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Welcome to episode 41 of the Profitable Speaking Podcast, where I provide practical tips and insights to help you succeed as a public speaker. In today's episode, we're going to look at overcoming stage fright and some strategies for nervous conference speakers. Let's talk about that best of your stage fright. Trust me, we've all been there. Even those of us who have been doing this for years. Your backstage, your palms start to sweat, your heart's doing a little rumber dance, and you're wondering why on earth you signed up for this. The nerves are totally normal, it's just your body's way of saying, hey, something big is about to happen. But here's the kicker. Those butterflies, you can absolutely make them fly in formation. There are tons of tricks up your sleeve, from deep breathing exercises to positive visualization that can turn that nervous energy into a performance you'll be proud of. So the next time you're up there under those bright lights, remember you've got this. And those jitters, they're just applause from your nervous system. So what can we do to make speaking more fun and less proud for? Number one, we need to understand stage fright. Understanding stage fright is crucial for anyone stepping into the limelight, whether it's for a big presentation, acting, or even a simple toast at a family gathering. At its core, stage fright is our body's natural reaction to the perceived threat of public judgment and potential failure. It's an age of fight or flight response getting triggered, and it results in symptoms like a racing heart, sweaty palms, and a foggy mind. Even though it may feel isolating in the moment, it's a universally shared experience, and it's essential to remember that these feelings don't reflect your actual capabilities. With knowledge and practice, this nervous energy can be channeled and transformed into an engaging and powerful presence. So, how does stage fight manifest? We've got physical symptoms, mental blocks, etc., such as stress, anxiety, sick to the stomach, pure fear, and shaking. All of these symptoms can come up, or none of them, depending on how you are, how prepared you are, and how many times you've spoken. There's also a range of common myths that are quite unhelpful about the reality of stage fright. One is that if you want to deal with stage fright, picture everyone in the audience naked. That's such a good idea, depending on your audience. Quite frankly, I've never found that one to work, and honestly, I probably haven't tried it seriously. I think I'd rather just stick to seeing my audience for who they are and how they're dressed. Another one is don't look at the audience when you're presenting, because that'll make you nervous. You've got to look at your audience. You need to engage them, you need to connect. You want that eye-to-eye sort of connection. And lastly, the one I've heard is to have a stiff drink before you go on stage. Now, I wouldn't recommend this at all. Do not drink if you're going to present at a conference. One drink leads to two, and before you know it, you've got a disaster. So drinking will not help you overcome stage fright. I've never seen it work. Maybe it works for someone, but for professional speakers, it's a no-no anyway. Number two, we've got pre-event preparation. Prepping before the big day can be a real game changer when it comes to stage fright. You need to dive into your material, you need to know it backwards and forwards. That way, if your nerves try to trip you up, you've got a solid foundation to lean on. Practicing in different conditions, like in bright lights or standing up, can give you the extra edge. And if you get the chance, visit the venue beforehand. It can seriously help. You'll get a feeling for the place. It'll make it less intimidating when it's showtime. And in short, let's face it, a little prep can make the world of difference keeping those nerves in check. So, the importance of knowing your material inside and out, you really need to practice it. I say this all the time, practice. It's a seriously important part of what we do. After a few times, you'll get to know what's going to come next. It's not going to happen straight away. You're going to have to go through the material and get a feel for it, get to know what's going to come. And when what's coming next, you've got less chance of actually freezing up on stage. When you're rehearsing, you need to do it effectively. So do it standing up. You're not going to sit down on the stage unless you're doing a QA session. Do it standing up. Do it a lot. And smile when you're doing it. Remember, you want your body and your face and everything to be in line and practicing together so that you create a little bit of muscle memory there throughout the speech. Okay. So how are you going to use your hands, or are you going to point at that or whatever? Bring that into your practice. Designing slides and visual aids to help reduce your stress. Okay. Use images, not lots of words. When you've got lots of words, you stop and you start to read. And it also breaks down your concentration because when you read what's up there, it's not necessarily