By: Chris Abbey @ Abbey Hospitality Consultants, January 2025
There is so much information and misinformation out there that promises to help you get over your fear of public speaking. But what your colleague might find life-changing leaves you severely underwhelmed.
Whilst public speaking is a commonly held fear, we are each afraid for different reasons so the techniques to manage fear should be tailored to your style. Begin with finding your style, then try out some of these proven, effective and successful techniques to gain confidence.
Style: Logical and Analytical – Interested in facts, outcomes, and the bottom line:
- Establish a clear purpose – Make sure you start your preparation with the end result in mind.
- Play the devil’s advocate – Consider all the things that could go wrong. Once you have identified the potential risks, you will know how to avoid them.
- Create a decisive model on a page – To keep yourself on track, sketch out the superstructure of your presentation – a plan on a page.
Tip: Remember other people might need more time to process information to arrive at their own conclusions.
Style: Organized and Process-oriented – Interested in detail, thoroughness and procedure:
- Leave enough (ample) time to prepare – Manage nerves by fulfilling your own need to feel ready.
- Pace out your talk – Break your presentation down into 1-2 minute blocks in the exact order that suits your purpose.
- Remove surprises – Make sure all your tech is properly working; if possible, run through your talk in the space before the audience arrives.
Tip: Make a concerted effort to get it out of your head and stop sweating the small stuff.
Style: Empathetic People Person – Interested in emotional connections and gut-feel decisions:
- Imagine speaking to your best friend – Get around worries of being judged by talking to somebody you know likes you already, wants to see you succeed, and has your best interests at heart.
- Tell your story – Share why the topic matters to you personally (and/or professionally), so you don’t lose sight of your intent.
- Practice democratic eye contact – Draw everyone in the room into your orbit, connecting with as many people as you can.
Tip: Make sure your emotions don’t get in the way of your message.
Style: Big Picture Innovator – Interested in new ideas and taking risks:
- Maintain your (high level of) enthusiasm – Stay connected to whatever got you excited about the topic in the first place.
- Anchor your ideas – You may have been told that you sometimes wander off on a tangent, remember to connect your points to your central purpose so your audience is able to follow along and stay focused.
- Go ahead, break the rules – Sometimes the best presentations are those that do not conform to pre-conceived expectations – smartly challenge convention, but respect others’ perspective.
Tip: Try not to change the whole world in one 30-minute presentation.
Final Point:
No matter your preferences, everyone trying to improve their public speaking will benefit from greater self-awareness and practice.
With every successful presentation you will gain a little more confidence.
Create your own kit bag of techniques to get a little bit better every time you speak.
Happy Sailing! 😊
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