If you do lots of public speaking...

[MonsteraAddict]

I am doing a presentation for half an hour next week to a large group of adults. I know what I'm saying, I've practiced, but I get anxious and my voice cracks terribly.
Do anyone have any tips to help me please? I'm getting worried and have barely slept this week.

Propranolol. Works a treat. My gp was v happy to prescribe it for this very reason.

What exactly is making you so nervous? What’s the worst case scenario you can imagine happening?

I agree propranolol can help if you’re someone who is driven into a tizzy by physical symptoms of nerves like racing heartbeat and sweaty palms.

A good structure makes it easier. Start with a hook not the usual "hi my name is & I am going to talk to you about..." Something like a random fun fact, statistic or a picture. Eg.... Did you know that over 90% of Mumsnet users think that parenting is hard work
Introduce yourself in a way that gives you credibility rather than your job title ...I am ... And today you will leave here knowing what the other 10% are doing differently.

The body is 3 main points each with 3 sub points

Know the points not the words and you can deliver it without worrying if you have lost your way.

Conclusion... Reference back to your opening & restate the 3 main points... So by remembering to drink plenty of wine, expect as a minimum your partner is as responsible as you are for their genetic continuity and they invented knitwear for a reason you are a member of the 10%club.

Also deliver it as if you are the queen with a book balanced on your head... Slow and look up.

Recommend the BBC Maestro course on public speaking, so insightful. www.bbcmaestro.com/courses/richard-greene/public-speaking-and-communication

I think the nerves come from imposter syndrome - almost like I don't deserve to be listened to?
I take anti anxiety meds as normal but acute anxiety is quite triggering. I just wish I could get over it. Thank you everyone for responding

Stand still. Hands behind your back if you kneed to. Own it, you can do it!

I've done quite a lot of public speaking over the past 15 years with work. I've gone from hating it and dreading it to still finding it very nerve wracking but I now kind of enjoy the adrenaline rush.

My advice would be to make the first slide something super simple. Mine is always "Hi my name is BabyAllergy, I'm a JobTitle at Employer, and I've got some slides for you today introducing x y and z". I find that by the time I've said this, super clearly and slowly, my nerves have settled slightly and my voice has stopped shaking.

I also like to have something solid to hold (like a lectern). I once held a laser pointer and it was awful as you could see the light shaking all over the place. I now know to just walk around and point with my arms!

Good luck :)

Well, is your content interesting? Do you believe what you’re talking about has worth? If you can focus on that, rather than yourself, you can position yourself as just the medium by which something interesting/worthwhile is being delivered.

You’re currently being very much in your head (overthinking and worrying is in your head) and it can be incredibly helpful to get more present and aware in your body.

Imagine you felt really confident instead of worried (either remember a time you were confident or watch people you seem to be confident and look at their physiology). What would your body do if you were confident? How would your posture be, your head, your hands, your eyes etc. what would you be focusing on, what would you be telling yourself? Map out for you what confidence would be like in your body and practice that - a lot.

Your body communicates more to your brain than the other way around, so you can shift emotional state by shifting physical state. (I am an embodiment leadership coach btw).

Watch Amy Cuddy’s Ted talk as well and practice the power poses as a starter.

You can also work on creating new helpful beliefs however give the body aoproach a go because even if it might sound weird, it’s very powerful.

You wouldn't have been asked if you were not the person who was able to do it. Your skills and experience are what the organisers want and in no way are you an imposter. The would not have asked you otherwise.

Most people in the audience will have less experience than you do - that is why you have been asked.

The people in the audience who do know your area of expertise are your colleagues and they are rooting for you. If they aren't spit in their tea when you get back to the office.

No one in the audience knows what you are going to say so you can't say the wrong thing.

Look into Power poses - in two minutes you can use them to increase your testosterone (confidence) and decrease your cortisol (stress)

Agree with this (though need to remember it myself sometimes!)

Focus on explaining and communicating to the audience. You know more about the topic than they do, your job is to communicate it to them. You have the power! (Also sip warm water with honey from a trendy water flask)

I absolutely get this... Ive done a fair amount of speaking in public and still get "the fear" sometimes... What helps me is remembering people generally only take in two or three things you've said, usually the bit that is most relevant to them. Everything else is forgotten very quickly. Always be yourself and people will appreciate it. They will also be incredibly forgiving if you make a mistake or stumble on a word...

Rehearsal so that you know it inside out.

Recognise that you might feel a bit wobbly beforehand but channel it to a good place - you know your stuff, so you'll be fine. Everyone will want you to do well

Get in the zone beforehand- it's kind of like mindfulness - just be right in the moment, don't think about anything else other than being in the now, then stride on confidently and start! Without hesitation

Honestly, the answer is practice.... Practice, practice. Do it out loud several times.

Also, bottle of water and deep breaths.

We all get nervous. I'm a lecturer of many years and just this week I watched a colleague do a presentation and they had nerves in their voice. We're human. People generally are on your side.

Have a listen to Viv Groskop how to own the room podcast. That's v good for women and public speaking.

Yup. Me too. Take 10mg an hour before and absolutely fine

If the opportunity is there, mingle with the audience as they arrive or at a tea break prior to your talk. Introduce yourself and ask them what they hope to gain from your presentation and how much experience they have of your topic.
As you start the presentation introduce yourself and refer to whatever they said ' I was lucky enough to meet a few of you at tea break and I know the group from facilities are hoping to hear more about blah blah and Kevin from HR had already been reading yada yada, which is actually very relevant to what we are going to be talking about today......'
Move about the stage or area. Make yourself move. Wave your arms to indicate where the latecomer should sit. Pass round something for them to look at. Point at slides.
Interact with them. Ask them if the pace is okay. If its too hot, if they have questions. Remind them how this stuff will benefit them. 'I imagine this might benefit you in the workshop/on the front desk/in finance when you are blah blah...'
At the end thank them for coming, say you hope it addressed their needs, say you will be hanging about if anyone wants to talk to you individually.
Remember its not about you. Its about them. You are the just the viaduct giving them stuff that will benefit them.

Remember to breathe.