In the various roles I've performed over the years there's been the need for public speaking both internally within the organisations and externally with customers, at seminars and conferences, training sessions, briefings and other such things. It didn't come naturally to me meaning I didn't have an innate ability for it and I was nervous about it for a long time - I learned the skills to do it well, trained for it, but nerves still struck each time for longer than I'd care to admit.
There's many techniques to deal with those nerves and one I've heard a lot it, "just imagine the audience naked."
Yeah...nah!
Thinking back on some of the occasions I've had to stand in front of people and speak, deliver training, briefings, keynote speaking and all...well, some of my audiences have been rather challenged from a looks perspective (ugly as fuck) and were the last people I'd want to imagine naked. On the other hand, some of the ladies I've had in audiences were so fucken hot it's difficult not to imagine them naked! So yeah, imagining the audience naked has never been something I've subscribed to - I do not see the point.
I'm not going to go into all the techniques I've learned, that would be super-boring and probably quite irrelevant for anyone reading this post, however I was thinking about them in the last few days as I recently had to speak at an industry thing on behalf of my organisation and in room over three hundred people...and I was a little nervous which has not happened for a long time.
One of the most valuable tools in the (my) public speaking toolbox is confidence, but I don't necessarily mean self-confidence.
I'm talking about confidence in what I'm speaking about whether it's services and products, concepts, mission-specific information and briefings, processes and anything else; being confident in the material means less nerves. A lot of the time presenting to others means questions later and the ill-prepared will flounder there - the fear of that is what often brings the nervousness, so I prepare...a lot. The fear of looking foolish can make people nervous about public speaking also...so don't look foolish, prepare!
I also remind myself that the audience will only know I'm nervous if I show I'm nervous and will respond to that in kind; the energy I put out is what they'll radiate back and that can mean success or failure. Getting into a synergistic situation with the audience is critical, engaging them, giving confidence in that what I have to say is worth listening to and considering, whether they agree with it or not.
These things in isolation don't ensure a smooth process and neither do they eliminate nerves; they help minimise nervousness though, when combined with other elements, and that can help me deliver something the audience will respond to, absorb and feel comfortable voicing questions, concerns and discussions.
I have not once had someone approach me after I've delivered an address at a public speaking event or situation who asked me, "hey, what did I look like naked?"
I've been asked questions though, engaged in discussion and conversation, which deepens the value of what I've delivered and brought opportunity, solutions and other positive things. I've also been thanked and praised which felt nice. On a few occasions I've been spoken to later, had constructive (private) criticism, which I invite and has helped me improve and that's always welcome as well. It's made me better.
In my recent public speaking escapades there was a lovely lady in the front row who caught my eye for being very attractive and thinking about her naked would probably have been quite entertaining...but also very distracting. Imagining naked people in the audience at a public speaking event isn't a legitimate cure for nervousness and I've never understood why it's a suggested method of making public speaking easier. Only training, practice and preparation can make public speaking easier...and time I guess.
Have you ever done any public speaking and if so have you found it easy or hard, were you confident or nervous? Either way, how did you prepare yourself and the material you were delivering, how did the audience respond, what did they get from it, and how would you rate yourself as a public speaker out of ten?
If you're still looking for the naked people in this post you should know, there are none - although that's my hand in the image...and it's naked.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
Image(s) in this post are my own
Nervousness is One of the things I have had to contend with whenever the need arises for me to speak to many. I'm a preacher of the Gospel and a Minister of songs and I still jitter when I have to function in any of those capacities. So one technique I used initially was wearing shades to avoid eye contact with the congregation but now I just tell myself, "These people are humans like me, they don't have two heads". This is one technique that works for me but the nerves still does its thing from time to time, I just have learnt to live with it...
I think wearing dark glasses disconnects the speaker from the audience, so much is conveyed through the eyes. It's not something I'd ever do.
Understanding and reminding one that they're just people is a good plan.
I would freeze like a deer in the headlights.
Or sport wood for the sexy lady in the front row. Either way I would be an embarrassment. I am not good with people or crowds. I avoid them like the plague. Even on the highways I slow or speed up to keep as much distance from others as possible.
