With Halloween next week, *scary* things are on everyone’s mind. Beyond spooky costumes and terrifying displays at Spirit Halloween, this week I‘m thinking about truly deep-seated fears, like the fear of death (thanatophobia), the fear of heights (acrophobia), and the seasonally-relevant fear of spiders (we all know this one – arachnophobia). But actually, do you know what fear is more prevalent than all of those fears? Glossophobia, which is…the fear of public speaking! It’s estimated that roughly 75% of people experience some degree of anxiety when speaking in public!
When I think of public speaking, my mind immediately flashes to the real nightmare scenario: presenting to a large, in-person audience at an important professional conference or convention. But in truth, we’re constantly speaking in front of groups of people in both our personal and professional lives, and how stressful we find those moments can vary widely depending upon the setting, the circumstances, and how well we know the people around us. So how do we get more comfortable speaking in public? How do we relieve some of the fear?
I’ve thought about this a lot as I delivered interview workshops during my time as a career advisor at the University of Pennsylvania, and now with Ideba as I co-present with @Jenna Whelan on how to deliver effective presentations. (Talk about a meta opportunity to be nervous about presenting!) It’s really hard to be effective when you’re overcome by nerves!
And so, since there are too many scary things in the world right now, here are a few of my favorite tips to keep calm when you’re speaking publicly – virtually or IRL:
- Remember that the audience is rooting for you. Everyone wants you to succeed, and some people will be expressive about it! Look for the friendly faces in the crowd – even if that crowd is virtual and the warm responses are in boxes on your screen. You’ll find smiles and nods, and that can help calm your nerves and remind you that you’ve got this, and people are interested in what you’re saying.
- Only you know what your exact talk track is. If you get tripped up or forget a word or an important point, that’s fine! Take a deep breath, and circle back to it when you can.
- Leverage notes in a way that makes sense for you and for the specific presentation. If you have a podium, maybe print your key points in BIG WORDS that you can easily reference at a glance. If you’re presenting virtually, arrange your screen so you can see your audience and your high-level notes, but don’t rely too heavily on a fully scripted presentation. Break your points into top takeaways so that you don’t fall into reading your notes or your slides verbatim.
- It’s always a great option to follow up after. If someone asks you a question you can’t field in the moment, ensure you know how to get in touch with them after your presentation, and connect with them as soon as you’re able. (And if you really are in the nightmare scenario at a big conference, ensure your last slide includes how to get in touch with you so that they can reach out to you.) The opportunity to follow up is an awesome way to keep the conversation going!
So, now that you know what it is, do you suffer from glossophobia? As you’ve grown in your career, have you become more comfortable with public speaking? What tips or tricks worked for you? I’d love to know! Please share them here, or message me on LinkedIn! And if public speaking is still scarier for you than holding a tarantula, maybe Ideba can help. We can guide you and your team through effective presentation skills training and facilitate feedback sessions on the scariest of presentations. In short, we’d love to talk with you, too!
Mylène Kerschner – Senior Research and Consulting Manager
