How to Speak Confidently in Public Even If You’ve Never Spoken Before
Public speaking is one of the most common fears, yet it is also one of the most powerful skills to develop. Many people wait until they feel confident before attempting to speak publicly. The truth is, confidence does not come before action. Confidence develops when you start speaking, even in small ways. In this guide, you will learn how to speak confidently in public using actionable steps, micro moments, and the Nano Speech framework. You will also learn how to handle fear, prepare effectively, and reflect for continuous improvement.
This article will show you how to start public speaking with confidence, even if you have never done it before. Each step is rooted in my own public speaking frameworks, insights and both personal and client experiences.
Why Confidence Comes from Action, Not Before It
Many beginners think they need to feel confident before speaking. They imagine themselves on stage, delivering perfectly structured content, and compare it to their nervous current self. This mindset often leads to delay or avoidance. The reality is that confidence comes from practice and experience. Each time you speak, even briefly, you gain knowledge and reassurance.
Starting small is key. You do not need a large audience to build confidence. Speaking in a team meeting, sharing a story with a friend, or recording a short video are all micro moments that begin to develop public speaking confidence. These small experiences create familiarity and reduce the fear associated with public speaking.
Understanding and Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking
Fear of public speaking is normal. Your body reacts with increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and heightened awareness. These responses are not signs of weakness, they are your body preparing to perform. Understanding this physiological response allows you to reframe nervousness as energy.
Reframing Nervous Energy into Confidence
Instead of thinking, “I am nervous,” try thinking, “I am energized and ready.” Nervousness and excitement share the same physical sensations. This mental shift allows you to channel energy into clear and engaging communication. When combined with breathing exercises, it becomes a powerful tool to speak confidently in public.
Start Small with Low Pressure Speaking
The fastest way to start public speaking is to begin with low pressure situations. You do not need a stage or a formal audience. Start with opportunities where mistakes are safe, and your experience is growing.
Identifying Low Pressure Speaking Opportunities
Low pressure speaking opportunities can include:
Sharing a brief idea in a team meeting at work
Offering a toast at a family event
Ordering at a coffee shop
Recording a 30 second video for social media
By starting with small, manageable situations, you build familiarity with speaking. This reduces anxiety and allows you to focus on delivery rather than fear.
Gradual Exposure Builds Confidence
A gradual approach works best:
Speak to yourself. This helps you observe tone, clarity, and pacing. Note that this is not public speaking, but it is preparing you for public speaking. To speak in public you need an audience of at least one. Use the Nano Speech framework to help you.
Speak to one trusted person. Share a story or insight and focus on communication, not performance.
Speak to a small group. Practice a short, structured talk using the Nano Speech framework.
Step into public settings with prepared content.
Each step increases comfort and develops the skill to speak confidently for the first time.
Use the Nano Speech to Structure Your Talk
One of the biggest challenges for beginners is lack of structure. The Nano Speech framework provides a simple structure that works for talks of any length and makes speaking confidently possible.
Understanding the Nano Speech Framework
The Nano Speech divides your talk into three sections:
Open: Hook your audience with a question, story, or surprising fact.
Body: Share your key message with examples, data, or personal stories.
Close: End with an actionable step, or thought-provoking question.
This framework allows you to focus on ideas instead of memorizing scripts, which reduces stress and improves delivery.
How the Nano Speech Builds Confidence
You can use the nano speech in everyday conversations or in keynotes. It is a method that will help you scale from low stakes environments into high pressure public speaking. As you are using that same structure in every speaking scenario, it is relevant public speaking practice. When you start in small conversations, you build successful reps quickly. With the nano speech you build on those successful reps which generate your confidence. With more confidence you can scale up in environments, time spent talking, who your audience is, or what topics you are speaking about. The nano speech is the easy way to get started, and scale to be a confident speaker in any environment.
Preparing Your Talk Without Memorization
Preparation is essential, but memorizing a speech often increases anxiety. Effective preparation involves planning ideas, not words. Know your key message, supporting points, and transitions. This allows flexibility while maintaining clarity.
A Simple Preparation Routine
Identify your core message. Determine the one idea your audience should remember.
Outline your Nano Speech. Bullet points for the open, body, and close help guide delivery.
