Sawchuk CN (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 24, 2017.

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How To Speak Without Fear – Finally Speak Up With Confidence

Want to build your speaking skills? Are you wondering how to speak in a meeting without fear?  How to actually be confident when it’s your turn to speak? 

Whether it’s in a meeting, on zoom, or interacting in everyday life.

You can conquer your fear. 

I’ve got some great tips to help you with stating your opinion, giving an update, interviewing, or actually providing a presentation.

Here’s my simple, easy,  framework that will help you do it.

YouTube Video Home

I’m a Business & Life Strategist, and Certified Professional Coach.

I help people, like you, every single day:

•  Build their confidence,
• Become truly creative,
•  Get out of their own way,  
•  – even the dreams they’re not quite willing to admit out loud yet. 

You can have purpose & ambition too , they go together beautifully. – @amibelle

I created this framework to use for conquering your fear of meetings & public events – anywhere that you need to think and speak on-the-fly. 

I’ll show you how to speak confidently without fear. You can overcome the fear of public speaking. It can be done with less effort than you’d think.

Using just three little words, and three easy steps, you can gain confidence in any speaking situation.  I’ve used and taught them for years. 

Plus I gave my method a snazzy name (KCA) to help you remember it. 

The KCA Method

Step 1 – know.

This step forms your talking points.

What 3 things do you want them to know? 

 What do you want your audience to take away from your conversation with them?

• yet don’t just speak for the sake of speaking, do it with thoughtfulness and purpose.

How To Speak More in Meetings:  

If you’ve been asked or decided that you need to speak more in meetings instead of remaining silent (or passing) when it’s your turn. 

• Look ahead at the agenda. You can see if there’s a topic coming up that you have an opinion on, – if not research and come prepared with 3 quick thoughts. 
• At least you have a little bit more of an idea of what’s to come to the meeting.
• This is great for introverts to know information ahead of time.
• Also note, it is ok to touch base even if an agenda is not offered. 
• Be open to learning – jot notes down as you learn in the meeting, and be ready to speak to the meeting topics. remember to take baby steps.
• By taking small steps you will speak up confidently in no time.

When Giving a Presentation:   

If you know ahead of time that you will be presenting, you can have the three points ready that you want them to know. Prepare your thoughts and speech around those three main points.

This is good for agenda setting & also use the three points for a great recap at the end. (tell them what you’re going to tell them – tell them – then tell them what you told them.)

If You’re Asked to Bring an Update:

Ask yourself what three things have happened since the last meeting that this group of people might want to know about my area. so just have that ready ahead of time so make sure that you know three quick things that you want to talk about

For An On-The-Fly Request:

You can always be prepared

Listen in the meeting,  interact during the meeting, and as the meeting goes along,  jot 3  three things that come up that you’d like to go back to – or want to give credence to later.

It could even be that you want to bridge somebody’s thought with somebody else’s idea (which is also in part 2 of the KCA Method – so I’ll talk about it more in step 2.2).

There’s a million more possible scenarios for step 1 – but these are good for today. 

Step Two – Connect

This step forms the actions that you take during the meeting

There is a variety of different ways to connect – I’ll cover three ways today.

You don’t have to have something for every one of these. It’s kind of the Choose Your Own Adventure part of the KCA method. 

So after I go through the three of these you can decide how you want to connect with your group, then take action accordingly.

Step 2 – Option 1 – Feel

Ask yourself, “How do I want them to feel when I am done talking?”

It could be. I want them to feel supported. I want to be motivated and excited or confident.

 I know, I know there’s a saying, “Don’t ever talk about feelings in business”. 

Even before COVID  research has said that at any given moment up to 30% –  Only 30% –  of the North American workforce felt engaged. 

So if you don’t have engagement in your company, and you don’t have a connection with your coworkers, feelings might be the part that you’re missing out on.  The “How do you want them to feel?” part. 

 Let’s address actual feelings.  How do you want them to feel about the idea that you’re sharing?

Do you want them to feel like they are heard, informed, and inspired? 

In an interview, you might want them to feel at ease and relaxed.

• So one of the actions I would probably take for that is to act as the host.
• Be the one that gets them comfortable with being in the room with you. 
• Be the host and support them, to ensure that you’re letting them know that you are a confident person that would be great to be either part of the team if interviewing for a role or in front of their audience if interviewing for a podcast. 