Yeah, many would be the same and in truth I am to some degree also, quite shy actually. I hide behind the fact it's my job though, it's a mindset thing, which helps me do what's required. This doesn't mean I enjoy it or that I don't feel high levels of nerves, it just means I move on, get the job done, do what's needed and compartmentalize the nerves to deal with later. But then later, the jobs done and there's no need to deal with the nerves. Like I said, a mindset/attitude thing.
... Anyone who says that they have never been nervous in front of an audience (no matter how big or small) is lying; it is something programmed into our subconscious.
I remember my first patients; I felt very nervous for explaining something to them, because what if they had a question that I did not know how to answer. This is where the part about being prepared comes in. The more I prepared and studied, the more confidence I had.
Then was my turn to present an interesting case in front of my medical department, and when they told me, I got very nervous (200 doctors), but I prepared myself. Oh, and I discovered that having one or two points to look at and fix my gaze helped me a lot. So my techniques would be these, a lot of preparation and looking at a fixed point or a trusted person (if they are there at the moment).
Looking at several points in the room helps, and sometimes but getting eye contact does too. Like I said, there's many techniques but good preparation is the best thing.
Good preparation is the base of a good performance, although I would add to that base a little bit of self-confidence and if other countless but those two that depend on oneself, can not be missed
Btw , I send you some point to support #weekend-engagement , please check that 😉
Cheers!
Three hundred people is a lot, I guess. You're a good speaker, I'm very shy. The most I've spoken to is 35 kids and some parents I give myself a 3.
I've spoken in front of more on occasions but for me it's not so much about the number of people than who they are and the subject matter. Sometimes public speaking in front of only a few people can be more nerve-wracking than many more. I tend to do it reasonably well but it's taken time. I remember the first few times I had to do it professionally - Very nervous!
3/10 for you? Well, if it's not something you need to do a lot that's not a bad score. The more you do it the better you'll get and the more you prepare for each occasion the better you'll feel.
If I remember correctly reading that post, yes there is room for improvement, but the reality is that there are people who have a natural ability to speak in public and others who may excel in other things My grandmother didn't talk much, but she could knit whatever you asked her to knit with her eyes closed.
Being good at knitting is definitely some people's major focus, or so I'm told.
I haven't gotten over stage fright and I don't think I ever will but the most effective technique for me is so much preparations, I mean so much. This boosts my confidence. Knowing that I, at least to a very large extent, am an authority and could easily field questions after my presentation.
Thinking of naked people in such a circumstance would be disastrous! What if that guy sitting right in front of me had a protruding belly and a very fat backside... 🤣
Preparation is the key and thinking of people in the audience naked is not...that's for later on though. 😆
Hi Galen!
Reading what you wrote I found, as often happens, some similarities between us!
Do you know that I too have always wondered why they recommended thinking about the naked public to combat the fear of speaking in public?
In the past I often had to give speeches during conferences and coincidentally there was always some beautiful lady in the front row, imagining her naked as you say wouldn't have been the best for concentration he he!
I admit, however, that once I got off stage I imagined some of them naked afterwards lol!
However, let's say that to answer your questions I would classify myself as an 8, in reality I am a talker and I like speaking in public although I have always been basically shy; when I had to do it at conferences to feel more confident I simply studied the topic in order to have total mastery of what I was talking about.
There's always time to imagine the hot ladies naked later on, when delivering training or keynote speaking, that's the time for concentration and focus on what's being delivered.
You're an 8/10 in public speaking? That's ahigh rating...I've been doing it for many years and figure am about a 6-7/10 and are always seeking to improve. Well done Mr. 8/10!
Let's say that I put myself on eight because it is something that I have done for a long time and therefore I have been able to train a lot
.. among other things at the national assemblies of the donor association the audiences always number thousands of people which I would say is an excellent workout!
However, in reality it is up to others to judge me, but I still really like speaking in public.
In my opinion you are at least a nine, I don't know why but I feel like that's the case!
Ouch I don't know how I missed this meeting of naked people. Oh right yeah, because I was almost naked on a beach... 😂 And I ended up burnt.
I had heard this. I guess imagining naked people relaxed whoever first gave this advice.
I really can't concentrate if I think about it. Can you imagine getting a big boner in front of the audience because you're thinking about those things? Has that ever happened to you? Fortunately, my erection is not noticeable. 🤭😅🤣
Almost naked...not sure that counts.
