Late last week, I was called by a freelance writer for a huge international periodical magazine (usually found in doctors’ waiting rooms). Her editor is seeking an article containing responses from Australian business speaker coaches (like me) to a recent American article based on, as she said, “masking your anxiety whilst speaking in public”.

Well, I was inclined to spoil her thesis, for which I apologised in advance! In my view, a good speaker uses the adrenaline (which can create fear, anxiety) to good advantage: they manage it so that it produces ‘life’, ‘energy’ and ‘enthusiasm’ in their speech/presentation. Masking the anxiety (no matter what the method) is bound to produce (in the audiences’ eyes) a speaker who may well be perceived as insincere, flat, mono-tonal, uncommitted, – in short, plastic. Trying to learn behaviours which are different from your unique ‘displays’ is bound to cause confusion and breed disappointment – unless you are setting out to learn to be an actor – and that’s a very difficult, time-demanding craft to master. My thesis to her:

Above all else, be yourself. Be authentic. Understand your behaviours, learn what you are ‘good at’ and maximise those capabilities. Over 40 years of watching people, I have been continually encouraged by the way in which ‘maximising the good things’ overtakes ‘the bad’ things – which are often only subjective (self-perceived), and not real for the audience!

On a positive note, however, (for her story) I was able to offer suggestions for the person who is ‘fearful’:

  • consciously better breathing – breath in, hold your breath and then breath it all out, use this to calm yourself;
  • apply yourself to constructive, precise planning (cf. Optimal Thinking in the Reasontospeak.com program;
  • concept of singularity (cf.”Keep each individual in mind )
  • learn to be objective about yourself: see yourself as other people see you – not as you see yourself;
  • these are all  ‘learn-able, do-able’.

So: Don’t mask your anxiety – use it!

What do you think? What’s been your experience? There’ll be many people here who will appreciate your contribution.

Paul Griffiths

www.reasontospeak.com