Give the Audience a Break 

         A client said to me recently, "Whenever I have to give a speech, I always worry that the audience won't like what I have to say.  What if they disagree with me?  What if they think I don't know what I'm talking about?  What can I do to gain their respect?" 

         "When you're preparing your talk," I asked him, "what are you thinking about your audience?"  He looked at me blankly.  "Why do you expect them not to respect what you have to say?"

         He seemed confused for a moment.  "I don't know," he said finally, "I just always think those things."

         "And does it ever happen that way?"

         "No," he said emphatically.  "I've never had it happen, not once."

         "And yet every time, you fear it will?"

         He nodded sadly.

         "That's a heckuva a burden to put on yourself every time you have to give a speech."

         He nodded again.  "I know!" he said miserably, "I have nightmares about it."

         It's unfortunate that many otherwise confident and competent individuals, when faced with the prospect of giving a speech to a group of people they don't know, automatically feel small, incompetent and intimidated.  They visualize a roomful of judgmental faces and immediately begin to feel like they're in the prisoner's box, on trial for their life, forced to prove they didn't commit the crime of believing they have something important and worthwhile to say.  The audience is judge and jury and what it thinks will determine whether or not they have the right ever again to stand before a group to educate, influence or persuade. 

         There's no need to torture yourself with this kind of insecurity.  Never.  Ever.

It's a total myth that the audience wants you to fail.  The truth is, the audience is on your side.  They want you to succeed... and succeed big time!

There are many reasons why some people feel this kind of pre-performance anxiety.  Usually it has to do with the beliefs we have about ourselves and whether or not we know, deep down inside, that we are smart enough, knowledgeable enough, handsome enough, experienced enough, desirable or sexy enough for the audience to take us seriously. 

Whatever particular fears you may have, there are different ways to identify and get rid of them that can eliminate those pre-speech nightmares completely.  Ask me about them.

Here is an on the spot technique to help you get rid of the 'judge and jury' feeling.  In the few moments before you actually begin to speak, look quietly at the audience, moving your eyes from left to right.  Pick out three people, one left, one center and one right, who look friendly, interested, or at least neutral.  If you have a friend or two in the audience, look at them.  When you begin to speak, talk to these special people, moving your eyes from left to right and back again.  The rest of the audience will be in your line of sight, but you'll only be focusing on the ones you've chosen, who are interested in what you're saying and happy to learn from you.  They're getting what they came for... knowledge they didn't have when they came in.  The audience will be so busy learning from you, it won't even cross their minds to do anything but listen seriously and respectfully.