Conquer Your Fear with Preparation

It’s the most common, yet least applied advice whenever anyone gives a presentation. “Practice, practice, practice,” experienced speechmakers will say. From historic greats such as Winston Churchill to modern wonders like Steve Jobs, all good speakers have a common weapon in their presentation arsenal – preparation.

The remarkable thing about preparation is that it not only raises the professionalism of a speaker, it also makes the speaker’s fear evaporate. Preparation conquers fear leading up to the speech, and preparation transforms that fear into energy and passion.

What is Public Speaking Fear?

When a speaker takes the stage in front of the audience, he may appear confident, but almost certainly he suffers one or more symptoms of fear. He may have butterflies in his stomach, or cold, sweaty hands, a racing heart, or shortness of breath. These symptoms are the result of chemicals in the bloodstream, the chemicals of fear.

Deep in his brain’s subconscious, an automatic response triggered the chemicals preparing the body for fight or flight. His brain’s ancient programming considers the audience to be a threat, because it sees the audience as a room of predators. The speaker’s brain would give the same response if he stepped into a room full of wolves.

Fear of public speaking can be exacerbated if the speaker spends too much time dwelling on the feelings he is experiencing, and worries about the event going wrong, the audience’s opinion of him, or making a mistake during the presentation. All the time he is worrying and imagining negative scenarios is wasted, and worse, is feeding the deep mechanisms of the brain, preparing it to send out more torrents of fear juice, as the presentation approaches.

How to Conquer the Fear

Preparation gives a speech a professional finish, and removes the wrinkles, errors and tongue tangles. It also provides the speaker with focus. When the brain has a focus, it can’t dwell on the negative possibilities, the worries and imagined scenarios. Indeed, the speaker concentrates on all the phases of speech making; idea generation, research, construction, practice and rehearsal. Each phase of the preparation process is a positive step, moving the speaker closer to the ultimate goal, a successful presentation. Without thoughts of disaster, with the positive sensation of construction and achievement as the speech comes together, preparation overwhelms the negative thoughts, the seeds from which fear is grown.

But on the day of the speech, standing and looking at the audience, before she goes on to speak, those deep, dark automatic responses will trigger. They come, not because of negative thoughts, but simply because the brain has seen a room full of predators, carnivorous eyes staring hungrily at the unprotected speaker at the front of the room. That the predators are hungry for knowledge, not meat, is irrelevant to the protective brain. The fight or flight chemicals flood the speakers body. Her heart races, her breath becomes short, and her palms sweaty. Her brain has readied her to run, should that audience attack.

The fight or flight chemicals actually have a multitude of uses in the body. Adrenaline, one of the main chemicals of fear, is also a chemical of excitement, passion and energy. Adrenaline is a natural stimulant. Thanks to his comprehensive preparation, the speaker can be confident that he knows his stuff, and won’t be distracted by uncomfortable butterflies in his stomach.

Keeping his focus firmly on the opening of his speech, he’ll be able to walk out in front of the audience, confidently. The butterflies can’t prevent him from walking straight, upright, with every appearance of confidence. Thanks to his comprehensive preparation, he’ll remember his words, converting his shortness of breath into dramatic pauses that add to the speech. Thanks to his comprehensive preparation, he can change his grimace into a welcoming smile, change his sweating palms into open, enthusiastic gesture, change the fear into passion.

Preparation Takes the Focus Off Failure, and Transforms Fear

Right from the moment the idea of a speech is formed, there is the potential for crippling fear. But by keeping the focus on preparation, speakers can avoid the negative imagination, the baseless worries, and the destructive emotions. By extensive preparation, speakers can get right up to the stage, and transform the fight or flight response into confidence, passion and warmth. Prepation conquers fear.

Ben Wilson wrote this post from his small room in his small house near the ocean. If you enjoyed this, you might like to sign up for his free communication tips. The newsletter also has less talking in third person.