Hmm, ok I'll make a call and say yeah it does.
I've never gotten a boner when public speaking but have on other occasions and I make no apology for it. 🤪
😜
Hi Galen, I have been up all night (and am still awake) following on line a congress being held in Mexico. And, on several occasions, I have wondered how the speakers could speak so calmly in front of 4000 people. I wondered, because I am a person who finds it difficult to speak in public unless I know the audience. Some Hive friends insisted that I should attend some live healing program. How have I tried to solve this problem: by going to other programs again (exposing myself to the situation) and making an outline of what I am going to present.
So far, it seems to be working.
Best regards.
Practice will make a person better at something, avoiding it will not, so I think there's merit in seeking training and some methods to improve at public speaking. A lot comes down to personal preparation though, knowing the material and having the presentation designed and practiced ahead of time. Winging it may work in some situations but it's often the most ineffective way forward.
Hola Galen, creo que tienes razón en lo que dices, en mi caso el preparar la presentación previamente me está ayudando bastante.
Un saludo
I can totally relate to this. I've been shy about public speaking my whole life, even in small/internal presentations. I've also read about that naked people technique. Only that people are turned into stones. My current job requires me to present financial reports internally and im still nervous everytime. You're right that being prepared lessens nervousness but sometimes, due to time constraints, i can never be sure of the quality of my presentation. Thank you for your reminder. I also realize that shifting the focus on what youre going to deliver instead on yourself can lessen consciousness. So i hope i can apply these in my next monthly presentation.
Being put on the spot, asked to present with little or no lead-time, can be a difficult thing indeed. It's when a person has to rely on their past experiences as far as presenting goes and the knowledge as well. I think it's in these cases a person can show their quality though as most will know you've been put on the spot and if it's handled well it can go a long way towards demonstrating one's flexibility and professionalism.
Super interesting your technique, I would never have thought of it, my God I'm talking to a person with an incredible and daring humor...😂.
In my case , I tell you that it is about the type of audience to which my talk or my conference is addressed, if it is about people who receive my training and do not know much about the subject in question , perfect, there we would say that I am in a safer comfort zone, on the other hand if it is about people of a higher medium than mine, the nerves in the first minutes attack me, but then instinctively I calm down and everything flows, almost always goes like that, what would never have occurred to me to imagine them naked, maybe the laughter would not allow me to concretize anything....
The preparation guarantees the mastery of the subject, the security in the exchanges and the answer of the unforeseen questions... although the mastery by the practice assures you the success in 90 %.
As a speaker I rate myself at 7/10 or 8/10, everything will depend on my mood, I am not really a pedagogue or a motivator even if I try... or maybe my students, clients, teachers can say the opposite... 😅
There are audiences more motivating than others, in some occasions I have had a great time without forcing anything....
It sounds like you have a good handle on it and some solid experience. So many do not feel very comfortable, probably due to not having had to do public speaking, and so they get very nervous. Seven or eight out if ten is a good ranking.
I knew there were no nakers in here !
I have taught different things now and then in a company training capacity. As long as I know in advance and am prepared, I'm all good with that. I'm not super woman, but I'm a little hard to intimidate. Don't call on me by surprise in a crowd though. That will make me go mute in a heartbeat. LOL... I'm funny like that.
Haha, I can't fool you it seems!
Preparation is the main key to it I think; feeling prepared will give back a little courage and the rest will take care of itself. Also understanding that probably most in the audience would feel the same way if it was them presenting, and will probably be forgiving because of it helps too.
Note to self: No surprising Jace in a crowd.
You probably could fool me on some stuff, but after all this time, I know you aren't going to go but so far with the photos, although you are not opposed to using "click bait" from time to time.
Yeah, surprising me to speak in front of a large crowd makes me feel like I'M the one that's nekkid and nobody else is ! Of course it should sort of console me that nearly everyone would be rendered immediately blind, but the the several seconds before that happens..... well, some things you just can't unsee ! LOL !!
You're right, damn it! Maybe one day I'll have a massive mental breakdown and post myself naked on the blockchain...but don't hold your breath. Lol. (nope, I'm not opposed to the occasional clickbait title - I'm a little evil now and then.)
It's funny how humans approach nakedness, I mean we're all the same you know? Having said that, bloody boobs get me every time...don't know why, they just do. Imagining an audience naked is the the last thing I'd want to do though, that's for sure.