the flow that you've practiced, because when you practice, you actually put it more into sentences rather than bullet points. Talk about your image, your graph, et cetera. That's what those slides are there for. They're not there to literally do the presentation for you, they're there to assist you. Remember, slides are memory joggers for you, and they're thought invokers for your audience. So they see the picture and they think something, and then you say something based on the picture. So it works for both of you. Number three, we need a mindset shift. Shifting your mindset can be a real game changer when facing stage fright. Instead of seeing your audience as critics, imagine them as supporters or friends, eager to hear what you've got to say. Remind yourself that they're there to learn or to be entertained by you, not to judge. Positive self-talk can also make a big difference. Instead of thinking, what if I have a missile? Flip it to, I'm going to share something awesome today. Visualizing a successful presentation can help too. Picture yourself nailing every point and getting that round of applause at the end. Remember, it's not about being perfect, it's about connecting with your audience and sharing your message. By tweaking how you view the situation, you'll feel more in control and those stage students will start to loosen their grip. Changing your perspective is really important. Remember you're sharing valuable information. It's about helping others out. Remember, you're the guide, and what you're trying to do is get them to make one new decision or one new step in the right direction to keep them moving forward in their business or their life. Some people like to visualize and use positive affirmations. Sometimes it's a matter of taking a minute to close your eyes and picture your success on that stage just for a short amount of time. If you want to do positive affirmations, you go for it. It's not a thing for me personally. I don't mind listening to positive affirmations as part of a CD or something like that. Ooh, CD, now we're going back. But I don't use that before I go on stage. I just do a quick picture of how I'm going to do this and then I can get into it. Remember to have self-compassion. And look, don't aim for perfection. Okay? Do your best. If you're enjoying yourself, your audience will too. If it's too perfect, you can actually sound a little bit slick and a bit of salesman. So you want to have those little jitters, those little bounces in the middle. They go away with more practice, but all the same, it doesn't have to be perfect to do an amazing job on stage. Number four, physical techniques. Physical techniques can play a big part in taming stage fright. Starting with breathing, a few deep breaths can center you and keep panic abate. Your stance matters too. Stand tall and own your space to boost both your confidence and your presence on stage. Think of these as quick tune-ups, setting the right tone for when you step onto the spotlight. Breathing exercises can be used for calming nerves. It's as simple as sitting for a minute, taking some slow breaths in and out, and remembering why you're there. Okay? Don't worry about what might happen. Remember why you're there and how it's going to be awesome. A power pose and other body language uh tricks, you need to stand strong. Make sure you're firmly grounded on the stage. You need to own the stage. It's your stage. You're on there, you're in charge of it now. Everybody else is off. It's all yours. So use it to your advantage. Get all over the stage if you need to. That doesn't mean you should be running back and forth, but move around the stage. Remember, you've got audiences to the left and to the right. And you need to make sure that you're talking to all of them. And if there's a lectern, burn it. Seriously, burn the lectern. Do not go near it. If it's there, you know, leave it over there. But if you're going to ask for it to be removed, you should. Make sure you manage your diet and exercise because that will help you deal with the anxiety. Okay. Get up in the morning, go for a walk or run, do some stretching, eat a good breakfast, and don't have too much coffee or caffeine or sugar before you go on stage. Just drink water. That'll keep you hydrated. It won't have any other effects on you. Number five, on the day, strategies. On the day of the big event, a free few strategic mews can make all the difference in handling stage fright. Arriving early is a no-brainer. It gives you a chance to get comfortable, scope out the space, and even do some last-minute rehearsals. Take a moment to connect with a few attendees and make the crowd more familiar with you when you step up. Remember, today is all about sharing your message. And by following the strategies we've talked about so far, you'll be able to tackle the stage with confidence. So when you arrive early to familiarize yourself with the venue, walk around, find the toilets, get a glass of water, chat with the organizers, say hello to the sound team. There's all sorts of things you can do. But be comfortable in your space. Make sure you do a tech check, ensuring that your slides, your mic, and your