This post is written by Shabana Ansari, Research Specialist, Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada.

  • The problem: A fear of public speaking may be keeping you away from opportunities to learn, grow or share your expertise.
  • Why it matters: Often the only thing that stands between you and your audience is either shyness or the fear of rejection, or both.
  • **The solution: **Through patience, preparation and practice you can keep getting better at sharing a pitch, idea, or presentation, both in person and virtually.

(Note: I acknowledge my privilege as an able-bodied, neurotypical person and realise that the approach outlined in the article may not work for everyone, especially for folks who may be disabled, neurodivergent or living with issues I know nothing about.)

A friend once said they fear public speaking more than death itself.

Even though this view feels a bit extreme, the fact is that most of us have felt dread in varying degrees as we get ready to address a group of people waiting to listen to what we have to say.

However, being in front of an audience — whether in person or virtually — and delivering a pitch, idea, or presentation has now become an essential part of our professional lives. Being a self-assured speaker can help us advance in our careers, grow our business and/or help us form lasting partnerships.

💬 Let the author know what you think about managing anxiety and improving public speaking skills by leaving a comment below

If you find that the terror of speaking in public gets in the way of your success at work, here are some tips to help you face your audience more confidently:

1. Acknowledge and manage your anxiety

You don’t have to overcome your fear to become good at public speaking. Instead, you need to just learn to manage it better.

One way to do this is to try and discover why you are putting limits on yourself. Is it the fear of rejection? A lack of knowledge in the subject? Or simply a reluctance to step out of your comfort zone?

When we don’t get enough practice, we don’t get better at it. And if we don’t get better at it, we will continue to remain terrified of it.

Once you have understood what makes you anxious, it can get easier to work on managing discomfort and facing your audience.

2. Know your audience but focus on your material

While it is always a good idea to be aware of who your audience is and what they need from you, once you face them your focus should entirely be on how to put across your points clearly and succinctly.

So, take the time to understand the subject, prepare your material and practise delivering it until you feel ready.

3. Be kind to yourself

You can’t control what other people say or think about you, but you can most certainly control the things you tell yourself.

So, mute your inner critic and remind yourself that you are more than capable of delivering a ‘good enough’ pitch, speech or presentation. Afterwards, even if you feel it didn’t go as well as you had hoped for, remember that we all fumble and stumble sometimes. The important thing is to keep learning and try to do better each time.

4. Try some calming techniques

While positive thoughts are great for soothing stage fright, another effective way to deal with nervousness is to find an action or routine that calms you — like taking a long, deep breath or chanting an affirmation — and then do the same thing every time you are facing an audience. It will reduce your anxiety by diverting your attention.

5. Break the cycle of fear

If doing something scares us, we will do everything in our power to avoid having to do it. And because we avoid doing something, we end up not getting any practice.

When we don’t get enough practice, we don’t get better at it. And if we don’t get better at it, we will continue to remain terrified of it.

This cycle of fear can go on and on. But it doesn’t have to. There are so many options available — you can practise with friends, record yourself on video or even seek informal speaking opportunities where you feel less anxious and more poised.

In the end what makes a good public speaker is self-belief and lots of patience, preparation, and practice.

Good luck out there!

Done reading? Make sure to share your own thoughts on overcoming the fear of public speaking by leaving a comment below ⬇️

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