Public Speaking Skills For Dummies

Chapter 3

Overcoming Performance Anxiety

IN THIS CHAPTER

Remaining loose and reducing tension

Diagnosing and remedying your slouch

Fighting your body … with your body

If performance anxiety is your problem, I want you to do something for yourself. It’s the first thing I ask of anyone who comes into my office. Ready? Here goes: Video yourself presenting a speech for two minutes.

Two minutes may seem too short to figure out problems, and for some things, it is. In two minutes, even I may not be able to determine what to work on, emotion or intonation or other things of that nature. But two minutes is all it takes for someone to go from a comfortable stance to an awkward slouch that inhibits breath, tone, and pretty much all the other speech fundamentals you learn in this book. You may think whatever’s ailing you is in your head, that it’s anxiety that’s doing you in. And you may be right. But without proper physical form, you won’t be giving an effective speech no matter what.

After that two-minute test, I put my clients through a little bit of physical activity — just to get limber, and a vocal warmup. Then I have them do the test again. The change is always remarkable. Now, you’re ...