equipment working before it's your turn to go on stage. They need to know what the levels are for your voice. So test your voice on the microphone on the stage and make sure that it can be heard clearly at the back of the room. See what you're going to see before you go up. In other words, stand there and look at where the tables are. Picture there's going to be people at those tables, and you need to be looking at them. And if you've got time, walk around the stage, get a really good feeling. Make sure you engage with the audience before the talk to ease into your environment. I find this one for me is an important part of being there. Going up and saying hi to some people. Find a friend in the audience. There's generally someone who can introduce you to some other people. And just say hi and get talking about things you're interested in. You don't have to be talking about, oh hi, I'm the speaker. If they're talking about cars, then talk about cars. It'll take your mind off what you're doing, it'll relax you and it'll help you get ready for your speech. And if you get the chance, talk to the booth owners. They might have some really interesting tech gear or software or whatever you're interested in. And it's worth just taking a few minutes to go and chat to them too, because sometimes they're in the room and they may go to other uh events, and in which case, it could be really useful to you because they may introduce you to other opportunities. Number six, during the speech, stay grounded, and that's the key to keeping those nerves at bay. If you feel overwhelmed, focus on one friendly face in the crowd for a moment. It can make the whole room feel less daunting. Remember, it's okay to pause and take a breath if you need to collect your thoughts. Remember, you've got this. So some grounding techniques to stay present. Breathe. Take a pause. If they're laughing, just take a pause for a second and let them laugh. Or if you put something controversial up there, take a pause for a second. Give them a chance to think about it. Another thing you can do is play a little video. That will give you time to collect yourself. Alternatively, you can do something with impact so you can get them to do something. So some strategies for if you blank out or lose your place, and that does happen on stage, there's no doubt about it. This is what your slides are for. Remember, you can always move to the next slide. Or you can jump a couple of slides. The audience doesn't know that you've missed something. They've seen you jump forward, but they just assume it's part of the presentation and that bit wasn't meant for them. Okay? Just keep going to the next slide and remember to breathe. Okay. Don't freeze up and hold your breath, because then bad things happen. So if you have unexpected interruptions or technical issues, be prepared beforehand to go from your laptop. You might have to put your laptop on the lecture and have a quick at the slice at the slide and then start speaking. Because you might not have the big boards behind you. Make sure you've got some good stories, because a good story can fill in time and it gives the tech people time to run around behind you and do stuff while you've got the audience's attention. And of course, do an activity. Have an activity in your mind that you can do with the audience, even though it's not part of your normal speech, so that you can fill a little bit of time. And it can be a really simple one. Talk to your neighbor about this question and write down three bullet points, and we're going to go around the room and ask what your three bullet points are. Okay. It doesn't have to be complex, it just has to be done. Number seven, audience interaction. That's always a good part of dealing with the stress of being on stage. Engaging your audience can be a secret weapon against stage. Instead of seeing them as a sea of strangers, turn them into active participants in your talk. Pose questions, seek opinions, or even share a lighthearted moment with them. This interaction not only breaks the ice, but also diverts the spotlight a bit, giving you brief moments to regroup. Plus, seeing them react positively, nodding in agreement or laughing at a shared joke can boost your confidence when you're on stage. Think of your audience as allies in your presentation journey, and you'll find those stage nerves will ease up as the conversation flows. You need to learn to read your body language of your audience and adjust accordingly. Find the happy person to look at. Don't look at them all the time, but you can come back to them and know you're going to get positive feedback from that person. Ignore the grumpy cat in the audience. There's always one grumpy person. It doesn't matter what you're doing. Sometimes they're not grumpy, it's just their face says they're grumpy. Okay? They're having a great time. I don't know how many times I've talked to people and I've been on stage and they've looked really quite angry at me. I've talked to them afterwards and they'd be like, that was amazing. I don't worry about it anymore. And don't worry about people being on their phones at times. Remember, you never know what's going on. They could be