Say It

Seventy-seven percent of people have some fear or anxiety around public speaking.

That's three out of every four people that you pass on the street, think about that for second.

How come?

We speak all the time, most people would actually find it uncomfortable to go a day with verbal communication. With all of this experience and exposure, what is it that drives the anxiety most people feel.

I think it comes from a few things.

Fear

Our societies are ones that praise success and punish failure. We validate getting the right answer. We feel safe when we are right, that we are accepted and that we fit in. Especially in the professional world, most people are terrified to look like they don't know something, or that they don't have the skillset for what is being asked.

This preoccupation with fear is the root of the problem for most people.

Judgement

Since public speaking or presenting something to a group of people puts you in the spotlight, people anchor to the fact that the "room" will judge you. The two most common situations that you will find yourself in professionally where this is relevant.

First, presenting up. You have worked on something or are leading a team implementing a new project or initiative and you are asked to present and update a group of senior leaders. This situation will immediately trigger a type of imposter syndrome, as surely, the people who you are presenting to are more experienced, smarter and know more about the business than you, you report to them right.

Second, when you are making the presentation as the "expert". You have worked on, developed or are selling a product / solution. You are asked to make a presentation on it to land a sale, transfer your knowledge or contribute to an improvement. This is triggering as you know that your content and message will be scrutinized, especially when you are selling some form of change. People are typically comfortable with how things are, they know the system and where they fit it. As a result, they will look for ways to minimize or dismiss what you are saying.

Experience

There really is no shortcut or what to deal with this as easily as the other two. At some point, anything new that we try isn't going to the best that we can or will eventually be able to do it. As you repeat and activity, you practice more, it develops. It's no different than the impact of a healthy diet, working at gym or learning a new language. Everyone gets better with practice.

With that in mind, what can you do to manage your feelings of axiety?

• Don't fear your flow. People get hung up on treating a presentation like a line by line recital. What inevitably happens is you miss a word or don't say exactly what you wanted and you start stumbling trying to get back to your talk track.
  Just keep talking and move on, no one has your script but you
• Everyone knows what it is like to be uncomfortable in front of a room. Appreciate that as a piece of common ground
• People will "judge" and evaluate your content, that's what the presentation is about. If everyone already knew everything, you wouldn't be there. The best way to approach this is simple. Know your product. Know your material. The confidence that will bring you will translate and it will help win people over quickly to what you are sharing.
• Know your intention for the presentation. You are up there speaking. Speak to your audience, and already know what you expect them to do with the information you are sharing.
• Experience, another one like mistakes. Everyone can relate, don't sweat this.