Liam Sandford

View Original

The public speaking journey: stressed to effortless

Liam Sandford

Stress is a natural response to presenting, especially if you do not speak in public regularly or have found it overwhelming in the past. You may have felt imposter syndrome, or had negative speaking experiences that turn up the stress levels. On top of that public speaking can be a pressure cooker environment. But the act of speaking does not need to be difficult.

It is easy to overegg public speaking in your mind. There is so much to think about, and the fact you don’t do it every day means you feel rusty, even if you have delivered great presentations in the past.

But how do we go from finding public speaking stressful to making it effortless?

There are four pieces of the puzzle:


Calming your mind

A common problem most speakers face is having a racing mind. The list of things to think about is endless. How you manage everything going on will determine whether your speaking performance is effortless or not. A calm mind when speaking means being able to focus on just two things:

  • What you are saying

  • Your connection with the audience.

If you can do this, and slow down your delivery you might just be able to make speaking effortless.

Start this process in every day life. In every conversation you have intentionally slow down. This makes you more thoughtful about what you are saying and gives the other person a chance to listen and really digest what you have said.

Removing pressure

In its most basic form public speaking is just a conversation. It doesn’t have to be the environment where you stand on stage to deliver a presentation to hundreds of people. The reframing of this in your mind is a good step to removing pressure.

Double down on the nano speech — the quick open, body, close, that can last 10 seconds or 5 minutes. This is the only structure you need to scale a conversation to a presentation.

If you can practice in social settings with a structured conversation, nobody else knows you are practicing your public speaking skills. This means there is no failure, there is no feedback and there is nothing that can go wrong. You are simply building successful reps and laying the foundations you need to become a good public speaker. Practicing with the pressure removed makes it easier to transition to public speaking in front of large crowds.

Good preparation

There is no ‘one size fits all’ for public speaking preparation. You have to do what works for you. Craft a routine that means when you come to speak in public it is like going out for coffee with your friends. It sounds obvious, but steer into what gives you energy and stay away from what drains your battery. Most people just fit into systems other people have set up, but everyone is different so your preparation should be individual to you.

Next time you deliver a presentation, think about your preparation. How do you usually do it? How do you feel just before your presentation as a result of that preparation? Tweak one thing in that routine before your next presentation and see how you feel. When you get to a stage of being calm, even when things go wrong, stick with the routine. It takes time to craft but it helps you turn stress into effortless public speaking.

Be yourself

There is nothing more effortless than being yourself. In fact, you are your superpower — nobody else can do that better than you! Bring your personality into your presentation. Share stories and your process. Have conversations with the audience, just like you would at dinner.

Nobody else can deliver the exact presentation you will. They don’t have your experiences, specific expertise or knowledge — this is why the audience want to hear you on the topic. Steer into that.

But you may think public speaking is an extroverts game. It’s not. Steer into your natural strengths to remove the stress. If you are an introvert, be clear and concise while finishing early (the audience will appreciate the time back). If you are an extrovert, own the stage and provide opportunities for the audience to engage (you will gain energy from this).

Your presentation should never be the same as someone else’s. Steer into what you bring to the table and you will be on your way to making public speaking effortless.

Actionable takeaways

  • Build a daily speaking habit by structuring just one conversation you have every day — it can literally take just 30 seconds.

  • Prepare for public speaking in the best way for you — if you don’t prioritize your time and energy, someone else will.

  • Focus on just two things when speaking in public: what you are saying, and your connection with the audience.

More from me