I suck at public speaking I seriously get nauseous when I have to do it. I tend to go off on tangents a lot due to my ADHD brain, so it can be quite hard to follow along with me sometimes. I also tend to have no filter when I am talking, so I likely say things I shouldn't say. I try to avoid public speaking as much as possible.
Knowing this is a good thing, accepting it. You might not need to do much public speaking but if you know your own unique challenges you're in a better position to mitigate their effects.
It's a struggle for sure. I can try to reign myself in, but once I get going, it's like a runaway train!
I would loved to have had a career as a detective tho. Your laptop has the comment posted to me on it.
I have a knack for seeing the little things in the background.
Lol, yep that's exactly what was on the lap top at the time of taking the photo. Well spotted! You're like Inspector Gadget! ✅
I agree. Confidence really makes a lot of difference. That is why preparation is important. I've presented a lot before, and I noticed that how good my presentation is, was based on how knowledgeable I am of the material. I can be less technical when I am facing the bosses, but also go to the details when asked by those who will help implement.
Have you ever gone into a presentation without the right preparation or without any at all? It happens sometimes, being put on the spot and all. I have and I've had mixed results. You?
Oh, loads of times. When there is an issue with the database, some slowdown or unexpected downtime, the bosses call a meeting to discuss. It is difficult to present during those times, since the investigation is still ongoing and we have incomplete data. So I just state all the facts of what happened, anything that we have gathered so far from the investigation, that we will update everyone if we get more information, and that we are working on ways to prevent it from happening again. Most of the times the bosses are ok as long as the team seems to be on top of it, but not always.
What's the largest audience you've had to speak in front of?
I think only around 35.
Still a reasonable number.
I have spoken in public to quite a few people and I get very nervous, but I knew I was prepared, I knew what I had to say, although at one point there were questions, questions I didn't know I would be asked. I answered them correctly and with a message for the audience.
Speaking in front of a large audience makes me nervous anyway!
Often it's the questions people are not prepared for. There's a way to deal with them though that won't make a person look like an idiot.
I was asked a question that would make some people uncomfortable.
The question was: how did I make people want to take that job?
My starters would stay and those of the other supervisors would not.
I just told the truth... I think I made some people uncomfortable hahaha.
In a while I'm going to the 29 hectare botanical garden, it's going to be wonderful!
Hugs Galen!
What you narrate here is quite a topic, brother! I know well that imagining everyone naked in the room is one of the most used techniques by many people, but I can't do it either, I don't think it will bring me different results, because as you say, everything lies in the confidence we have when we stand in front of the public, either to speak or to sing.
I am a true believer in mastering the subject, if I master it everything will go well, but I always have some tip that gives me away hahaha, like my hands. Generally I do very well in front of the public, but it is enough that I leave the place to be attacked by all the ills of the body, it is almost instantaneous and I do not understand why, but well, I think that over the years everything is improving by the simple fact of making us a little wiser, although feeling these nerves ratifies that we are alive and that we are still normal people, although with more capabilities. Your reflection is very good!...
Mastering the content, being prepared is really the only way to find a good level of confidence. It won't stop nervousness altogether but it goes a long way towards making the process easier. Usually it's the questions one gets that makes things awkward as they are an unknown so it's best to have some ways to deal with that which leave the audience comfortable that their question will be addressed even if that's not immediately.
Being from Dallas and growing up in the Super Bowl winning days Emmitt Smith was my all-time sports hero. I had never heard that quote and it's quite amazing. I gotta hit the sack but I want to actually answer all the questions you put forth at the end of the post. Nice hand! ahhaha
The quote made me think and then I saw the author and did a double take...sure enough, he said it.
I played American Football for many years, was a running back, and am very familiar with the exploits of Emmitt Smith, an incredible player.
Thanks for commenting.
I finally got a few free minutes to answer like I wanted to.
I started a Youtube channel a long time ago when I couldn't sleep. I made a video of a thunderstorm we had in Texas that was about an hour long. I used to turn it on to sleep. I didn't know how Youtube works or that other people could see it. It started to get a lot of views and I was surprised by that.
