5 ways to manage your fear of public speaking

Most people experience nervousness during public presentations, and probably for the same reason—they don’t want to make an embarrassing mistake that humiliates them in front of their peers and prevents them from achieving their goals.

There is no silver bullet for eliminating nervousness entirely. But you can learn how to manage your fear more effectively and lose some of the butterflies that hinder your performance.

Here are five tips and techniques that have helped our clients manage their fear over the past decade:

1. Practice makes perfect.

Most people tell us that the single best way for them to reduce their fear is by getting familiar with their material and practicing in advance. Fear tends to recede for most people as they gain more speaking experience.

2. You don’t have to be perfect.

No one is judging you on a scale of perfection. You’re allowed to stumble over a phrase, say an occasional “ummm,” or forget a word here and there. If you focus on doing the big things well—delivering quality content with passion—the audience is probably going to form a positive impression of you.

3. Remember, it’s not about you.