Overcoming stage fright

Overcoming stage fright

Edvantage | Mon Aug 8 2011

Don't let the fear of public speaking deny you that opportunity to be visible!

You are on cloud nine. Your boss comes up to you saying, "Congratulations! Your project was a tremendous success. Everyone has been talking about it. Now the CEO wants to hear from the horse's mouth how you did it. We have fixed a date for you to present in two days' time. The rest of the Company Directors will be sitting in too." You freeze!

Research has shown that public speaking is the number one fear in many people's life. Interestingly, death comes second. To quote what comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said, "If that's the case, people would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy!" But why is that so? Among the reasons commonly cited are:

• Fear of not getting the audience's attention when speaking
• Stage fright
• Shy
• No or lack of confidence
• Anxiety of not doing it (public speaking) well
• Not enough preparation
• Insufficient topic mastery
• Fear of being criticised
• Speechlessness and not knowing what to say
• Poor command of the language

Are you going to let a fear of public speaking deny you that opportunity to be visible and lose the chance of climbing up the corporate ladder? Acting and emceeing are some of the activities which are part of public speaking. And when one has to perform or emcee in front of a group of 1,000, will there be stage fright? Absolutely! It is human nature to feel stage fright, especially when one has to speak in front of a crowd. Nevertheless, fear or stage fright can be managed and the experience of public speaking made pleasant if not enjoyable. Undergoing actor and drama training is one good way to acquire the skills in managing stage frights. In drama training, you are put into uninhibited moments - which will automatically make you feel less fearful. The training may be tough sometimes but it does pay off with all the necessary techniques you can use. Giving a presentation is like putting up a performance. Here are 5 tips to overcome stage frights, especially for those who will be speaking for the first time:

1) Warm Up - It is always good to "start the engine" and warm up. By warming up, our body will get to acclimatize and will be ready for any activities. When one is fearful, the body starts to contract and feel "cold". So a warm-up is definitely a good antidote. Just do a simple head rotation, stretch your arms, wriggle your fingers and toes, and warm up on the breathing as well. Theatre games are very useful activities to keep the body warmed-up before a presentation. 2) Speak positively about the presentation to yourself - Believe in yourself. Talk about the good things. Visualise the success you will get at the end of the presentation. About an hour before a show, actors would spend time alone in a corner of the dressing room - visualising the process of the show and equally important, the standing ovation they "see" at the end of the show. This positive energy helps you to get mentally prepared. 3) "Overprepare" - Do "overprepare" for your presentation. Do not just stick to the content that you have already prepared. Think of possible questions the audience may ask, or have extra stories or jokes up your sleeves in case you go under-run. Do ample rehearsals on the speech and practise using the correct body language.

Learn improvisational skills as well. These are particularly useful skills for presenters. You may or not use them in a presentation, but should things go wrong on stage, you can "activate" improvisations and make things look smooth as if nothing had happened. 4) Get to know some members of the audience beforehand - Have you ever entered a room full of people but you know no one? In those very first few moments, we feel awkward. It is after we get to know some of the people that we will start to feel at ease and open up. It is good to know some members of the audience before the actual presentation. This makes you feel more at ease - more importantly, they could be your allies and supporters during the presentation! 5) Memorise the Introduction and Conclusion - Sometimes it is a challenge to memorise scripts. So, do not memorise. How do actors or emcees appear confident speaking on stage? They use keywords to help them deliver their lines - as long as the messages stay the same.

In fact, humans have longer lasting impressions on the first and last moments with whoever they met with or see. Why not use that to an advantage? Give the audience an impactful opening and memorable closing - that could make your presentation a lasting one in their minds. Get familiar with the techniques mentioned above. As a result, you will feel more confident in public speaking. Give it a go. It will just be a matter of time before you get use to it, and before you know it, you are enjoying public speaking. Article by Hazriq Idrus, an actor, host/emcee, drama enrichment and corporate trainer with Firefly Horizon. Hazriq will be speaking at the SIM Members' Day on 20 August, 2.30pm-4pm on the topic "Ignite the Stage!" Registration at only $5 at www.sim.edu.sg/membersday