I have to speak in front of a large group of people soon. Any tips on overcoming nerves? I'm annoyingly shy.

Answer 1

****PRACTICE, record yourself or practice with a friend or family; work from a good outline; use examples to make it interesting; if you can, practice so much that all you need is an outline
*BREATHE, try square breathing beforehand (breathe in for 4 sec, hold for 4 sec, breathe out for 4 sec, hold for 4 sec), try the "head between the knees trick" beforehand to release tension (do it in the bathroom, breathe deeply in and out 3 times)
*SET THE STAGE, start with an attention getter, start with a joke, introduce yourself, mention you are a bit nervous (it helps)
*USE TOOLS, have a glass of water (good way to take a break), use props (overheads, objects to demonstrate your point)
*POLISH (if you can), minimize use of "ums," don't fidgit (if nothing else grip the podium), use hand gestures, use good eye contact (move around the room)
*CLOSE IT OFF, summarize your main point and thank the audience for their attention (or something like that), invite questions from the audience

Answer 2

I know that many people aren't afraid of speaking in front of people as much as they are afraid of screwing up in front of people and humiliating themselves completely. These are a few tips that have helped me: 1). Don't panic. If the topic is something the crowd is unfamiliar with especially. The people will probably never know whether or not you screw up or not. And even if they do, they probably won't care. The bigger challenge will probably be getting them to pay attention to you moreso than anything else. 2). Practice. Being prepared not only lessens the chance of you screwing up, it makes you more familiar with the topic at hand. And if you are more comfortable with the topic, chances are you will be more comfortable talking about it. 3). Take every opportunity to perform that you can. I was incredibly shy when I was younger, and I can say that the number one thing that made me a lot more comfortable speaking in public was doing it as often as possible. Volunteer for the chance whenever you can, especially if it scares you. For me, I found the experience desensitizing. Driving for the first time is often scary to many people, but after doing it for a while, it becomes routine. Same thing with swimming and for public speaking - at least for me. A few tips I have gotten from other people are to race around the block before a speech, so you are too tired to be tense about it. Another friend of mine who publicly speaks often says that looking at the audience in the forehead instead of the eyes helps, since you can't see them seeing you and it still looks like eye contact from that kind of distance. I've never tried these tips before, but they may help you. One more piece of advice is to speak with other people who are in the business of making public presentations on a regular basis. You may find that some techniques that they use to handle the stress (and I know many professional speakers who still get VERY nervous in front of crowds) that may work better for you than all my suggestions. Good luck!

Answer 3

Rather than trying to memorise big chunks of text, Write bulletin points on cards. Resist the temptation to speak too quickly. Take a breath before u speak.It might help to remember most people feel the same as u about public speaking. If u fluff a few words its not going to be fatal. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Answer 4

First and foremost, try to memorise the stuff you are going to talk, REALLY really well. This would itself be a boost for your confidence. Secondly, say to yourself that you actually enjoy this (dont kick me for suggesting this!!?!).
I used to have loads of stage-fright, but these two always helped.
You may also want to not look at the crowd in their eyes, yet move your head around as though you are addressing each one of them (gives the crowd the feeling you are actually 'connecting')
Also if you are speaking with a podium in front of you (the box which has a rest for papers on it) rest your hands on it. This sometimes helps as a sort of support for me.
Good luck!!

Answer 5

Good luck and you can do the buz. You will know all aboput ice breakers and keeping it short, to the point and know what you are talking about. Armed with all of this your nerves will just pale into significance once you get started. Just go out there and act your heart out. Oh and a wee drink of water to hand..okay?

Answer 6

it actually doesnt help to imagine the audience naked as it distracts you from what you are doing!

when i had to a presentation for my year group i was sooooo soooo nervous that i pulled out, only to be told that if i did id lose my credits...

so i got one of my friends to sit with me in my room along my family and gav the lecture to them, they were helpful and told me afterwards what it was that i ws doing wrong or that made me look unprofessional... that helped

there tips were to keep looking around the room at people, not fr too long, keep a note card infront of you which will prompt you if you get lost...

the best thing i found was having about four of my friends in the audience, or people i knew to be friends, who, even if it wsnt going well, gave me a thumbs up to tell me how it was going and kept smiling so i smiled back! smiling helped as it made me relax and the audience relax

the audience react to how you react to them, remeber every one likes a friendly smiley person as it makes them listen more!

just make sure you have the notes, the smile, control and you should be on your way!

its one talk, as long as you dont drink dr pepper whats the worst that could happen?

hehehe

good luck!

x

Answer 7

Remember, people are there to hear what you have to say. Know your subject well. Speak slowly and don't be afraid to pause, look around to people at the back as you do so. Don't focus just on one person, but try and find several in the audience who look sympathetic (ie nodding in agreement).
Start off by introducing yourself, your topic, when you want questions etc...
Relax, and you'll enjoy it!

Answer 8

I admire you so much for speaking to a large group when you are a shy person. To have the courage to do so says a lot about you. Put them under your spell and enjoy the time you have with your audience..

Answer 9

Focus on your subject and try not to look at them too much. It's easier to focus on a point in the background but also try to turn your head slightly so it looks like you're talking to them all.

I reckon that once you get going and if you can guage a reaction from them, you'll find it ok and you won't feel so shy.

Answer 10

The popular way, I believe, is to imagine the audience sat there naked although that would probably make me giggle if I were in your situation. The way I deal with it is to remember that I know more about the subject than the audience do. Good luck with it, whatever you decide to do to overcome your nerves.