There was a time when I didn’t look forward to my public presentations. The anxiety often got so overwhelming just before I stepped onto the stage that I thought I would simply run screaming from the room!
Fears have passed as have hundreds of speeches and thousands of audience members. And I still get a little niggle of nerves just before I walk out.
To ease the stress, no matter whether I’m speaking to a big crowd or small one, I ask myself 2 questions before I begin:
- What is the most important thing I know about my audience? and
- What would they most like to hear about?
Both questions take attention off me and my nerves and put it onto my audience.
Then, when it’s all over, I ask 2 other questions that provide me with constructive feedback and insight for my next engagement:
- What did I most enjoy about that? and
- What will I do next time?
Action – If you get nervous speaking in front of a crowd of 1000 or just 1, use the questions to manage your anxiety and dispel fears.