7 principles to make public speaking effortless

You are stressed, your heart is racing and you have sweaty palms. You are not alone in this feeling — 75% of the global population has a fear of public speaking.

I also had a fear of public speaking… had.

Sat in a lecture theatre at university, the lecturer announced he would pick on people to speak. Immediately, I was visibly sweaty, heart pumping out of my chest, just at the thought of speaking in public. An uncomfortable experience being called upon led to never wanting that feeling again.

Our perception is that speaking in public is stressful, difficult to do, and it makes us super uncomfortable. Public speaking takes work, but the effort is in the preparation. If you prepare right, using my 7 principles you really can make public speaking effortless on the day.

Principle 1: Know your preferences

Ask yourself the questions:

• Where do you do your best thinking?
• Are you task driven or people driven?
• How do you like to prepare?
• What stories can you tell?

These things should shape how you prepare.

Prepare in the right way for you as there is no one size fits all for public speaking. Base…