I then started to do walkabouts while videoing to discuss my faith and to pray. It was kind of like public speaking but to myself. Little by little some folks started to tune in. I mostly just wanted to document my faith walk and invite others to participate.
Then I was asked to cohost a podcast. We did a test one day without realizing that once we went live anybody could watch. We ended up having about 800+ people on what was an unscripted test of the streaming tech. So, we had to improvise in front of a live audience. It was crazy. We averaged many hundred people per episode and it was quite the experience to have guests, host the show, and respond to chat all on the fly.
I wouldn't say I am a great public speaker... but I had to learn how to be good enough very quickly. I ended up splitting with those guys and going back to my own solo walk and talks and eventually live stream bible studies and prayer calls. No matter how much experience I gained... i was always a bit nervous before going live on multiple platforms. But, once the streams went live I got more comfortable and there were always either challenging questions, characters in the chat, trolls, and technical difficulties to navigate live.
I would prepare some of the study topics or expositions for weeks sometimes. No matter how much I prepared in advance there were always detours that the streams would take that were excellent additions to anything that I would have thought to plan.
I found that I would often get as much if not more from our fellowships together than the listeners. I always encouraged participation and input and that was something that accelerated our time together. I think we all got a lot of prayer for each other and our families as well as giving many prayers out for others and events happening in the world. Some of the results were quite amazing.
I never found it difficult since I am a talker to just talk about my passions. But that feeling of being on the spot and the focal point of such gatherings always had the nerves on edge a bit. As a public speaker, if this experience counts as one, I would probably rate myself 6 or 7 out of 10. I would always leave the judgement of that to the listeners.
I could say a lot more but this is my short version of the story. Glad I found time to circle back and give something closer to the answers I would have liked to give a few days ago. Cheers G~Dawg
Oh man this is really cool. I like the way it all came to be, the accident of it and how you sort of found out you were good at it, had no choice but to push through and make it work.
You mention detours and in public speaking that can be a pitfall as the speaker may find it difficult to get back to topic, or forget what it was, and that's problematic. The really great speakers though, they'll detour, make it relevant or a value-add, and then circle back and the audience will feel it was a planned detour. It's really great when that happens, a good feeling, and I think the audience get a lot of value from it, the extra spin-off information, that can leave them feeling really fulfilled.
I did some podcasts, long range shooting stuff, as a guest a few times. I liked it as people would send in questions and I'd answer them although I always had time to consider the questions and determine a response; one doesn't want to get it wring with firearm/shooting stuff, one never lives that down you know? Like you, I liked the camaraderie of it. I know it's a different sort of thing to what you mention but the net result is similar in a way; contentment, value, togetherness and all.
I'm glad you came back to write your comment, such a good one which I sent to curangel for a vote. Lol. Thanks mate, I really appreciated your comment.
Man, thanks for the interest and feedback. My real name is Tim and one of the nicknames I acquired during my time doing that stuff was Tangential Timmy since I would be the one detouring into tangents more often than not. hahha
When it came to questions or disputes along the way, I could be wrong, but I think the religious crowd may ironically be a bit more unforgiving when it comes to getting things right or wrong than the weapons enthusiasts.
Fortunately, I know why and what I believe and was usually able to answer most questions or contend against many disputes over topics and passages. However, my favorite questions were the ones that I couldn't answer. It made me have to dig deeper and study more to find an answer and those generally had the most impact on me and my understanding and ignorance. OF course, I would share those insights along the way as well.
The people who would come and go (and often come back again) gained a lot of camaraderie from having a group to share their interests and questions with. We were/are a family. We didn't all agree on everything the same way but there are core fundamentals that create a firm foundation. From there... it's all about reasoning together.
I always said I had one hand out to the un/non believers and the other hand out to fellow believers so that we could all just walk the walk together talking and learning and growing together.
I am definitely no saint and I used many of my shortcomings as examples of what not to do and how to learn to avoid the mistakes that are usually common to all. I think being humble makes a connection with people, especially in a public setting scenario. But then, there are also those who want a perfect expert or leader to know everything so that way it feels better to listen and follow.
Personally, I always have felt that whatever message or scriptures were being discussed and analyzed were always meant for whoever needed to hear what was in that content. I can't tell you how many times that ended up being the case. It's even crazier when somebody saw a live stream a year after the fact and it probably resonated with that one individual later than it did any of the folks participating live.