If you’re talking to other departments or executives or people that want to be in the know of something that’s going on in your area, they just might want to feel like they know what’s happening.

• So share with them. All of the information. Even the tough parts. Don’t sugarcoat everything for them. 
• Be open, honest, and kind. Talk about feelings along with content. Describe how things are and how you working through any potential issues that arise.  

Step 2 – Option 2 – Bridge

Like I mentioned earlier you might want to bridge the ideas, of other people in the room. 

• You can say offer ideas on how to combine them to make it work.

When you think of bridging, think about bridging the gap between ideas, thoughts, and people in the room.

Sometimes, while bridging you can point out other people’s skill sets that could help someone else.  

• Go ahead and bridge people too, not just thoughts and ideas.

Step 2 – Option 3 – Share

 If you don’t know what to say, think, or do when it’s your turn to speak.

Go ahead and share what it is you’re thinking or share what your next steps are.

•  If a topic comes up and you just had a presentation, and you’re asked to comment or share your opinion.
• Then share what the next thing you’re going to do is say based on the information that you just heard today.   
• “Here’s what I plan to do next when I go back to my team” Then tell them what you’re going to do.

So remember to connect. You can decide how you want them to feel ,  bridge ideas, thoughts, and people, or share how you’re feeling or what you’re going to do next. 

Before we cover step number three – if you want a free copy of my KCA Method Planning Checklist – click here

I would love for you to use it as you plan your next presentation or while preparing to talk in front of other people.

Step 3 – Ask

  This step forms the invite & path to possible next steps

What ask do you have of them?

Always, always, always, have an ask.   

It can be any of the following (and more) 

• Something relevant to the content
• ‘Come see me with questions’ is an ask.
• Something that’s in line with your corporate goals 
• I define this as something that you always ask that’s in line with your goals. 

Here’s two real-life examples of a default ask:

• What I might do with my team in preparation for meetings with other departments is to ask the team “T o help share our strategic value beyond just the number of calls that we answered in the service level we provided .”  (key performance indicators of my department) 
• (for anything that might be changing in the company because we would probably get the calls first.
• It also allowed us to be a strategic partner with other departments and it allowed us to support our coworkers.
• Plus it allowed our team to have a strategy for connecting in meetings.
• A back pocket ask is a figurative tool that you can have in your back pocket ready to be used as needed.

Repeat after me I will always have an ask . 

Having said that, I have an ask of you. 

What small step in the KCA method could you put into practice this week?

 what would help you be a little bit more comfortable with speaking to other people.

Will you jot down three speaking notes?

Will you make sure that you connect? 

Will you have an ask when you’re interacting with the people?

  Go ahead and practice.  Then please, let me know how you’re doing. I would love to cheer you on. 

If you feel this would benefit somebody else, please share it with them.  

 Now go out there and practice your new KCA skills.

Sneak Behind The Curtain View

For the keeners: here’s exactly how I used the three KCA steps here

• Know – my three main points are Know, Connect, Ask
• I also made sure to give it a memorable (and silly name) that will help lighten the heaviness of the topic. If you’re nervous about speaking up, this is an easy framework to help get your thoughts together.
• Ask – I asked you to practice it and get back to me on how it went – I also asked you to share the video with anyone that could benefit from it.

Good luck in your quest to speak more confidently. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you.

Get your free copy of the KCA Method Planning checklist

………………………………………………………………………….. ?  Feature Photo by Yan from Pexels

The song I use in this video is called Morning Joe, it’s provided, with permission, by Patino.

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How to Reduce Your Fear Before Giving a Presentation

by [email protected] | Jun 29, 2018 | Overcoming Fear & Building Self-Confidence | 0 comments

After I published my article last week, “ How to Start Letting Go of the Fear of Being ‘Wrong ,’” a reader reached out to me with a question.

She wrote: “I like your idea of offering compassion to the part of me that’s scared. The only problem is— My fear comes up most when I’m in front of other people. Sometimes, I’m in a meeting with a colleague. Other times, it’s when I’m in front of a group.

