2.3 Learning Confidence

Techniques for Building Confidence

A speaker’s nervousness is linked to her level of preparation. The best, most consistent and direct way to minimize the level of nervousness you feel is through effective preparation. This is always true. More practice results in less nervousness.

Michael Jordan was once asked the best way to learn how to shoot free throws. To everyone’s surprise, the first step he described did not entail shooting the ball. Instead, he described how the first step in learning to shoot free throws is to run sprints—run until your body is under the same stress as it would be in a game when you need to make those free throws—because your practice will only be truly productive when performed under those conditions. Only then do you pick up the ball and shoot.

All types of preparation and practice yield benefits, but there is a significant difference between merely helpful practice and sufficient practice, or “knowing what you are talking about,” and “knowing what you are going to say.” While thinking about your presentation can be helpful, that sort of preparation will not give you a sense of what you are actually going to say. Athletes know that the best practices will re-create game conditions and test their abilities to perform in real-life scenarios. Sufficient practice for public speaking re-creates those real-life scenarios.

Many students do not practice effectively before speaking in public, causing them to believe that practice isn’t helpful. Unfortunately, these same students usually have had little, if any, training in how to prepare for a presentation, and so they employ the scholastic training they are most familiar with—how to write a paper. However, this is not the same activity as giving an oral presentation, and their lack of proper preparation only contributes to their lack of confidence.

Let’s look at a few elements of effective practice.

Visualize Success

Athletes and performers are often coached to visualize what they are trying to do as a way of performing correctly. Football and basketball players must envision how each member of the team will move during a particular play because team success depends on speedy and flawless coordination among individuals. Dancers, body builders, and people practicing yoga are trained to visualize the form and positioning of their bodies as they execute their moves. Engaging the imagination in this way can improve performance.

Speakers, too, should visualize success. As you practice, visualize yourself presenting with confidence to a receptive audience. “See” your relaxed facial expressions and “hear” your confident tone of voice. Imagine yourself moving gracefully, complementing what you say with expressive gestures. Imagine the audience reacting appropriately—nodding appreciatively and giving thoughtful consideration to your points. Imagine the gratification of watching the audience really “get it.” When you can honestly envision yourself performing at this level, you are taking an important step toward achieving that goal.

Avoid Gimmicks

Some acting coaches (and speech teachers) encourage their students to practice in front of mirrors, so that they can watch themselves perform and evaluate how they move. In acting, this can be very useful, but in speaking, it is less so. When you practice your presentation, the most important element is expressiveness. You want to become more familiar with how much material you have to present, the order in which you plan to present it, and the phrasing you think would be most effective to express it. Watching yourself perform in a mirror will focus your attention on your appearance first—and on what you express second. This makes using a mirror during practice a distraction from what the practice ought to achieve.

For some reason, the myth persists that imagining your audience in their underwear is an effective way to make standing in front of them seem less frightening. These sorts of gimmicks don’t work! In fact, concentrating on anything other than what you are doing is distracting and not beneficial at all. Do your best to avoid such advice. Visualize success!

Breathe and Release

Here, we will discuss a shortened version of  the “breathe and release” technique. This relaxation technique could be useful for nervous speakers—especially those who are concerned with the physiological manifestations of nervousness, such as shaky hands or knees.

The key to “breathe and release” is to understand that when nervous tension results in minor trembling, the effort of trying to keep one’s hands from shaking contributes to the whole situation—that is, trying to stop literally makes the problem worse! Therefore, the best approach is through relaxation.

How to Breathe and Release

1. Imagine the nervousness within your body.
2. Imagine the energy bubbling inside you, like boiling water.
3. Draw that energy to a high point within your body through a deep, cleansing breath.
4. Imagine this cleansing breath like a vacuum, inhaling all of the bubbling liquid.
5. Release the energy by deliberately relaxing your upper body, all the way from your fingertips to your shoulder blades.
6. Imagine how keeping any part of your upper extremities tense would result in a “kink” in the release valve, and so complete relaxation is the key to success.