Thanks again for the thought provoking post and chat. I don't want to drown you in my verbosity so I will cut it short This Time! hahah
I know that this is not quite the same but I did try making let's plays so I was talking while playing games. This was difficult because english is my second language that I had not used in ages.
Not speaking a language well will often inhibit communication with those who speak that language well, but it's always good to make the effort and I think people appreciate it.
Yes, I would say that will distract more and might blur the focus and attention. I am afraid if you are into your teen and imagining like that it might trigger your hormones differently and make you excited for a different reason.....😀😀😀
This is true indeed; it's quite ridiculous advice.
yeah
You are really right. Prepare your speech and speak alone. And there is a huge difference between giving the same speech to an audience of 500 people. When you are doing such an adventure for the first time, it also happens that the preparations you have made disappear in front of the audience. Haha that has happened to me. Two things are responsible for it, one is that your pressure of mind is moving somewhere else, and the other is that the natural gift you get for speaking in front of an audience is less. @galenkp
Preparation is important, no doubt.
But sometimes it happens that even after preparation blackouts occur in front of the audience. So I believe that with preparation some natural courage is also given and it gives a better presentation.
It's normal to feel nervous while giving a public speech, it happened to me too. It would be nice to have a look away from the hot women, ha ha ha. Nervousness does not work once good skills are acquired in giving a speech
Yep, I agree as I've said in my post. Thanks for reiterating.
I get it @galenkp 💛 Confidence ain't just about pumping yourself up. It's about being solid in what you're putting out there. Know your stuff, and the nerves ease up a bit 😉
Yep, that's right...it's not an ego thing... preparation is way more effective in situations like I mention.
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STOPFirst of all congratulations on being able to step out and speak.... I quite remember answering questions in class alone was almost impossible for me... A teacher would ask the question, no one has the answers except me and yet so nervous I couldn't speak with a broken voice... .
Indeed we are all born naked, but there's so much potential in us and I see a lot in you
Your hands is no exciting to the eyes😄.
However, as a lady reading this, i really don't know how it works for anyone who sees striping it's hot audience as extra confidence in the process of a public speaking event.
Even if am attracted at a time to an handsome guy present as an audience, i think what would come to my mind would be making sure to leave a good impression on my listener which would include my handsome. And to achieve that would need more confidence, so in my opinion, my technics would be the opposite of having to naked audience with my mind.
Oh right, I've been privileged at a time to deliver a speech, We were in pairs though, probably could be the reason why i wasn't all nervous and yes! It came out fine at the end.
Every time I speak in front of a large number of people, unknown as well as known, I feel uneasy.
Even though I prepare for the topic I'm going to talk about, I feel the presence of the stage fright and nervousness.
This is how I feel even when I talk through online tools - as soon as I know that there are more listeners on the other side, I feel uneasy. True, it's much easier when it's online than in person...
When I speak in front of a large number of people, and that is some professional field, I seem much more confident than when I talk about some non-professional, free topics (about which I cannot prepare).
All the nervousness at those professional presentations stops the moment I include the listeners in the communication. As if their inclusion in the communication would take away the burden of the speaker.
When I speak in front of a large group of people, I don't imagine them naked 🙂
I find one point above their heads that serves as my focus. That point is my anchor for the speech I'm giving. It would never occur to me to imagine my listeners naked.
Rather like in Harry Pottery, when they faced their fears (and imagined a spider on the dewdrops, the moon as a balloon, a snake as a clown...), I would imagine them not as passionate judges, but with funny caps, wigs, clown noses. in colorful skirts...
Ps. Your hand holding a cup full of coffee is so close to the keyboard of your laptop that I worry about its health in case of spilled coffee 🙂
The point in the audience thing is a good strategy, I usually find three or four so it doesn't look like I'm staring at one single point. I'll also make solid eye contact with people, to make a point, build connection and also with those who seem to be responding well as that brings some reassurance.
There are many techniques and a combination of them work for me.
Yeah, I'm courting disaster with the proximity of my coffee to my laptop, I've not had a spill-incident yet and hope I never do.
Once I spilled coffee near my laptop, luckily missed it.
That's why now I drink coffee in the relax zone, on break.
I spilled coffee in my lap a few times, mostly while driving; it's never a good thing.