Just last week, I froze up during a question and answer session after a presentation for my organization. I wanted to speak from my heart and get the message on point, but my mind went blank, and I couldn’t get the words out. I had to rely on my co-worker to answer the questions.

It’s great to give the scared part of myself a hug, but I can’t do that in front of my boss or a room full of people! What am I supposed to do when my mind goes blank in those situations? Help, please?!”

Here’s my response:

First of all, thank you for your question. (I love getting questions from readers!).

Of course, you don’t need to give yourself a hug when you’re on a stage!

If you’re not completely comfortable coming up with poignant remarks off the cuff, you’re not alone.

Public speaking is one of the biggest fears of Americans.

Many people believe that they “should” just be able to talk on their feet without thinking about it much. While some people are great spontaneous speakers, many of us are not.

Improvising is a skill, and it’s not one that most of are born with. Proving this point, there’s an awesome local organization that teaches these improv skills. There are four basic courses (levels one through four), followed by three tiers of advanced courses (with almost twenty different advanced courses in all!).

Someday, I want to take these classes. For now, I always prepare ahead of time. Otherwise, I risk my mind going blank, even without a huge fear of doing something wrong.

If you know that part of you is terrified of doing it “wrong,” it’s probably not realistic to expect yourself to let go of this fear in one of the most potentially scary situations there is.

Any time you’re planning to speak publicly or are heading into a highly-charged situation where you’ll have to think on your fear, it’s a good idea to prepare by having a conversation with the part of you that’s scared.

I’ve written about how to taking time to offer compassion to the part of you who is scared is the first step to letting go of the fear of not being “right” or “perfect” or even “good enough.”

Practicing self-compassion in your day-to-day life is part of your preparation for more challenging moments like difficult conversations with your boss or public speaking . The more you get in the habit of offering compassion to the part of you who’s afraid during everyday life, the more you’ll be able to shift out of fear and ground yourself in more challenging situations.

The practice I’m about to teach you is another step towards letting go of these fears, especially when you’re preparing to give a presentation or have a difficult conversation.

I invite you to try this now:

• Grab a piece of paper and something to write with.
• Then, bring to mind a situation in which you’ll have to give a presentation or have a conversation that makes you nervous or anxious.
• Feel for the fear or nervousness in your body and say “hello” to this part of yourself. Then, in your mind’s eye, sit down next to it and let it know that you’d like to ask it a few questions.
• What is the worst thing you can imagine happening?
• How do you feel when you imagine that happening? Witness the emotion that comes up without making it wrong or trying to push it away. Listen gently, as you would to a child who is frightened.
• Now, imagine that the same thing is happening, only the difference is that you’re coping. How would you like to respond? Allow yourself to make this image a brightly colored movie and feel how you feel in your body.
• How can you prepare yourself for being able to respond in the way you want to respond? Get as specific as possible about what small steps you can take now, in case the worst happens. What will you do now to prepare to be able to cope then?
• If you need more time than you have right now, I encourage you to set a time on your calendar when you’ll come back to this conversation with yourself. Then, make sure to keep this promise to yourself.

Some people tend to over-prepare out of fear, and if this has been your habit, it makes sense that you wouldn’t want to over-prepare. But, it’s important to have a balance. One of the most loving things that you can do for yourself is to pause and give yourself at least some time to prepare before you go into a potentially scary situation.

I encourage you to not rush past self-compassion. As the saying goes, “go slow to go fast.” In the end, pausing to offer ourselves self-compassion is one of the fastest paths towards letting go of fear and creating the change we want to see .

If you have a friend or two who you think would benefit from this articles, please forward send it along to them. Thank you!

And, I’d love to hear from you: What came up for you when you were doing this exercise? And, what helps you let go of fear before a big presentation?

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Presentation Anxiety: How to Overcome Stage Fright (Complete Guide)

Tyler Ellis

Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, is thought to affect as much as 75% of the population. For both students and professionals alike, this phobia tends to take the form of presentation anxiety. So, how can we overcome stage fright and presentation anxiety once and for all?

While avoiding presentations may bring some short-term relief to your anxiety, this will worsen your stage fright in the long-run. To overcome presentation anxiety long-term, presentation tools and gradual practice are the most effective solutions.

Maybe, right now, you’re extremely anxious about a presentation coming up. Maybe the only thought racing through your mind is how in the world am I going to get out of giving this presentation?

