How to feel confident on stage

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Negotiations, meetings, presentations and meetings sooner or later force us to speak in public. In a guest post, the seasoned business coach and budding blogger shares tips on how to love the stage and deal with the excitement before performing.

The ability to speak publicly is a necessary skill for a business person. Negotiations, meetings, presentations or meetings sooner or later are forced to go out in public. Why do some people feel insecure during public speaking? A wall of complexes, fears and prejudices stands between them and the stage.

In my work, I have to persuade people to perform on stage and I face their fears. Most often it is the fear of being a laughing stock. People are also afraid of responsibility, excessive attention, condemnation and even the evil eye. At the same time, they can say "I'm not afraid, I just don't like the stage!"

The reasons for these fears often come from childhood. One example is high school. I suggest you move to a regular class. What can you see there? The student-activist, having completed the teacher's assignment, pulls his hand with passion, but the teacher does not call him to the blackboard. The teacher is not interested in this student, he wants to call the one who has not prepared for the report. When an unprepared student receives his deuce, the teacher will get to the one who aspired to the blackboard, and God forbid this "upstart" makes a mistake. The teacher can also say to him: "Children," I "is the last letter in the alphabet!"

What will the children learn for themselves in such a lesson? Do not lean out, but lean out - you will run into trouble. In adulthood, this lesson is transformed into a dislike of speaking in public and condemnation of those who love the stage.

Now let's clarify what a scene is. Is this a podium with a microphone around which people are sitting? And if without a microphone is a stage? And if there is no podium and no microphone? Is the area around which people sit - is it a stage? Is the platform around which people are not sitting, but standing - is it still a stage?

Let me go even further. The area around which there are only twenty people - is it a stage? And now - attention! If only one spectator came, is the stage still a stage? The fact of the matter is that we perform on such a stage every day when we talk with children, partners, friends, relatives, employees, and so on. We perform on the stage of life. And we already have the experience of public speaking - all that remains is to stop being afraid of them and start loving.

How can you fall in love with the unloved? Have you noticed that we often don't like what we can't do? And it doesn’t work just because we have little practice. To practice public speaking, start with a small audience. Appreciate every viewer.

The most sincere (and strict) audience is children. If the child understood your speech and he was interested, then everyone in the audience will like it. And it's not about the primitive level of speech, but about the clarity and liveliness that we inevitably use when we talk with children. I propose to take this communication formula for an audience of any status and age. So how do you get rid of your fears and anxiety about public speaking?

Use excitement as a tool

Excitement is even useful, it helps to mobilize. Thanks to the excitement, a slight redness appears on the face, which touches the audience. Your intense excitement will arouse empathy in the viewer, since he himself is afraid of being in such a situation. And if you honestly admit this, then you can safely count on the support of the audience. Just do not say formulaic phrases, but tell a joke or show a video on the topic and at the same time say: "Please look while I deal with the excitement" or "Well, I will tell a joke while I deal with the excitement."

Visualize your performance

Do not write a long summary of your speech, but draw pictures that will hint to you what you need to say. This technique will allow less fussing, not peering at the text and not wearing glasses while performing.

Only talk about what you know

Think of an exam in a subject that you understood and adored: you went to it like a holiday and did not worry. So go to the performance as to a holiday, since the topic is clear to you and you love. And if you are asked to speak on a topic in which you do not understand anything, be honest about it and refuse. Such an act will cause more respect than a speaker who does not understand what he is talking about.

Speak each part of speech in front of the mirror

After speaking each part of your talk, you will determine its duration. Having recorded yourself on a camcorder, let a person you trust completely. Ask for comments on the content of your speech, as well as gestures, facial expressions, and parasitic words. Just don't overdo it. This only needs to be done a couple of times. Otherwise, on stage, you will not say what you have planned, since the subconscious mind will decide that you have already said it.

Warm up before performing

Calmly stretch your legs - this can be done while sitting, discreetly squeezing and unclenching your feet. Just don't jump or crouch, it will take your breath away. Don't run out onto the stage, walk calmly. Before performing, sing with your mouth closed, as if humming a song, this will warm up the vocal cords.

Look and not see

It is ideal to look the viewer in the eye during a speech, but experience has shown that this scares a novice speaker. Look at the hairstyles of the audience - they will think that you are looking them directly in the eyes. And if you notice an unfriendly look, this does not mean at all that the listener does not like the story. People, when they listen carefully, as a rule, do not control facial expressions.

Favorite trick

Repeat ten times: “I love the stage,” and she will surely hear you and respond in kind. This technique works for me when I'm afraid. When you talk about love, fears go away. It is impossible to feel both love and fear at the same time. Try it!

A magic spice to your speech

Love. Don't criticize. Respect. Do not humiliate or exalt. Do not teach, but together make a wonderful discovery. Speak the truth. Bring joy. Be interesting. Be helpful. Be concise.