This is one of my simplest, but favourite public speaking tips.
It’s great, because it helps with nerves, voice projection, confidence and positive body language, as well as quality of performance.
What is it?
Wait a moment until you’ve heard my inevitable story: you know how I work by now!
I’ve been coaching an executive who suffers terribly with nerves when presenting.
We went through all my usual tricks:
Preparation and practice, followed by more preparation and practice, and then yet more preparation of practice.
We did warm up exercises, slowing her down to add authority, get more air into her lungs, and help deal with the nerves that way.
Recording her performances, so she could see she was actually doing well, and keep on improving…
But none of it helped with the nerves.
They were still attacking hard, marring her performance…
And we were only a week away from a big presentation.
So we moved on to my last play, this trick.
I dropped the people at the venue where she would be presenting a note, we got an hour set aside, went along…
And she stood on the stage in front of the audience.
Okay, there was no one there, apart from the two of us. But!
I made her visualise the lecture theatre packed out with people.
Where was she going to stand to make sure everyone could see her clearly and hear her well.
Then imagine starting the presentation in the way we had planned…
And then, actually doing it.
Envisage the nodding, smiling, appreciative faces.
Keep going with the talk…
Sense the enjoyment of the crowd, their understanding of the issue being discussed…
Their enjoyment of her storytelling…
Their empathy with her cause…
And as her momentum and confidence grew, and the audience was swept up in her spiel…
Their wholehearted support for her pitch.
After she finished the presentation to the non-existent audience (who applauded wildly, naturally), she stopped…
Stared at me…
And said:
(Very happily.)
- That’s it. I’m sorted. I know I’m going to be okay now.
And, when she came to do the presentation for real…
She very much was sorted.
Because it went down a storm.
So, why does this visualisation trick work?
There’s just something about being in the actual place where you will present...
Feeling the stage under your feet…
Looking at the people in the rows of seats…
Imagining yourself giving your talk, and it being a triumph.
Which somehow eases the fear, makes it much less of an ordeal, and far more likely to be a success.
If you’ve got a big presentation coming up…
And you suffer with nerves when public speaking…
Try the visualisation trick.
Get to the venue early, or even go visit a day or more beforehand.
Stand on that stage, visualise yourself being a super success…
And it’ll give you a much better chance of smashing your talk when the moment comes to deliver it for real.