No worries. This guide is going to cover everything – and I mean everything – you’ll need to know. Make sure not to skip the section on “alternative ways of presenting,” I think you’ll find those really useful!

No need to stress; let’s get right into this.

What Causes Presentation Anxiety?

First things first… why do we feel presentation anxiety in the first place?

Sure, we might expect our heart to pound and breathing to accelerate as we walk along the edge of a cliff – but during a presentation? What part of talking about George Washington Carver inventing peanut butter should cause our hands to tremble and our voice to stutter?

Well, as it turns out, presentation anxiety is caused by ancient mechanisms in our brain responsible for our survival. For anxious people, our brain perceives being the center of attention in large group to be a threat. This triggers the “fight or flight” response, causing us to panic as we try and escape our uncomfortable setting.

Obviously, we are in no real danger while giving a class presentation or work presentation. Many years of evolution, however, have trained us to avoid stage fright with a passion. In ancient times, being surround by a (potentially angry) mob could have fatal consequences; as could being humiliated, rejected, or otherwise cast out from the tribe.

For many of us – especially those of us prone to social anxiety – such fears have stuck with us since caveman times. It’s important we remember these fears are harmless. Just being aware of their nature can help with this process. Despite what your brain and body may be telling you, these feelings of anxiety are not dangerous; they are going to pass.

Feel free to check out this article for a better understanding of the evolutionary psychology behind anxiety .

How to Get Out of a Presentation

I recommend against avoidance in most cases, as it only reinforces our anxiety in the long-run.

However, I know what it’s like to be a student with presentation anxiety.

I know how hard it is juggling academics, a social life, relationships, and newly blossoming anxieties all at once. I know that it can get so bad the most logical option feels like dropping out of school altogether. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do that.

So, if you’re really just not ready to overcome your stage fright:

• Intentionally Choose Classes That Don’t Require Presentations
• Tell the Teacher or Professor About What You’re Going Through
• Ask the Teacher or Professor for Alternative Assignments
• For Group Presentations, Ask Someone Else to Take the Lead
• Present Your Assignment in an Alternative Format Using Presentation Tools and Software (more on this in a bit)

If this seems a bit vague, it’s only because I’ve actually dedicated an entire article to this topic already. Check out this piece on how to get out of giving a presentation in class for more help with this.

Like I said, ultimately, avoidance is a poor strategy. However, I believe it’s just as detrimental to be “forced” into facing our fears before we are mentally prepared to do so. Having been there myself, I want you to be able to rest easy knowing that you do have some options here.

For this guide, however, I want to focus more on how to actually overcome presentation anxiety and stage fright.

My secret is – believe it or not – I get incredibly nervous before public speaking, no matter how big the crowd or the audience and, um, despite the fact that I laugh and joke all the time I get incredibly nervous, if not anxious, actually, before going into rooms full of people when I'm wearing a suit... And now that I've confessed that, I'll probably be even more worried that people are looking at me.

Prince Harry - Duke of Sussex, Member of the British Royal Family

How to Stop a Panic Attack While Presenting in Class

When I first started having panic attacks, I had no idea what they were or why they were happening. Prior to my first panic attack, I had never had an issue with public speaking or presentation anxiety at all. In fact, I had voluntarily participated in several clubs and activities that required public speaking.

Yet, when my first few panic attacks started (I was around 16 at the time), they would occur in any random situation. Wherever they occurred, I'd quickly develop a phobia associated with that location or situation. One such random panic attack occurred – you guessed it – during a class presentation.

While this experience was terrifying, embarrassing, and extremely uncomfortable, I had – fortunately – managed to keep it together enough for most people not to notice. For the many class presentations that would follow, however, I had to develop some tricks to stop panic attacks while presenting in class.

