6 tips to curb your nerves in public speaking, from Alex Lyon [Video]

Because fear of public speaking’s such a huge issue, any useful advice on it’s a great help – to speakers everywhere.

So I was delighted to find a really helpful video on that topic from speaking coach Alex Lyon.

In fact, Alex posted a pair of related videos in recent weeks.

In this post, I’ll focus on the 1^st of those, which looks at ways your mindset can help to reduce your fear of public speaking. The 2^nd video (which you’ll find at the end of this post) looks at ways your behaviour can help to lessen your nerves, too.

In the 1^st video, I love how Alex starts:

“These tips will help you
cut your anxiety in half”
Alex Lyon, at 0:08

What a winning way to open! He doesn’t claim you can crush your nerves completely. And that distinction’s key to managing your fear – yet it’s all too easy to forget.

Here’s Alex’s 6-minute mindset video. (This clip skips his 40-second intro.)

For your easy reference, these are his 6 points:

DON’T tell this story, says @KindraMHall. I’m not so sure. YOU decide [Video]

If you’re like me (and most other people), you’re fascinated by stories.

As a speaker, stories also help you to connect with, to deeply engage, and even to transfix your audience.

But expert storyteller Kindra Hall has a stern warning for you:

“There is one story you should never tell
– the story that makes you cry”
Kindra Hall, at 0:05

She goes on to say:

“Crying in front of an audience
shows a lack of control and
is simply irresponsible
…You can tell I feel
strongly about that!”
Kindra Hall, at 1:35

4 speaking tips from a pro with 2+ million fans – @TomFrankly [Video] ·

If you had to focus on just 4 things to make your next talk great, which would you pick?

That’s a tough call, because so many factors go into a talk. Which is just one reason I was intrigued by the video below.

Another reason I was intrigued?
The video quotes 3 experts I’ve also quoted before:

• Chris Anderson
• Michael Port
• Marcus Sheridan

In the 7½-minute video, Thomas Frank (who has over 2 million YouTube subscribers) explains the 4 aspects of your talk that he recommends you focus on…

To save you time, this clip skips the first 60 seconds (and the last 90) of the original video (when he sets up his topic and promotes some courses).
If you like, you can watch the full 10-minute version on YouTube.

Let’s look at each of the 4 aspects Thomas believes can make your talk great. You can click any of these links to skip ahead – or, just scroll down…

Presenting? Don’t shy away from your Q&A – part 2 [Video]

What do you think it is about answering audience questions that makes many speakers nervous?

I’d say it’s the unpredictability – and having to respond at a moment’s notice.

But, if you’ve read my last post, you’ll know I mentioned 3 steps you can use to help you master your Q&A, from the late Denise Graveline:

Presenting? Don’t shy away from your Q&A – part 1 [Video]

What’s your attitude to the Q&A session when you give a speech or presentation?

If you’re like most speakers, you likely feel a bit nervous about giving your talk, but more nervous about taking questions!

After all, if you think of questions negatively, they can seem like tests. And the people asking them can seem to be doubting your expertise.

So, you might fear scenarios like these:

Grab ’em when you present – 2 quick tricks for you, from Marcus Sheridan @TheSalesLion [Video]

When you’re presenting, how do you keep your audience engaged? What do you do, exactly?

Here’s one of the best ways to engage people – yet it’s one of the most human, too, so it’s among the simplest:

Make your talk conversational.

You might still wonder how you should do that though.

So (as explained in more detail in that link), I like to split the process into 3 levels:

How to nail your talk in the first 30 secs, by @KindraMHall [Video]

What is it about public speaking that you’d be most likely to search for on the internet? You might be surprised which of my posts gets the most search traffic…

The most popular post on this blog – by far – is the one on awesome opening lines. And almost 60 people have commented on it, too. So it’s definitely a hot topic for public speakers.

But if you go looking for an opening line for your talk, I think you’re taking the wrong approach.

Why do I say that? Well, the combination of your audience and your topic are unique. So, if you search the internet for an opening line, you’re very unlikely to find a good fit for your specific talk.

What should you do, then? You’ll find one great answer in this 3-minute video by Kindra Hall.

Kindra reveals:

Speaking on a panel? 3 tips from @DeckerBen [Video]

If you’re invited to speak on a panel, you’ll want to make the most of your preparation (and your time on stage). So to help you prepare, and then take part effectively, here’s a handy 2-minute video.

In it, you’ll find 3 tips from Ben Decker, CEO of Decker Communications. And below the video, you’ll find many ideas and links to expand on Ben’s tips:

Ben starts with a neat point about the context of panel discussions:

“It can be such a great honour
to be invited to be a part of a panel.

People want to hear
your… expertise
– your opinions…”
Ben Decker

So, especially if you’re nervous, keep in mind that people value your insights.

Ben then shares his action-based tips for speaking on a panel:

Want your talk ranked #1? Make it conversational – here’s how… [PACE principles, part 3]

(Short of time? See the tips now)

Here’s one of the best ways to make your speech or presentation more successful: Make it conversational.

Why does that help?

• It makes your talk less formal, putting your content in a positive light and removing barriers between your message and your audience.
• It lets you engage with people much more than if you used a one-way, lecture-style talk – where people feel they’re being talked at.

When you make your talk conversational:

• Your audience feels more engaged and listened to, so is more receptive in return
• Therefore, your talk’s more likely to be effective.

In essence, making your talk more conversational means making it more like an everyday, two-way discussion, which involves your audience more.

But don’t worry – if you don’t have enough time to involve people overtly (or you don’t feel comfortable doing that yet), you can involve them more subtly.

You can involve your audience along a spectrum

In fact, you can involve your audience along a spectrum:

7 tips for speaking on camera – review of a @CharismaOn video

Seeing the faults in my own videos gave me a new apprecia-tion for the craft

Have you ever spoken on camera? I just finished a 30-day challenge of posting 1 new video every day on LinkedIn (as organised by Karen Moloney). Seeing the faults in my own videos gave me a new appreciation for the craft of speaking on camera!

Previously, I’d come across a great YouTube channel called Charisma on Command, presented by Charlie Houpert. His channel offers fantastic tips and insights about talking to people 1-on-1 (or in groups), and he’s very charismatic himself.

So I thought it’d be useful to review one of Charlie’s videos, as there’s a lot I can learn from him – and I hope you can too.

Before you read on, why not watch the 8-minute video I chose to review? While you watch, you might even like to jot down a few notes about what you think are the video’s stronger and weaker aspects, so you can then compare your notes with mine…