taking notes, they might be taking photos, but they could be dealing with something. Who knows? How do we deal with challenging or disinterested audience members? We build in interactions that gets everybody involved in the process. We ask questions. And we do need to remember that not everyone will care about what you're talking about. They might be there for another speaker and they're waiting for that speaker to come on and they're listening to you, but actually you're not the point of interest for them at this stage. Now, you may get their attention as you go on, but who knows? Don't stress about it. Okay. The other thing is, too, we all know we've been to conferences and all hell breaks loose back at the office. And it has to be dealt with. So they could be dealing in their mind with problems in their life or at work. Who knows what's going on? And they're there to try and learn at the same time, but they can't always switch it off. So it's really important to remember that. Okay. Invite the audience to participate. It's a way to engage and divert focus away from yourself if you're starting to feel the stress. So set tasks, get them up and doing things, and of course, you know, have a worksheet or a workbook that you can guide them to. You don't have to do everything in there, but if you've got four or five tasks, you can just get them to do one or two, and then say, hey, the rest of those are your homework. Number eight, post-speech reflection. Okay, we've got to the end. After wrapping up your speech, taking a moment for some post-game analysis can work wonders for the future stage fright. First, give yourself a pat on the back, regardless of how it went or how you think you went, you faced your challenge head on. Now think back to those moments that felt really good on stage and the bits that might have tripped you up. Learning from them can be your playbook for the next time. Chatting with a few audience members can also offer invaluable feedback. Remember, just keep the positive stuff. The negative stuff, okay, note it, but don't dwell on it. Was there a point that they particularly resonated with? Or something that they found unclear? This reflection isn't about being hard on yourself, but it's about fine-tuning for the next gig. Every speech is a stepping stone, and they help you grow more confident and connected each time. It's crucial not to rush off stage, okay? Make sure you finish your speech properly. Don't just cut it short and bolt off. Make sure you shake hands with the MC when they come up on stage. And breathe.

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Oh that's pretty, it's so important. And smile. Enjoy yourself. You're on stage. Take a moment to absorb the audience's applause and connect with them. Feel the love. It's not often you get that opportunity. And it's one of the things speakers love more than anything else, is actually the love they get from the audience. It's one of the reasons we do it. Enjoy your moment on stage. You may have gone halfway around the world or just down the road. But either way, enjoy that moment because you may never come back there again, and you may never be in front of that audience. So just enjoy it. And so can the smiles. Okay. There's always people smiling. Look around, smile back at them, and acknowledge your audience. Obviously, post speech, analyze what went well and what needs improvement for next time. Make some notes. What can you add or remove? There might be slides you need to add in because there's a lull in the speech or something. Or there might be ones that you need to remove because actually they were irrelevant. Once you got into the storytelling, you didn't need that slide as a prompt. Can you improve the flow? That's always my question. Trying to improve proof flow means that the speech works better. So, in wrapping up, stage fright isn't your enemy. It's more like a signal flare from your body telling you that you're about to do something really important. And guess what? That is a good thing. This energy is a tool, a resource, and once you get the hang of channeling it, you'll find that you can actually make your presentation more dynamic and engaging. So don't dread those free speech jitters. Embrace them. Use the strategies I've talked about and familiarizing yourself with the venue in the audience. Remember, even the most seasoned conference speakers have been in your shoes, feeling those same butterflies. But with a bit of practice and a dash of courage, you'll turn that stage fright into stage might. Happy speaking. Heck yeah. Those butterflies following information. I hope you found this episode of our podcast on overcoming stage fright empowering. If you did, I have a challenge for you. Hit that like button and subscribe to the podcast right now, and then share this episode with another speaker who could use the tips and strategies I've shared. Let's help each other grow our businesses and make an impact in the speaking world. Together, we can reach even more people and make a bigger difference. So don't wait. Take action now and share the love. Thanks for tuning in and get ready for more exciting business building tips in the next episode.