Practice out loud. Use gestures and speak as if addressing an audience.
This method ensures you can adapt naturally while speaking confidently for the first time.
Breathing Techniques to Reduce Nervousness
Shallow breathing is a common response to fear. It signals stress to your brain and can increase anxiety. Learning to breathe effectively calms your body and mind, allowing you to speak with clarity.
Box Breathing Technique
Perform the box breathing exercise when you start to find your nerves running away wth yo:
Breathe in for four seconds
Hold for four seconds
Breathe out for six seconds
Repeating this cycle two to three times lowers tension, steadies your voice, and improves focus, helping you build confidence speaking.
Handling Mistakes During Your Presentation
Mistakes are normal. The most effective way to maintain confidence is to reflect, not criticize. Every error is a learning opportunity.
Public Speaking Reflection Framework
After each speech, ask:
What went well?
What did I learn?
What will I do differently next time?
This reflection strengthens confidence and accelerates skill development, allowing you to speak more confidently with each opportunity. The important thing is to ensure your narrative is to build on the things that went well, not to try to avoid the things that didn’t. This cycle becomes your confidence loop that is constantly building.
Overcoming Common Public Speaking Challenges
Even confident speakers face hurdles that can affect confidence. Recognizing these challenges and having strategies to overcome them allows you to bounce back after negative speaking experiences. These challenges are not signs of failure, they are opportunities to grow.
Fear of Judgment
One of the most common fears is worrying about what others think. Beginners often imagine negative feedback or assume the audience is overly critical. The key to overcoming this fear is shifting focus from yourself to your audience.
Instead of asking, “Am I doing this right?” ask, “How can I make this useful or interesting for them?” Concentrate on delivering value rather than perfection. Using the Nano Speech helps because it provides a clear framework: your opening grabs attention, the body delivers meaningful content, and your close leaves the audience with a takeaway.
Practical strategies include:
Start with familiar topics where you feel knowledgeable. Authority comes from content you can speak about confidently.
Start in low pressure settings. Building up over time creates solid foundations that will help you become a confident and competent speaker.
By focusing on audience connection instead of self judgment, fear of judgment decreases naturally. This approach is especially effective for new speakers who are learning how to speak confidently in public.
Forgetting Your Content
Beginners often fear forgetting what to say mid speech. This is common, but preventable with Nano Speech structure and preparation routines. A well structured talk gives mental cues and reduces the likelihood of blanks.
Practical tips include:
Outline your Nano Speech in bullet points instead of writing a word for word script. Your open, body, and close sections act as anchors.
Highlight key examples and stories. These act as memory triggers and make your talk more engaging.
Practice transitions between sections. Even a short pause or a gesture helps you reset and remember your next point.
Even if you forget a small part of your talk, returning confidently to your framework allows you to maintain control. Over time, this reduces anxiety and strengthens your ability to speak confidently for the first time and beyond.
How to Reduce Filler Words in Your Speech
Filler words such as “um,” “like,” “you know,” and “so” are common in new speakers. They often appear when the brain is searching for the next word, creating a sense of hesitation. While everyone uses fillers occasionally, excessive use can reduce clarity and audience perception of confidence.
Filler words occur when:
You are unsure of what to say next
Your speech is unstructured
Anxiety causes overthinking mid sentence
Recognizing the situations where fillers appear is the first step in reducing them. Beginners who learn to anticipate and prepare for these moments speak more confidently.
Practical Tips to Reduce Filler Words
Use the Nano Speech as a guide
Each section of your talk provides clear cues for what to say next. Knowing your structure in advance reduces hesitation and fillers.Pause instead of filling
Silence is a powerful tool. A brief pause to gather your thoughts is far more effective than using “um” or “like.” Pauses also give the audience time to absorb your message and give you a breather.Slow your pace
Speaking too quickly increases filler use. Slower pacing allows your brain to catch up with your mouth and reduces nervous habits.
By applying these methods, you gradually eliminate excessive fillers. Reducing filler words improves clarity and helps new speakers project authority and confidence from the very first talk.
Want to start building your confidence in public speaking? Check out the Ultimate Guide to Public Speaking article.
More From Liam Sandford
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