Over the months we have brought you all kinds of information about the wonders of music. We’ve talked about its impact on child development, the profound connection is has to memory, and the important benefits musicians of all ages can reap. We have taken a look at the more practical side, dealing with the most effective ways to take care of your instruments through the hottest summer and the bitter cold of Canadian winters. It’s true that this blog has gone in some pretty interesting tangents, all in the name of music.
This week, however, we’re going to tackle a somewhat different topic that is near and dear to us here at The Music Studio: public speaking. Yup, that’s right, everyone’s favourite fear is our focus this week. And it is a common fear, often ranking in the top 5 for most people, sometimes ranking even higher than the fear of death. But why is that? It’s not like speaking isn’t something we do on a daily basis, it just happens to usually be to a handful of people at a time. There is something about being faced with a sea of people that can make even the most confident person start shaking in their boots. Regardless of the causes, speaking confidently, intelligently, and clearly in front of a group of people is an invaluable life skill that everyone should at least try to develop. I may not know each of your individual reasons for not enjoying speaking in public (or maybe you do like it, you weirdo), but I can help you try to lower your anxiety and give you more confidence with these 5 tips for public speaking.
1. Take Your Time Starting
Nervousness when getting up in front of a large group of people is a completely normal reaction, but it isn’t one you necessarily want your audience to see on your face. Anxiety can cause many speakers to get to their mark and dive right in without a pause. I know you just want to get started; the faster you start the faster you’re done, right? Unfortunately, rushing to start is one of the most common mistakes, because it shows your listeners exactly how nervous you are right away.
Instead, try taking your time walking to your mark. Move slowly, but with purpose and confidence. When you get to your mark, or podium, or wherever you’ll be speaking from, take a deep breath, wait a moment or two, and begin once you have found your place. I know this seems rather tedious, and can in fact feel like an eternity while standing in front of all those eyes, but that’s only your nerves talking. From the audience’s perspective you appear calm, in control of the situation and the room, and confident.
2. Take Your Time Talking
Everyone knows that your heart rate increases with anxiety, but what many don’t know is how much this can change the way you talk. I’m sure you’ve all heard a nervous speaker start to talk faster and faster, turning a planned, timed speech into a verbal race to the end. While it is true that most audiences are more forgiving than we, the speaker, give them credit for, the fact is if you go too fast, you’ll start to lose them.
Take a breath, and try to pace yourself. If you speak slowly, taking the time to enunciate each word clearly, your audience will absorb much more of the content and will be far more engaged. In fact, it’s pretty impossible to speak too slowly. Take your time, and if you need to pause to centre yourself or find your place, don’t worry about it, your audience will happily wait for you.
3. Make Eye Contact With Your Audience
This one may take a little practice, but trust me, it’s worth it. Many people like to try to scan the audience while speaking because they feel like it makes them look like they’re looking at everyone at once. Unfortunately, this method can have the opposite effect, disconnecting you from your audience almost entirely.
Instead, try making eye contact with specific members of your audience as you speak. Try giving each person you make eye contact with a full sentence or thought before breaking to look to someone else. Continue this throughout your speech, one thought per person, never breaking your gaze until that thought is complete. For the more anxious readers this may seem rather intimidating, but the benefits far outweigh your initial discomfort. As you get better at this little trick it will become second nature, and both you and your audience will feel more like you are just having a simple conversation, which is nothing to be nervous about at all!
4. Turn Your Nervousness Into Excitement
As we have talked about before when discussing stage fright in the context of performing, as far as your body’s physiological responses are concerned, excitement and nervousness are exactly the same. Thanks to this little trick of biology, you can train your brain to recognize the symptoms of anxiety (clammy hands, increased heart rate, butterflies in the stomach) as the side effects of excitement.
Think of any athlete you’ve ever seen on TV right after the “Big Game.” Some reporter inevitably asks, “Were you nervous?” And the answer is almost universally, “No, I was excited!” They have learned to reinterpret their anxiety as excitement and so can you, even if you’ve never had any practice before. Just before stepping up to your mark to begin, confidently tell yourself, “I am not nervous. I am excited!” That alone can often start to turn your mindset, but if it isn’t enough alone try coupling it with a “Superman” pose. Hands curled into fists and placed firmly on the hips, puff your chest out, and say it again, “I am not nervous. I am excited!” Studies have shown holding that pose for 30-90 seconds can help lift your confidence and give you the boost you need. Don’t believe me? Try it. I have.
5. Say “Thank You”
It’s a little thing to end your presentation with, but it is both important and powerful. Your audience has given you their undivided attention, patience, and time. Giving them a simple “thank you” at the conclusion of your speech is the least you can do, and not only shows your appreciation for your audience, it makes you more personable and likable to them. And we all like listening to the people we like.
So on that note, thank you! We’ll see you next week.