When you're getting ready to give a speech, do you indulge in self-talk like, "Will I say it right? Will I forget something important? Will I make a mistake? Will they get bored and stop listening? Will they think I'm a terrible speaker?" Along with these questions come those irritating and hard to control pre-speech nerves: the butterflies in your stomach, nausea, the shivers and shakes, pounding heartbeats, can't catch your breath, feel a bit lightheaded, and trouble focusing on what you want to say. There are probably others unique to you that you're quite sure no one else experiences.

      The good news is you're not alone. Everyone, including me, experiences a bit of pre-speech anxiety. It's totally normal. It's also absolutely true for most people that pre-speech nerves usually go away once we're actually talking in front of the group. It's the anticipatory anxiety for days (and nights) ahead of time that gives us nightmares. 

      Here are some techniques to help you neutralize your extraordinary pre-speech anxiety.

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      You're in charge of a one-day Departmental Retreat coming up in just 10 days. It's a very big deal because it's the first one your company has ever held. Because you're the department manager, you have to give the opening Keynote Remarks to set the tone for the entire day. You don't have to speak for very long... less than 10 minutes will do it. You want your remarks to be light but serious, grab their attention, make the audience feel good about showing up, and assure them they're not wasting their time.                             

      The problem is you haven't a clue what to say or how to say it. What should you do?

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      With the experience that comes from doing a lot of public speaking, professional politicians, company leaders or those who regularly speak in public for any reason usually look extremely calm, cool and confident when facing the crowd in the room or on radio and TV. They may have butterflies careening back and forth inside, but we can't see them.

      What protects them from that debilitating fear that prevents others from even dreaming of facing the critical crowd?

      One of our biggest fears when we think about getting up to speak is that the audience, small or large, will be evaluating us and looking for ways to prove us wrong. We worry that they're seeking ways to verify we're incompetent, that we don't deserve to be standing in front of them. We fear that our opinions are worthless, they'll think we don't know what we're talking about. We tell ourselves we have a lot of nerve thinking we're someone to be admired or respected. In other words, we're just not good enough, smart enough or successful enough to expect to be taken seriously by anyone.

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      Recently, I heard three people give a 5-minute presentation to a roomful of potential clients. They were a financial advisor, a business consultant, and a mortgage broker. Each had a different area of expertise, a different style of speaking, and each spoke directly to the audience, with good eye contact, an easy-to-listen-to voice and a friendly manner.Yet they all made one common mistake that could easily have been avoided.      

      They tried to say too much in too short a time.

      It's an easy trap to fall into, especially when you're 'on the clock', and you have so much good stuff to share with the audience. You really want them to know all the benefits of working with you. You need them to appreciate your years of experience and knowledge, and to understand that you really are the expert they need. Unfortunately, five minutes isn't long enough to give all the information you want them to have. Or is it?

      It's not what you say, but how you say it.

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      President Teddy Roosevelt once said, 'Speak softly and carry a big stick." Good advice for diplomatic relations with foreign countries, but not so much when we're speaking in public.

       Have you ever had to listen to a speaker in front of a group with lots to say that you really wanted to hear, but his volume was permanently turned down to low? For example, in a relatively intimate situation, say a private room in a restaurant or a small conference room, where there really isn't any need for a microphone? There you are, sitting only about 3 or 4 feet from the speaker, but you can hardly hear him. In a larger room it's worse.  If someone raises a hand or calls out to ask the presenter to speak louder, he complies for a few words, and then goes right back to the just above a whisper level. Why doesn't the speaker talk louder, especially after being asked to speak up?

      Believe it or not, he probably doesn't realize he can't be heard. He's so busy focusing on just getting through it that he's not thinking about the audience at all. It's a very common problem for folks who believe, "They're going to judge me and I'm going to fail," or "They're not going to be interested in what I have to say," or "I really don't want to do this, but I have to for my job, so I'll just get it over with." People who seem unable to speak loud enough to be heard are often convinced that what they have to say will not come out right or have no merit.  If they speak softly, maybe no one will notice.   

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     Why is it that some speakers hold your attention with no effort at all while others made you work to stay awake? Some make you feel like the most important person in the audience, while others look like they wish they were anyplace else but here.     

     Unfortunately, many people feel that speaking in public is like walking barefoot on hot coals. You can actually see their discomfort. They can't stand still. They're constantly shifting their balance from one foot to the other, like marching in place.

     For others, standing in front of an audience is like facing a firing squad. They plant themselves on a spot and freeze, afraid to move an inch or they might get shot. Or they hide behind the lectern or podium, afraid to come out from behind its protective shield to get closer to their listeners.

     Then there are those who seem perfectly comfortable, but they can't figure out where to put their hands. They lean on the podium, fiddle with their glasses, juggle their slide pointer, run their hands through their hair, hitch up their slacks, scratch an itch, cough, blink, and display other mannerisms which only distract you from hearing what they're saying. 

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