What Did Mr. Simon Always Say?
By Mona Ghuman, Client Training Manager, Citibank

As I nervously look around the room, I’m trying to remember what my Speech 101 teacher, Mr. Simon, would recommend. “Picture everyone in clown outfits.” Haha! Oops, did I really just laugh out loud? Ok, that didn’t work the way Mr. Simon said it would. Now everyone is staring back at me as though I’m from another planet. Think! What else would he suggest I should do when I get nervous?

I franticly scan the room as though Mr. Simon will somehow pop up and rescue me with one of his clever tips, but instead, all I see is the upper management from the university sitting back in their cozy conference room chairs. They are all impatiently waiting to hear my wonderful idea that I’ve been ranting and raving about in order to run our department more efficiently. Here is my chance to present my idea, but I’m so nervous I’ve gone blank!

Ah ha! “Class, remember, you are the expert on your topic. Your audience is there to learn something from you. If you forget to make a point or stumble over something there is a good chance no one will even notice.” I take a deep breath, pull out my back up notes, regain my confidence and silently thank Mr. Simon. Apparently, Speech 101 wasn’t a complete waste of time after all.

There are many reasons people get anxious when required to speak to a group of individuals. It’s important that you analyze where this fear is coming from. The fear or nervousness you experience is simply “extra energy”. By reducing and controlling your anxiety, you can incorporate the “extra energy” into your speech in a positive way. Think about why you get anxious. Is it because one or more of the following thoughts are running through your mind?

• I’m afraid my mind will go blank.
• What if a there is an audience member who knows more about the subject than me?
• I’ll be embarrassed if others notice my nervousness.
• I don’t know what I’ll say if someone asks me a question I can’t answer.
• I feel the group’s opinion of me will be lowered because I haven’t established my public speaking skills.

I have a few tips to share with those of you who would have been sitting with me in Mr. Simon’s class, secretly rolling your eyes at him. The following may help to refresh your memory of good public speaking techniques and help reduce any fear or nervousness you may feel in the future.

• Organize – Lack of organization is one of the major causes of anxiety. If your thoughts are well organized and you are well prepared, you will feel more confident. Don’t leave anything to chance. Be sure you have all your tactics laid out, all material prepared, unexpected events thought through and every detail taken care of. Leaving things to chance and not being prepared is preparing yourself for failure. Being organized will allow you to feel more relaxed, confident and the “extra energy” can be used appropriately.
  
  
• Visualize – Imagine yourself walking into a room, being introduced, delivering the speech with enthusiasm, answering questions with confidence and leaving the room knowing you did an excellent job. This will allow you to focus on what you need to do in order to be successful in your speech.
  
  
• Practice – Practicing is very important and necessary even if you feel you are familiar with the material. The more you choose to practice, the more comfortable and confident you will become with the material. Practice out loud by yourself, with a group of people, friends, relatives, roommates or maybe even your pet fish! Be sure you use all of the props, slides, handouts, enthusiasm, etc, during the presentation so you can get used to using the props. If you practice as though it is the day of the speech, you will be less likely to forget to use all the props on the actual day.
  
  
• Relaxing – Begin practicing your speech days before your presentation day rather than cramming the night before. Be sure you get enough sleep and that you are relaxed the day before in order to eliminate any stress.
  
  
• Have a backup – In case you do forget what to say, having your speech outlined on note cards, in workbooks, etc is good backup. Refreshing your memory by referring to your notes is a good technique to use to keep you on track. Just remember not to use your notes as a crutch too much. It’s rarely a good idea to read word for word from your notes. This is a good way to put your audience to sleep!
  
  
• The audience is on your team – Visualize the audience as your equals rather than thinking they are your superiors, bosses, managers, or experts. Visualizing the individuals you’re are speaking to as equals rather than allowing their job title to intimidate you will help eliminate some of the anxiety you are feeling.
  
  
• Ooze Enthusiasm! – The more you show a passion for your topic of discussion, the more engaged your audience will be. Energize your audience with a great opener – be creative and think of a unique way to immediately grab and hold their attention.
  
  
• Do your homework – Know your topic inside and out, anticipate questions that may be asked and how you will respond. Build credibility with your audience by speaking confidently about the topic and being able to intelligently answer questions. If you do not know an answer to a question, that’s ok. Don’t let this throw you off. A simple statement such as “That is a great question and one I will need to look into for you” is much better than making something up just to have an answer or simply saying “I don’t know.”
  
  
• Watch your body language – What are you communicating to your audience without even saying a word? How you carry yourself, facial expressions, even what you decide to put on in the morning; all contribute to how your audience will “see” you. They will be forming an impression of you before you even speak, so take extra care to make sure it is a positive one!

These techniques can be useful but unless you seek opportunities to speak in front of people as much as possible, you may always feel butterflies in your stomach. Look for opportunities to speak to groups of people and use the anxiety as a stimulant to fuel enthusiasm throughout your presentation. The more you seek the opportunities, the more comfortable you will feel speaking in front of a group of people. Practice is essential, but you will find practicing the actual act of public speaking will be even more beneficial in order to build your professional communication skills and confidence.