Minimize What You Memorize

Another important hint for speech preparation is to avoid writing an entirely scripted version of the presentation. A speech outline is not a monologue or manuscript; it is a guideline and should be used as a roadmap for your speech.

Remember that lunch with your friends? When you were describing the movie plot, you were being conversant in a prepared way. This means that you knew what you were describing, but you were not concerned with the specific words you were using. Being conversant is the condition of being prepared to discuss an issue intelligently.

A well-prepared speaker is conversant regarding her topic. Consider how being conversant in this manner allows for freer, more fluid communication, with no stress associated with your ability to remember the exact words you wanted to use. Being conversant also gives the speaker the best chance to recognize and react to audience feedback.

If you are completely focused on the integrity of scripted comments, then you will be unable to read and react to your audience in any meaningful way. Imagine how frustrating it would be for your friends at that lunch if you would not respond to any of their questions until you were finished reading a few descriptive paragraphs about the movie. They would probably just wait until you were done reading and then try to engage you in a conversation!

Practice Out Loud

Remember the very first time you tried to do anything – a game, a sport, an activity, anything at all. How good were you out of the gate? Perhaps you had talent or were gifted with a “feel” for what you were doing. But even then, didn’t you get better with more experience? Nobody does anything the very best on their very first attempt, and everyone—even the most talented among us—benefits from effective practice.

In this way, speaking in public is no different from any other activity. To maximize the chance that your presentation will come out smooth and polished, you will need to hear it all the way through. By practicing out loud, from the beginning to the ending, you will be able to listen to your whole speech and properly gauge the flow of your entire presentation.

Additionally, without at least one complete out-loud practice, there will be no way to accurately estimate the length of your speech, and your preparation will remain insufficient.

The out-loud “dress rehearsal” is the single most important element of your preparation. Without it, you will be delivering your presentation in full for the first time when it counts the most. Putting yourself at that sort of disadvantage isn’t wise and is easily avoided.

You might even consider trying that initial practice without the benefit of any notes. Stand up; start speaking; see what comes out!

During your initial practice, consider these questions:

• Where, during your presentation, are you most—and least—conversant?
• Where, during your presentation, are you most in need of supportive notes?
• What do your notes need to contain?

Prepare for your public presentation by speaking and listening to yourself, rather than by writing, editing, and rewriting. Remember that when you are having a conversation, you never use the same sort of language and syntax as you do when you are writing a formal paper. Practice with the goal of becoming conversant in your topic, not fluent with a script.

Customize Your Practice

Depending on your personal level of PSA, you may choose to implement techniques previously mentioned in different ways. Take a moment to reflect on what triggers your PSA. Do you dislike the feeling of being the center of attention? Are you more concerned with who is in the audience and what they might think of you? Or are you worried about “freezing” in front of the audience and forgetting what you wanted to say?

Write some of these concerns down and put them into a priority order. If you are worried about a particular issue or problem, how might you prepare to minimize the chance of that issue arising?

Now, consider your current method of preparation. Do you prepare more for a written paper than for an oral presentation? Do you have the goal of presenting a scripted message? Do you practice out loud? When, during your process, do you practice aloud? Do you practice at all before you begin to compose your speaking notes, or do you only practice after? Remember that dealing with PSA often requires breaking a mental habit. It is a good idea to change what you have done previously. Be deliberate. Observe what works for your situation.

As stated earlier, everyone deals with PSA most effectively through increased self-awareness and a willingness to complete each of the steps in the entire process. After you acknowledge your reality, then take the steps necessary to overcome apprehension.

After reading about the ways to overcome the debilitating impact of PSA, experiment and see what works best for you. Do not continue to prepare in the same way that you did in the past. Speak more; write and revise less. Be sure to practice out loud at least once during your preparation to prepare yourself sufficiently. Reflect on your personal concerns and try Cognitive Restructuring to reframe them. Take your time. Do the work. Have confidence that your preparation will yield positive results.

Conclusion

PSA is a real issue, but it need not be an obstacle to success. Take the time to become more aware of your personal brand of PSA. Take positive steps to minimize its impact. Your willingness to work and your positive attitude are the keys to your success.

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