For the last couple of years, I’ve been making a very deliberate effort to get better at public speaking. For a long time I avoided it and convinced myself I never wanted or needed to do it. Let’s face it, the idea of talking in front of a group of people is pretty terrifying. 

But I felt that if I wanted to talk more about the things I’m passionate about I’m going to have to get better at it, and the only way to do that is get out there and do it. 

Something that worked for me was passion or genuine interest in the subject, whatever people say about talking in public, it’s so much easier if you believe in what you’re saying. 

Also tell a story. Rather than relying on pre-written text or bullet points on slides (which can seem counter intuitive – hey, prepare nothing and just talk….) simply tell a story. Think about the beginning, the middle and end, how it started, what you did and what the outcome was. This allowed me to (some might say waffle) but talk freely around the subject and become less fearful of losing my flow or place or what I was ‘supposed’ to be saying. It’s also Ok to make a mistake, in fact if anything it settles me down and with a little laugh or a joke hopefully the people listening too.  

Imposter syndrome always shows up, often in strange ways. I can talk at length about complex ideas or topics, yet completely unravel when it comes to the easiest part: introducing myself. It’s ridiculous how often my mind goes blank at the words “Hi, I’m…”. I overthink it, rehearse it, worry about sounding awkward and then forget it entirely. Meanwhile, everyone else seems to reel this off effortlessly, as if they were born knowing exactly who they are. It can totally derail me as it’s usually the first thing I say! 

One thing that’s become obvious is that speaking in public is actually no different to anything else you don’t do very often. The less you do it, the bigger it feels. The more you do it, the less power it has over you. The more you feel like you’re telling a story or having a conversation the easier it becomes, the confidence slowly builds. The fear begins to be replaced with the feeling of having done this before, it’s going to be OK. 

What I’m slowly learning is that most people aren’t as confident as they appear. They’ve just practised. And the audience isn’t looking for perfection they’re looking for honesty. 

I’m still not comfortable with public speaking. Each time I do it I think it could and should have been better but, and this is a big but, I now enjoy it and I’m happy with that.