Here’s what worked for me:

• Volunteer to go first. This may seem strange, but I always felt it easier to volunteer first and get it out of the way. Oftentimes, it’s easier to deal with presentation anxiety when we don’t feel cornered. By choosing to do it yourself, you maintain some control of the situation and get the jump on things before anticipation anxiety kicks in .
• Remember you are not going to die. This is just a panic attack, and it’s going to pass. It may be uncomfortable, but it will be over within a few moments.
• Take control of your breathing. 478 breathing is a simple technique that works. Simply breathe in for 4 seconds through the nose, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds through the mouth.
• Find a focus object. Choose a point, or several points, to focus on in the room. This could be a ceiling tile, a lightbulb, a pile of books, anything. Whenever your thoughts start to wander or spiral out of control, recenter your thoughts on that focus object.
• Try and remember the other times you’ve given a class presentation with anxiety. Chances are, this isn’t your first time. Remember those past successes and visualize this presentation as one where you overcome stage fright as well. If your mind is drawn to a time when it didn’t go so well, at least remind yourself that it passed and you survived it; just as you’ll survive this one.
• If you have a friend in the class, look to them from time to time. Flash them a smile or a wink, and try not to laugh out loud while you’re up there. This may seem silly, but I’d rather stifle a laugh than grapple a panic attack.
• Remember that no one’s really paying attention. Just as you were sitting at your desk nervously thinking about your own turn to present, most people are doing the exact same now. And even if they’re not anxious, they’re probably zoned out or drifting off; it’s quite difficult to keep an involuntary crowd’s attention. Trust me, they’re probably not thinking about you much.

These are just a few ways to stop a panic attack while presenting in class. Of course, just about any method for stopping panic attacks can work well here, so feel free to explore our site a bit to learn some other methods.

There are only two types of speakers in the world:

1. The nervous

Mark Twain - American humorist, novelist, and travel writer

Alternative Ways of Presenting to Help Overcome Stage Fright

If you take nothing else from this article, I believe that this is the section that can help anxious students and professionals with stage fright the most. When I was dealing with presentation anxiety myself, most of these options didn’t even exist. If you’re anxious about standing in front of class and presenting, any of these could be fantastic alternatives to presenting.

Basically, any of these presentation software tools can help you to quickly create a visually stunning presentation; all without having to speak in front of the class. They utilize audio, video, and/or animation to create informative videos that get the point across even more effectively than conventional presentations.

For the most part, all a teacher or boss really cares about is that you: 

• Put hard work and dedication into your assignment
• Learned something throughout the process
• Are able to communicate what you learned to educate your peers

Telling the teacher “Sorry, I just can’t present today,” won’t meet any of these points, and is likely to land you a failed grade.

Instead, ask your teacher if you can use one of these presentation tools to create an even more engaging and informative presentation. This way, it’ll seem like you’ve put in the most effort in the class, rather than the least; all without having to speak in front of the class.

Here are the automated presentation tools I currently use myself and recommend:

I go into much greater detail on these tools here: automated presentation software . Before buying anything, I strongly suggest giving that article a read. Otherwise, Toonly and Doodly are my top picks.

What is the Best Presentation Anxiety Medication for Stage Fright?

Giving a presentation in high school or college can be extremely stressful for many people. If standing in front of the class feels like an impossible task, you may be wondering about presentation anxiety medication. So… what are the best drugs for presentation anxiety?

Since I’m not a doctor, I can only offer you a friendly opinion here.

In general, I think it’s a good idea to steer clear of anti-anxiety medication whenever it isn’t absolutely necessary. If your doctor prescribes you presentation anxiety medication, so be it. In the long-run, however, this can often create cycles of reliance and dependence that are best avoided.

But what about taking an over-the-counter supplement for anxiety before a presentation?

I have personally found one supplement to help me relax and communicate more confidently. This is my favorite supplement for stage fright, as it has helped me tremendously in situations where I would normally feel a bit socially anxious. I’ve used this supplement for presentations, job interviews, and even first dates.

My favorite supplement for presentation anxiety symptoms is phenibut. It just helps me feel significantly calmer while simultaneously boosting my sociability and confidence. This supplement is extremely affordable and legally sold online in most countries. If you want to learn a bit more about it, I have an article going into greater depth about phenibut here.

I do urge responsibility when using phenibut, as you don’t want to become reliant on it. But if it makes the difference between shirking your presentation vs. delivering a great one, I highly recommend it.

Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning

Winston Churchill - Former Prime Minister of the UK, Famous Orator

Tips for How to Present a Project Effectively

Few things help to eliminate anticipation anxiety like truly preparing for the situation. If your fears are rooted in delivering a poor or ineffective presentation, take some time to prepare.

