An explain article

Anyone who has ever stood on the big stage knows the feeling. Just before it starts. Adrenaline coursing through our veins. The mouth becoming a bit drier. The glaring light in the eyes. Thoughts racing. Alternatively: the yawning emptiness in the head. The queasy feeling of not knowing what to do next. This feeling. Every time we stand on the big stage. But these feelings don't just overcome us on the big stage.

The whole world is a stage.

The stage is the large conference room at the headquarters. It is the practice forum in Hall 2 at the leading trade fair. It is the lecture hall where we recruit tomorrow's employees. It is the workplace from where we will soon hold the product training via the web. The stage is the table where we will give the all-important presentation in 5 minutes. Where exactly the fear of speaking overtakes us differs from person to person. Sometimes it’s the unusually large settings with hundreds of listeners. Sometimes it’s the all-important presentation before management. Sometimes it’s an extraordinary event format, such as a TEDx.

The fact is: Very few presenters, even experienced ones, are immune to stage fright and fear of failure.

The new vulnerability

This may be because presenting in front of people is not just about nodding heads and standing ovations.

As speakers, we make ourselves vulnerable.

Today more than ever. Today we no longer present just for that one moment in a closed room. Often the camera runs. Our performance today may determine how YouTube and others will remember us. As "Best Speaker Ever" or "Epic Fail". You have the choice. We and our presentation are scrutinized, evaluated, analyzed. Sometimes instantly praised over Twitter walls. Sometimes torn apart by faceless trolls. Just think of Singular CEO Stan Sigman, whose read-out speech was criticized on presentation blogs after the charismatic performance of Steve Jobs at Macworld. Or remember filmmaker Michael Bay, who abruptly left the stage due to a blackout during a major Samsung event. His exit scene was soon found as a GIF on the internet.

Recently, top CEOs are being measured by their presentation styles. Their speeches are run through text analysis software for media impact, sentence lengths measured, "word monsters" brought to light, even ranked by comprehensibility. With everything at stake, with constant exposure and rapid dissemination possibilities in social networks, it can indeed be frightening.

So better to remain silent?

But not speaking is also not an alternative. Because each of us has something important to say. And as daunting as the stage may be, we know deep down: There is no way around it if we want to be heard. So, what to do when the fear of speaking strikes?

From the experience with many presenters, I can only emphasize:

First, listen to your fear. What does it want to tell you?

Observe yourself - without judgment. What thoughts are running through my mind?

Are beliefs about your own competencies becoming active right now?

How do I assess the significance of my presentation?

With what expectations do I enter the presentation, which might even make my performance more difficult?

Also ask yourself: In which situations and in front of which audiences am I particularly nervous?

Are there certain personalities or characters that seemingly give me trouble?

Who do I actually have to or want to prove something to? Who am I as a speaker personality?

Do I possibly feel uncomfortable because, as an introverted speaker, I have to entertain an audience full of extroverted people?

This reflection helps us identify behavioral patterns, understand ourselves better, and adjust to various situations.

Tips and tricks

But simply knowing is not enough. We must also apply and not just want something, but also do it. As the good old Goethe famously said. Therefore, I share with you three approaches to reducing your fear of speaking.

#01

First, there is this enormous focus on oneself in a speech situation that causes fear. I am talking about those horror scenarios of failure running in an endless loop, questioning your own topic. You know what I mean. But what if, for a change, you take the focus off yourself and pay more attention to the topic and especially the audience? Remind yourself that the presentation is not about you, but about the benefit for the audience. Focus on the idea worth sharing. What is special and great about it? If your focus is on doing good through your presentation or bringing about change, you will occupy yourself much less with evaluating your supposed shortcomings. Promised.

#02

Speaking of shortcomings, an introverted speaker's type does not count among them. Even though extroverted people are generally considered better presenters. It doesn't always have to be an extroverted show-off. This applies to both men and women. Susan Cain, author of "The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking," shows in her popular TED Talk and her calm manner that we don't have to jump on stage like Steve Balmer to convince. More introverted speaker personalities, like journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell or Bill Gates, impressively demonstrate at the TED Innovation Conference how powerfully they convey their message. Introverted speakers gain confidence through careful preparation of their presentation and a mindful approach to their energy. Because they tend to leave energy on the stage, while extroverted speakers are more likely to draw strength from large crowds.

#03

Finally, I want to give you one more piece of advice, as banal as it may sound: Practice. Even better: Practice in a safe environment where we can fail with a speech without consequences. Such an environment is offered by active speaking networks like Toastmasters or Agora Speakers International worldwide. Following the motto "Every good speaker was a bad speaker first," more and more people practice several times a month in front of an audience. They practice and learn to feel comfortable. On stage. With the audience. They let others evaluate them, record them, even count their filler words. They learn to occupy the room, guide the audience with their vocal variety and movements, overcome their fears. With these impulses, our nervous feelings will not disappear into thin air instantly. But no worries. You can imagine the path of the speaker like a narrow trail that becomes wider and smoother the more often you walk it. So, use the stage. Use your chance.