Public Speaking

[chewyxrage]

So.... I have to start orientating every new sales class we have at my company. It's usually about 15 people. Why am I so nervous? What is the deal with fear of public speaking, I had a horrible feeling in the pit of stomach every time I thought about it for the last week or so.

What did you do to overcome/prepare for something like this? I mean obviously knowing the material is going to help. What else is there to do?

 

[Gambino]

i always take my shirt off before the speech
oil up, flex and intimidate your audience into submission

 

[vixensghost]

Look over their heads while speaking. Try not to make direct eye contact if you are up on a stage looking out over the crowd.

I always seems to get more nervous if I make eye contact with a large crowd.

 

[Bikini Mod]

They are their to listen to you. Do you know what you are talking about? You do? Then what is the trouble?

Remember, they are there to listen to you. So just do what you do best.

I was nervous first time too because I have ADHD and tend to "float off". So I actually made a little joke about it in the beginning and "warned them". I said, their job was to pay carefull attention and reel me in if and when I stray too far. The chuckled a bit and made the rest easier for me.

 

[pdaddyII]

So.... I have to start orientating every new sales class we have at my company. It's usually about 15 people. Why am I so nervous? What is the deal with fear of public speaking, I had a horrible feeling in the pit of stomach every time I thought about it for the last week or so.

What did you do to overcome/prepare for something like this? I mean obviously knowing the material is going to help. What else is there to do?

I'm the same way bro, all through college I had to give a million presentations in front of my entire class and even sometimes the entire faculty. TWO things got me through it Ativan and rehearsing untill you can say it in your sleep. Goof luck!

 

[jackangel]

no discernible reason for the nervousness that you can point to?

 

[Sub-Zero]

So.... I have to start orientating every new sales class we have at my company. It's usually about 15 people. Why am I so nervous? What is the deal with fear of public speaking, I had a horrible feeling in the pit of stomach every time I thought about it for the last week or so.

What did you do to overcome/prepare for something like this? I mean obviously knowing the material is going to help. What else is there to do?

smokee a bowl, bro.

bud and some clear eyes will help smooth things over and make you more personable, or a couple of beers if thats what your into.

first couple of times do that, eventually you wont need it anymore and will get used to being up there.

also if your not wanting to talk for so long in front of people find a way to make it interactive so they are doing alot of the talking/nervous shit too

 

[pdaddyII]

some a bowl, bro.

bud and some clear eyes will help smooth things over and make you more personable, or a couple of beers if thats what your into.

first couple of times do that, eventually you wont need it anymore and will get used to being up there.

also if your not wanting to talk for so long in front of people find a way to make it interactive so they are doing alot of the talking/nervous shit too

My very first presentation was for composition II, I was so nervous I thought it would be a good idea to drink a couple of 40's of Mickey's before the 8am class. Man was that a mistake. I just had a full bladder the entire time and a full bladder=increased blood pressure which=increased heart rate=crazy anxiety.

Stick to the tried and true ie. benzo's or B-blocker's

 

[Sub-Zero]

My very first presentation was for composition II, I was so nervous I thought it would be a good idea to drink a couple of 40's of Mickey's before the 8am class. Man was that a mistake. I just had a full bladder the entire time and a full bladder=increased blood pressure which=increased heart rate=crazy anxiety.

Stick to the tried and true ie. benzo's or B-blocker's

a couple of 40's? hahaha a couple? i meant a bit of alchy to get the edge off not go to class drunk

 

[pdaddyII]

a couple of 40's? hahaha a couple? i meant a bit of alchy to get the edge off not go to class drunk

lol, yea I may have overdone it. I just remember pacing around my apartment in a panic chugging them down, I was ready to party afterwards not give a fucking speech.

 

[chewyxrage]

It's about a 45 minute presentation. I'd love to get some xanax or something to chill me out but I'm not really like that. I know I'd get addicted to those things or something.