Here are some tips for how to present a project effectively:

How to Overcome Stage Fright and Presentation Anxiety

There are many strategies we can take when dealing with our presentation anxiety or stage fright. Here are three of the most common strategies:

• Complete Avoidance – Post-college, public speaking occasions like presentations are pretty few and far between. As an adult, it isn’t too difficult to avoid presentations, although not overcoming stage fright can be a hinderance in many career fields.
• Reluctant and Occasional – Here’s where most people in the world probably fall. Most of us aren’t 100% comfortable with presenting, yet we suck it up and get it done when we have to. This isn’t a bad place to be, although it's uncomfortable occasionally.
• Conquering Presentation Anxiety – Some brave souls will choose to completely crush their fear of public speaking, overcoming stage fright and glossophobia entirely. This path is not for the faint of heart, as it isn’t easy; however, it has the largest payoff in the end with regard to career and confidence.

We’ve already discussed strategies for the first two earlier in this guide. Let’s now focus on the third.

How can we overcome presentation anxiety and glossophobia?

Well, whenever we want to eliminate a fear or phobia long-term, the best way to do so is through exposure therapy. We do have a full article on how to extinguish fears through exposure therapy if you’re curious to really understand this process.

For now, I’ll fill you in on the basics:

By gradually stepping outside of our comfort zone and exposing ourselves to our fears, we can eliminate those fears over time. The key here is that we are stepping a bit outside our comfort zone, but not immersing ourselves so fully to induce panic. In other words: challenge yourself at a fair pace.  

So how do we apply this to overcome presentation anxiety and stage fright?

My suggestion would be to identify the smallest voluntary step you can take outside of your comfort zone without panicking. Perhaps presenting may induce a panic attack, but are you at least able to read aloud from your seat? Perhaps reading aloud is difficult, but could you at least volunteer an answer from time to time?

This process will be as unique as a fingerprint for each person, as we all have different comfort zones and stressors. Try and find where your comfort zone ends and take small steps just outside of it. With repeated practice, you’ll notice your comfort zone expanding as you become more confident with the activity.

In general, here are some opportunities you may find useful for stepping outside of your comfort zone:

• Start raising your hand more often to ask or answer questions
• Volunteer to read aloud or answer a problem on the board whenever you’re feeling confident
• Create a presentation using presentation software (recommendations above), but see if you can actually get through it without relying on the audio. If you get too nervous, you can use it
• Rather than trying to get out of a presentation, ask your groupmates if you could take a lesser role with speaking; perhaps you could do more of the research to make up for it
• Seek out your local Toastmasters group to practice public speaking away from the pressures of your own social circles
• Try and attend small open mic nights and similar opportunities to gain experience with public speaking

Fun Fact: I successfully avoided presentations for the majority of my high school and college career. Afterward, I wound up working several jobs that forced me to confront this fear. First came a sales job, and next came a job that required me to speak in front of 150-200 people multiple times per day.

Turns out, I liked money more than I disliked public speaking.

List of Famous People with Public Speaking Anxiety

Sometimes a bit of solidarity goes a long way. Here’s a list of famous/successful people who have long been known to have suffered from public speaking anxiety:

• Winston Churchill
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Abraham Lincoln
• Prince Harry
• Warren Buffet
• Mark Zuckerberg
• Sigmund Freud
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Tiger Woods
• Rowan Atkinson
• Jackie Chan
• Thomas Jefferson
• Margaret Thatcher
• Princess Diana
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Sir Richard Branson

As you can see… we’ve got some big names up there. And this is just a very small list of successful people who have been open about their public speaking anxiety – to say nothing of the silent majority!

Never forget, you’re far from alone in experiencing this – you can absolutely overcome presentation anxiety, stage fright, and glossophobia if you wish to!

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About the Author

Years of personal experience with anxiety disorders and panic attacks have led me to devise some pretty creative ways to keep my anxiety in check. In the past, anxiety and panic attacks felt like something I'd have to live with forever. Nowadays, panic attacks are a distant memory for me, and I'm free to pursue passions like writing and traveling the world. Hopefully, the information on this website can help you achieve the same. I do all the writing here myself, so don't hesitate to reach out with questions!

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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