| People are sometimes
nervous because they fear being in the spotlight or that they will perform badly. They may
be afraid of their listeners. They may think their ideas aren't good enough, or that they
are personally not good enough. People tend to be anxious about the unknown, and this fear
may generate those feelings of nervousness that are so common among us all. |
| Such fears can be valuable
to a speaker who knows how to channel them constructively. We think there are twelve
things you can do to channel any feelings of fear and nervousness that you might
experience: |
 |
Keep your fear to yourself. |
|
Visualize yourself being successful. |
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Practice working with your body. |
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Surround yourself with notes. |
|
Know and understand your listeners. |
|
Check out all the arrangements
carefully. |
|
Talk only about things you know and
care about. |
|
Prepare carefully. |
|
Remind yourself that nervousness is
normal. |
|
Pause briefly before you start. |
|
Use your audience. |
|
Give yourself permission to make
mistakes. |
