For most of us, public speaking can be pretty scary.

According to an article in Forbes magazine, a lucky 10% of people genuinely do not experience any fear when it comes to speaking in public. A less fortunate 10% of people are terrified by the idea of public speaking – they get nauseous, have panic attacks, or become debilitated by severe anxiety. Then there’s everyone else. About 80% of people fear speaking in public to some extent – they get nervous, feel uncomfortable, or have trouble sleeping the night before a presentation – but they know they’re going to get through it.

It’s okay to be afraid – in fact, it’s virtually impossible to get rid of your fear of public speaking altogether.

But if you allow your fear to hold you back from speaking in public, you’re limiting yourself and your business.

“I was terrified of public speaking,” said billionaire investor and philanthropist, Warren Buffett in an interview. “I just couldn’t do it.” While in school, Buffett would arrange his classes so that he wouldn’t have to get up and speak in front of people. He signed up for a public speaking course when he was in college – but he stopped payment on his registration check at the last minute because he lost his nerve. Finally, Buffett realized that he was going to have to be able to get up and speak in front of people.

“You have to learn to communicate in life, it’s enormously important . . . If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas . . . you’re giving up your potential,” said Buffett.

The key is to manage your fear of public speaking – just like Warren Buffett did. Speaking to your target audience is the best way to get your message out there, and it’s also the most effective way to market and grow your business.

Here are 3 simple techniques that you can start using right now to help reduce public speaking anxiety.

1. Put your attention on your audience. When you’re giving a presentation to a group of people, try to actively shift your attention off of yourself and onto your audience. What do you want your audience to take away from your presentation? What do you want your audience to feel? When your attention is on your audience, it won’t be on you – or your feelings of fear or anxiety (How will I perform? Will the audience like me?)
2. Use the “As If” technique. When you don’t feel confident or comfortable enough to speak in public, imagine that you’re someone who does. Who is your public speaking role model? Who do you know that gives great presentations? It can be someone you know personally or someone you’ve seen give a presentation. While you’re giving your presentation, pretend you’re an actor and behave “as if” you are that person. Research shows that when you behave a certain way (i.e. confident and comfortable), your feelings follow that behavior.
3. Engage in non-threatening eye contact. During your presentation, make non-threatening or “soft” eye contact with individual people in your audience for long enough for your brain to register that the other person is not a threat – about 3-4 seconds. When you’re giving a presentation to a group of people, it’s normal to worry about what the audience will think of you (Will they judge me? What if they don’t like me?) Thinking along these lines will only increase your anxiety – and your adrenaline, and your heart rate – and this is not something that will help you with your presentation. Research shows that making non-threatening eye contact with another person will make you feel much less nervous and considerably calmer. (An added bonus is that making eye contact also makes you more relatable to your audience.)

My challenge to you this week is to use these techniques when you give your next presentation. After your presentation is over, analyze your level of anxiety. Was it lower than usual? The same? Did you feel that any of these tips in particular helped you feel calmer and more comfortable speaking to your audience? Let me know!

If you feel that incorporating public speaking into your business is overwhelming and you just don’t know where to start, give us a call and find out how we can help you. You don’t have to go it alone!