Weed? Are you kidding me? Weed would give me anxiety from hell. When I'm high I don't really like a lot of peope looking at me. Booze...well...I don't want to get fired

Some good suggestions here, thanks all for input. 'Cept you bino.

 

[nimbus]

Try taking that anxiety, and just fucking frolick in that shit. Embrace that feeling; it's life, you fucking love it. You know the material, you're a solid bro, and you're just gonna go out there and kill it.




or take four shots of vodka 30 min before class starts.


i;ve done both, good results with each

 

[calveless wonder]

don't take drugs.

Anxiety is derived from thinking about the future. You worry about something that hasn't happened yet. For one, stay focused on the present moment...the now. don't think about how you can fuck up or embarrass yourself or whatever crazy thoughts pop into your head, because you will have anxiety. In fact, don't think about the moment of the presentation at all.Anxiety also = lack of confidence... which is ok. just use things to make yourself more confident

secondly, know the material like the back of your hand. practice it. do a couple of practice presentations and use the same voice/tone you would use. After a few times, you'll have it basically scripted/programmed and it'll be alot easier. Don't be lame or a robot....have fun with it too. Incorporate more natural language and you'll feel like you're just talking to 1 person

Also, this may sound off, but it works....before/after you practice it, tell yourself (out loud) that you are the most articulate, confident and knowledgable salesperson/presenter alive. and don't just say it meekly...project it with a strong tone and authority.
if you verbalize stuff, you begin to believe it as the truth

I used to be a nervous fuckin wreck in front of people...or when pitching clients over the phone but exposure to whatever you fear or repitition breaks fear EVERYTIME. i'm on the phone all day long now/pitching/selling people and i act/make myself believe i'm the president of the universe lol (in a non cocky way)..you can train your mijnd to think that way. One of my favorite things in m business now is to actually run a sales meeting talking to a room full of newbies or people in my team....it's like an actor performing but before i would have shit my pants

i have a couple of NLP techniques i use for that type of shit too to prevent anxiety, but it'd take a while to explain them. just use the above

 

[chewyxrage]

Good post Calveless.

I'm going to transition the orientation from just me up there to a powerpoint presentation to get the eyes off me a little more and on the screen. Can't hurt. If someday I could do a presentation such as this w/ no anxiety, that will be one of the best days of life. I'm sure after I do it a few times it will get easier and easier.

It's a little rough being young and talking to all these sales reps which range from age 21 - 60. Some of those people are cocky little fuckers. I'm no salesperson. I just need to know the material. Need to practice. Lots

 

[ErikZ]

Fortunately I always had it easy with public speaking...

When I think about it, all I do is think: "You are the man, you know your shit and you are gonna go out there and kill that shit"

It has been a very successful technique to date

Good luck bro

 

[seaking420]

don't take drugs.

Anxiety is derived from thinking about the future. You worry about something that hasn't happened yet. For one, stay focused on the present moment...the now. don't think about how you can fuck up or embarrass yourself or whatever crazy thoughts pop into your head, because you will have anxiety. In fact, don't think about the moment of the presentation at all.Anxiety also = lack of confidence... which is ok. just use things to make yourself more confident

secondly, know the material like the back of your hand. practice it. do a couple of practice presentations and use the same voice/tone you would use. After a few times, you'll have it basically scripted/programmed and it'll be alot easier. Don't be lame or a robot....have fun with it too. Incorporate more natural language and you'll feel like you're just talking to 1 person

Also, this may sound off, but it works....before/after you practice it, tell yourself (out loud) that you are the most articulate, confident and knowledgable salesperson/presenter alive. and don't just say it meekly...project it with a strong tone and authority.
if you verbalize stuff, you begin to believe it as the truth

I used to be a nervous fuckin wreck in front of people...or when pitching clients over the phone but exposure to whatever you fear or repitition breaks fear EVERYTIME. i'm on the phone all day long now/pitching/selling people and i act/make myself believe i'm the president of the universe lol (in a non cocky way)..you can train your mijnd to think that way. One of my favorite things in m business now is to actually run a sales meeting talking to a room full of newbies or people in my team....it's like an actor performing but before i would have shit my pants

i have a couple of NLP techniques i use for that type of shit too to prevent anxiety, but it'd take a while to explain them. just use the above

Very good post, its all a mind game. Just convince yourself that its no big deal. Remember people perceive you as you perceive yourself.

