Ahh, public speaking.
Some fear it, most hate it, but me? I can’t get enough of
it. Being a Young Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust has given me plenty of
opportunities to give speeches (not to mention sample some rather excellent
food) and I take every chance I’m offered.
But a question I get asked a lot is: “How do you manage to
speak to audiences that big? Don’t you get nervous?”
Of course I do. Anyone was close enough to me when I was speaking
at the HR Distinction awards would have seen my hand shaking a scary amount.
But the ability to speak isn’t about not having those
nerves, it’s the ability to control them and still deliver the message you want
to send. In fact, the presence of nerves comforts me. Anyone who isn’t nervous before
public speaking is either a superhuman or, more likely, somewhat arrogant of
their ability.
So, what is the best way to cope? Some would tell you to
imagine the audience naked.
No thank you.
When I’m about to go on stage and give a speech, the first
thing I do is sit up very straight and pretend I’m someone extremely powerful.
This gives me the illusion of power and therefore a bit of control over how I’m
feeling. That sounds stupid but it really works for me so I don’t mind too
much.
And then, I remember my audience is just like a tin of
beans.
I don’t picture them all dressed as cans of Heinz*, that
would be ridiculous and would put anyone off. No, I just look at the audience
and realise that I can’t actually see any facial details. They’re all just a
mesh of unidentifiable beings all gathered closely. They’re all beans in a can,
that’s it.
Now, what is terrifying about talking to a tin of beans?
Unless you’re an outsider watching someone actually talking to a tin of
tomatoey beany goodness of course. That'd freak me out no end.
It works for me. It makes me more comfortable in front of a
crowd. Maybe I’m just a bit crazy but why not give it a go yourself next time
you speak?
Remember:
Audience = tin of beans
I’d be fascinated to hear how other people manage with
public speaking. Do you have a unique (and slightly less crackpot than mine, I
imagine) way of preparing for a speech? Let me know in the comments J
*Other, similarly excellent, brands of beans are available
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