克服演讲紧张的几个小窍门

Research presentation 3: One mindset fix and 5 tricks to project confidence 
on stage
https://youtu.be/ZeeO8RZ7Iy4

Hey, it’s Dr. Liu here with Better LIFE Research TIPS. Many people have stage fright when doing public speaking. In this video, I will show you how to overcome stage fright and project confidence in your presentation through one mindset fix and 5 specific tricks you may use on stage.

The main reason of our stage fright is usually that we often think too much of ourselves. We are afraid we may say something wrong, and we may not look good or sound smart. What are the audience are going to think of me? Are they going to like me? It is all about me, me, me. But we should not be that selfish! Yes, stage fright is actually from selfishness. If we stop being selfish and switch the focus from ourselves to the audience, we will be able to remove the stress on ourselves. We should be focusing on the audience, because that is our job. Our job is to serve our audience and make sure they can walk away from our presentation with some value. Our audience give us the most valuable things in the world, their time and their attention. We should be grateful for that.

Also, we should learn to be comfortable with our current ability level. We should recognize that, to improve our ability is a long journey, When we present, we can only be who we are, and where we are today. One presentation will not make much change on our image as a good or bad presenter. Honestly, I know I am not a good presenter. But I don’t care. When I make this youtube video, I do not care if I am looking good, or sound smart. I am just focusing on what I can give, what value I can deliver. I believe if I can bring value to my audience, my own value will accumulate naturally, and my presentation skills will also improve gradually. So, I don’t worry about perfection right now. No matter what, I will be fine. By thinking this way, I have no reason to be nervous any more. If I don’t care about my performance, why would I be nervous?

Yes, we should switch our focus from our performance to the effectiveness of the communication. Many people treat presentation as a performance. But it is better to treat it as a conversation. In performance, there is usually one right way to do it, we have stress because we have to do it right. But in conversation, there is not just one right way. There are multiple ways as long as our message can get through. We may just do it in our own way. In fact, different presenters can impress their audience with very different personalities. Authenticity is way more powerful than perfection. Speak from heart, take care of our audience, and the rest will take care of themselves. And that is the key mindset fix that can help get rid of the stage fright. We just need to stop being selfish and stop attempting for a quick success that we may not deserve right now.

Next, I will show you the 5 specific tricks you may use on stage to project confidence. The first tip is to meet and greet. Before our presentation, we should try to meet and greet people, say hello to the audience personally, have a little chat, especially when we do not know them. A little interaction will help us to establish emotional connection with the audience, and we may find they are just normal people like you and me. It is also good if we chat with somebody we already know right before our speech. A little chat will help us to get out of the performance mode and enter the conversation mode, which is good for our speech.

The second tip is while we are talking, we should identify some nodders from the audience, identify those who are actually listening to us, speak directly to them, one at a time, imaging they are good friends. We may also identify those who we already know in the audience. Imaging we are having a conversation with them. Make eye contact. Always speak to a pair of eyes. But do not focus on anyone too long. Speak to one at a time, and then move to next in a random way. Speak to and be connected with a supporting nodder will give us more confidence. It may be easier if we have talked with them and know they are just normal people. That’s why we have the tip number 1.

The third tip is to gesticulate and take up the space. It will make our speech more energetic. When we are on stage, we don’t want to just stand in one position, and always hide behind the podium. Nervous speakers make them small and retreat from the audience. While confident speakers approach the audience. Especially when we are in interaction, we want to allow our gesticulation to open up, using large gestures. Nervous speakers have the body language like “I am not sure I have the right to be here, I want to be as small as possible, and I don’t want be noticed.” While confident speakers’ body languages tell the audience “I have the right to take up the space around me. I have the right to be seen and to be heard. When I am on this stage, I am in command.” Naturally, during the transitions in our speech, when we move from one point to another point, we may do it physically as well. We may walk, stop, then talk, in our own pace, back and forth on the stage. Also, when we are taking questions, it is good to step towards the question asker. It shows we are actively willing to take their question.

The forth tip is to use the arc of silence. Nervous speakers tend to keep talking and don’t take a breath. But taking intentional pause during our speech has a lot of benefits. First, it can help to reduce our nervous gabbling. Second, it can create an air of anticipation. The first arc of silence we may use is right before we start our speech. We get up there and we pause. We survey the audience, take a deep breath, and then we start. In just a few seconds, while the audience pay rapt attention waiting for us to start, we actually make them respect the fact that we are commanding the room. We are in control. Before or after we deliver a key point, or a complex message, we may also pause, take a breath, and smile. We may also add a tiny bit of nod, which could be transmittable. A short pause can re-collect attention from the audience, give the audience some time to absorb our message, and also give us more time to collect our thoughts.

The last tip is always remember to stop for closing. Confident speakers always have a strong and complete closing. We should be sure that we will have enough time to deliver our well-designed closing. If we have prepared a 2 minute closing, we should be prepared and be sure to stop for closing when there are only 2 minutes left. Having a strong and complete closing is way more important than delivering complete technic details. Technic details can always be discussed during the Q&A or later. These 5 tricks are all non-verbal behaviors. We need to remember that, our audience are usually paying attention to how we say it more than what we say. Most audience may forget what we said, but they will not forget how we made them feel. And their feelings are mainly affected by our non-verbal behaviors.

Thanks for watching, I am Dr. Liu with research tips for the underdogs. Stage fright is common, but it is removable through mindset fix and practice. Until next time, let’s practice to overcome the fear for a better life.

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