 

[Smurfy]

So.... I have to start orientating every new sales class we have at my company. It's usually about 15 people. Why am I so nervous? What is the deal with fear of public speaking, I had a horrible feeling in the pit of stomach every time I thought about it for the last week or so.

What did you do to overcome/prepare for something like this? I mean obviously knowing the material is going to help. What else is there to do?

it gets easier with time and CONFIDENCE.

i speak from experience. i have had terrible anxiety related to public speaking ever since I was a kid. it is so much better now that Im an adult and I have had lots of experience doing it. kinda like trial by fire. just get in there and do it. lots of people do it everyday - and you're certainly more competent than the general population.

 

[Jon79]

it gets easier with time and CONFIDENCE.

i speak from experience. i have had terrible anxiety related to public speaking ever since I was a kid. it is so much better now that Im an adult and I have had lots of experience doing it. kinda like trial by fire. just get in there and do it. lots of people do it everyday - and you're certainly more competent than the general population.

hi

 

[megamania500]

I'm damn good at public speaking. I feel anxiety, I feel nervousness, I get shaky and I tremble before I go on. Butterflies in the stomach. The whole shpeil.

So how do I pull it off, and people get the perception that I"m relaxed and calm? Easy...I fake it. Once you can do that, it gets easy after a few moments. But first you have to realize what it takes to look calm and relaxed up there. No quick body movements. All body movements are nice, slow, calm and relaxed. Talk loudly, and get this into your head: you enjoy listening to yourself talk. Once you say that to yourself, the words just want to come out so you can admire your own presentation skills. And another thing to remember: messing up isn't the end of the world. Actually, messing up is good, because you can just keep going and not give it a second thought. This shows people that you don't care that you stumbled on that word, or the projector is stuck on that one particular picture. As long as you give the impression that you aren't bothered in the least by small mess-ups, the audience gets the impression that you are completely comfortable in front of them. If your walking to the front and trip over a power cord or something, big deal. Make a small comment, make a small joke, shrug your shoulders, do whatever it takes to show that its not a big deal to you, and move forward immediately, putting the incident behind you. Don't dwell on it, or any mess up. Just move forward.
Also, get it out of your head that the whole audience is judging and critiquing your every move. This is what makes people nervous. If there are 15 people in the room, they aren't all judging you as you give your presentation, waiting to hold up signs with numbers on them to rate your performance. Remember this: of the 15 sitting in the room, how many are really going to be thinking that way? Probably none of them! One guy will be thinking about his plans for the weekend. Another guy will be thinking about that hottie he almost scored with the night before. Still another probably had beans for breakfast and will be sitting in the meeting the whole time trying to hold in a fart. Another guy will be trying his best just to stay awake.
Of the rest of the people staring at you, they are probably just trying to make it look like they are paying attention so you won't realize they are bored out of their minds.

like erikz said, just get it into your mind that you will go out and kill. ONce you give the audience the impression that you don't care whether or not you stumble on a word or whatever, they will focus their attention away from the speaker (you) and instead focus on whats being said.

 

[Raptorex]

Join Toastmasters, it works wonders.

 

[Scotsman]

I get a bit nervous right before I start talking but once the first couple of words come out I calm down and do my thing. Plus it's kind of a cool feeling of power when everyone is focusing on what you say.

People always say try to imagine your audience naked or something but that only works if there aren't a bunch of fat dudes in the front row. Just don't imagine yourself nake up there.

Cheers,
Scotsman