Speaking tips I wish I knew 10 years ago

10 years ago I had a fear of public speaking and I was fed up of the racing heart, sweaty palms and complete overwhelm at the thought of speaking in public. Something had to change.

Step by step I researched what I needed to do to remove my public speaking fear but unfortunately most advice I came across was unhelpful. ‘Open with a joke’, ‘picture the audience naked’, and ‘focus on a 3 second pause’ were either bad advice or too advanced for where I was at. It was noise.

I decided to start small, using daily conversations to help me overcome the fear. The nano speech was born. My approach has led me from fear of public speaking to now teaching people how to speak stress free. Here are three lessons I wish I knew.

Calming your mind

In a social media age, information is coming at you from everywhere. There is no way to be bored anymore and your mind is constantly on. This has numbed your ability to pause, stop, and focus on what you need to do in moments of stress.

Being able to calm your mind is a superpower for public speaking. It is also a skill you have to learn long before you have a presentation to deliver. It is not even a speaking skill but it makes every difference to your presentation.

Spend time daily switching off. Take 10 minutes to sit still with no stimulus. Get bored. Allow your mind get used to not being switched on constantly. This will help you gain clarity and focus. With this daily…