Does your voice shake when you are speaking in public?  Just like the shaky hand, your fear of public speaking triggers the release of excessive adrenaline, which causes your voice to shake.

What big mistake do most speakers make when their voice gets shaky?  They lower the volume.  It is natural to want to lower your volume when you hear the shakiness in your voice, but it is counterproductive.  It makes the shakiness more obvious.

The solution is to raise your volume when your voice is shaky.  The extra adrenaline in your body causes your vocal cords to have tiny vibrations that make that shaky sound.  When you speak loudly, the bigger movements of the vocal cords will veil the smaller vibrations caused by nerves.  In essence, you drown out the shakiness in your voice.

While counterintuitive, it is this simple: turn up the volume to overcome the “shakes”.

More to come on veiling your fear of public speaking.

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As promised, first we will delve into the outside-in approach for veiling your fear of public speaking. Later we will uncover long-term methods to deal with your fear of presenting.

When we feel the fear of public speaking from within, what telegraphs that fear to our audience? One of clearest “tells” of our discomfort is the shaky hand.

Fear not . . . this one is easy to veil.

The problem:  Your fear of public speaking releases excessive adrenaline, which would be great if you were about to engage in a fight. However, since you’re just standing there, the energy has no release, and the result is that your hands begin to shake.

The solution: If you rely on notes, never hold a single piece of paper or index card.  Leverage dictates that a small shake in your hand will look huge by the time it reaches the tip of your paper.  Everyone will see your shakes magnified by this leverage.  You will see it too, and you will become even more nervous. If you need notes, hold something heavy underneath them.  It’s that simple.  By holding a leather padfolio beneath your notes, the sheer weight will flatten the shakes.

If you are not using notes, start your presentation with your hands held behind your back. Research shows that the beginning of the presentation is the most nerve-wracking.  Also, if it is not a formal presentation, you can then move to one hand in the pocket, and it is okay to hold a pen in the other hand as long as you do not fidget with it.

There you have the first tip towards veiling your fear of public speaking.  From this point forward, you will not telegraph your fear of presenting through your hands.

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Shaky hands, dry throat and wobbly knees are just some embarrassing effects caused by the fear of public speaking. In our public speaking blog we will deal with this fear of presenting on two fronts:

1) The quick fix to veil fear of public speaking, aka outside-in approach

2) The long term cure for fear of public speaking, aka inside-out approach

But before we delve into solutions, I’d like to share proof that there is hope for those who feel paralyzed by fear caused by the mere thought of public speaking.

1984 – Mr. Scavino’s high school English class.  We are doing oral book reports, and Mr. Scavino is calling us up in order – row by row, seat by seat.  I am prepared with respect to my book report, but something clicks in me, a fear I’ve never felt so intensely. One by one the students present, each completed presentation draws me closer to my turn.  I feel my throat constrict, my adrenaline is in overdrive and my hands are trembling. Then I hear my name.  I stand, staring at my index cards, and stumble through the title and author.  I still remember it: “The Muliple Man” by Ben Bova.  

My fear is causing a public speaking train wreck.  What to do? I do what most kids would do in that situation . . . I lie.  I tell Mr. Scavino that I never finished my report.  He does what most teachers would do.  He responds, “that’s okay Frank, I’ll let you finish your report tonight, and you can go again tomorrow”.

The next day arrives all to quickly. Overwhelmed by my new-found fear of public speaking, I muddle through an excruciatingly mortifying experience. From that point until graduation, I snuck my way out of every public speaking assignment.

Then, I hit college.  I HAD to learn to overcome, or at least veil, my fear of public speaking.  Every day I studied my professors and compared their presentations to those of the students.  What made the professors LOOK so much more comfortable?  Why did almost every student telegraph fear when they presented?  I studied the nuances and took notes.

Soon, I was able to cover the symptoms of my public speaking fear.  I began reading books on psychology and presentations, and ultimately I was able to convert fear to enthusiasm for public speaking.  Now I earn my living by delivering presentations to audiences of all sizes.

In the blog entries to come I will happily share the techniques I’ve learned to 1) veil the fear of public speaking (the quick fix) and 2) to ultimately ENJOY public speaking (a longer-term approach).

In the meantime, please feel free to share any techniques you’ve discovered to deal with your fear of public speaking.

Is there hope for those petrified of public speaking?  You bet!

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