Speak On It

“According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” – Jerry Seinfeld

Always on point, Jer.  Julia and I have had to present to some intimidating crowds this year, and every time we sit nervously, whispering escape plans to each other as we wait for our names to be called. But we’ve accumulated tips throughout our journey, both hard-learned and bestowed by other, more experienced, presenters that have gotten us through. Here’s what we suggest doing the next time you have to address an audience:

1. Prepare: I promise this is the most obvious tip on here, but it deserves the spot at number one. You need to build in enough time after those PowerPoint slides have been perfected to rehearse your delivery. This means saying them out loud to another human person (not just reading them to yourself). Try to recreate the real thing as much as possible - better yet, try to get access to the room you are presenting in and practice there. Practice as much as possible, BUT...
2. Don’t memorize: I finally took this rule to heart recently and it has made all the difference in the world in terms of both my nerves and effectiveness. If your speech is memorized you are putting yourself in a position to completely blank and that’s pretty much the worse case scenario. Even if you manage to deliver your canned talk without a hiccup, you’re selling yourself short. You stop feeling what you’re saying and forget to put the appropriate emphasis on what you want your audience to take away. Robots aren’t that convincing.
3. Have a ritual: Because sucking your thumb would be inappropriate, pick up another habit that calms you down and becomes part of your process. Drink a cup of green tea, call your boyfriend, listen to a favorite tune. Whatever it is, do it every time you need to present so that each situation feels somewhat familiar and doable.  Julia and I blast some 90s hip-hop and shake out the nerves.
4. Remember that everybody gets nervous: Being nervous is both normal and productive. You’re only nervous because you care and that helps you rise to the occasion. Millions of people have been as nervous as you before and have lived to tell the tale.
5. Think of a time when you crushed it: Somewhere in the recesses of your mind is a moment of glory that left you feeling invincible. Channel that swagger to pump yourself up and feel confident.
6. Look the part: C’mon, you knew this was coming! Looking polished helps you feel confident and makes others think you deserve their attention. Wear an outfit that makes you feel good and, of course, treat yourself to a blow out or makeup appointment. As always, TheStylisted.com is here to help!

So if you ever find yourself deciding between faking a heart attack or pulling the fire alarm to get out of giving a speech, calm down and run through this list. If you are a normal human you will most likely still be nervous, but hopefully you’ll be able to channel that nervous excitement into an energetic performance. Worse case scenario you leave them thinking "daaaamn, she fine!"