Afraid of public speaking? Here's 8 steps to overcome your fear and speak with power.

1. STEPS TO
OVERCOME YOUR FEAR
8
of public speaking

2. Make thyself a
craftsman in speech,
for thereby thou shalt
gain the upper hand.
– INSCRIPTION ON 3,000 YEAR
OLD EGYPTIAN TOMB

3. REMEMBER
The 3 objectives of any good speech are:

4. REMEMBER
The 3 objectives of any good speech are:
Make an impression.
1

5. REMEMBER
The 3 objectives of any good speech are:
Make an impression. Provide your
audience with 2
or 3 takeaways.
1 2

6. REMEMBER
The 3 objectives of any good speech are:
Make an impression. Provide your
audience with 2
or 3 takeaways.
Enjoy yourself
(so the audience can
enjoy themselves too).
1 2 3

7. 1
FIND A TOPIC THAT “CLICKS”
WITH THE AUDIENCE

8. 1
FIND A TOPIC THAT “CLICKS”
WITH THE AUDIENCE
ASK YOURSELF:
Who’s in the audience?
If you know who’s showing up, you can speak to their demographic.

9. 1
FIND A TOPIC THAT “CLICKS”
WITH THE AUDIENCE
ASK YOURSELF:
Who’s in the audience?
If you know who’s showing up, you can speak to their demographic.
What am I passionate about?
If you don’t care, neither will your audience.
Choose something that excites you in order to excite others.

10. They may forget what
you said, but they will
never forget how you
made them feel.
- MAYA ANGELOU
2 • FIND A TOPIC

11. 2
TELL A STORY

12. 2
TELL A STORY
Stories resonate with audiences
and are easier to remember.

13. LIKE ANY GOOD STORY,
your speech must have an intro, a body, and a conclusion.
2 • TELL A STORY

14. LIKE ANY GOOD STORY,
your speech must have an intro, a body, and a conclusion.
INTRODUCTION
Present the problem.
1
2 • TELL A STORY

15. LIKE ANY GOOD STORY,
your speech must have an intro, a body, and a conclusion.
INTRODUCTION
Present the problem.
BODY
Show the conflict.
1 2
2 • TELL A STORY

16. LIKE ANY GOOD STORY,
your speech must have an intro, a body, and a conclusion.
INTRODUCTION
Present the problem.
BODY
Show the conflict.
CONCLUSION
Offer a solution.
1 2 3
2 • TELL A STORY

17. 3
PRACTICE, PRACTICE,
PRACTICE

18. 3
PRACTICE, PRACTICE,
PRACTICE
Repetition is the mother of skill.
– ANTHONY ROBBINS

19. FOCUS ON YOUR
DELIVERY
3 • PRACTICE

20. FOCUS ON YOUR
DELIVERY
Once you’re confident you can recite
your key talking points from memory,
either film yourself or watch yourself
in the mirror.
3 • PRACTICE

21. WATCH THE WAY
YOU MOVE, AND
LISTEN TO THE WAY
YOU TALK.
3 • PRACTICE

22. WATCH THE WAY
YOU MOVE, AND
LISTEN TO THE WAY
YOU TALK.
If it appears robotic or strange, keep
practicing until it looks natural.
3 • PRACTICE

23. WATCH THE WAY
YOU MOVE, AND
LISTEN TO THE WAY
YOU TALK.
Memorising your speech doesn’t
mean reciting it word-for-word. Leave
room for natural improvisation.
TIP
If it appears robotic or strange, keep
practicing until it looks natural.
3 • PRACTICE

24. SLOOOOOW DOOOWN
Don’t speak fast or run over your words.
3 • PRACTICE

25. SLOOOOOW DOOOWN
Don’t speak fast or run over your words.
The most precious things in
speech are pauses.
– RALPH WALDO EMERSON
3 • PRACTICE

26. USE GESTURES
3 • PRACTICE

27. USE GESTURES
Be expressive with your hands and
face, and move around occasionally
to complement what you’re saying.
3 • PRACTICE

28. USE GESTURES
Be expressive with your hands and
face, and move around occasionally
to complement what you’re saying.
Try to avoid continuous pacing,
or waving your hands around the
whole time. It can be distracting.
TIP
3 • PRACTICE

29. 4
CALM YOUR NERVES

30. 4
CALM YOUR NERVES
Before you go on, find a place where you can be
alone with your thoughts for a minute or two.

31. REMIND
YOURSELF
WHY YOU’RE
THERE.
1
What’s the main
lesson you want
to teach
your audience?
4 • CALM YOUR NERVES

32. REMIND
YOURSELF
WHY YOU’RE
THERE.
CLENCH
YOUR FISTS
FOR 3-5
SECONDS.
1 2
What’s the main
lesson you want
to teach
your audience?
This will relax
your shoulders
and jaw.
4 • CALM YOUR NERVES

33. REMIND
YOURSELF
WHY YOU’RE
THERE.
CLENCH
YOUR FISTS
FOR 3-5
SECONDS.
BREATHE
DEEPLY,
1 2 3
What’s the main
lesson you want
to teach
your audience?
This will relax
your shoulders
and jaw.
inhaling slowly and
exhaling completely.
Repeat.
4 • CALM YOUR NERVES

34. 5
START
STRONG

35. 5
START
STRONG
THE FIRST FEW MINUTES ARE CRUCIAL.
Show the audience you’re confident, sincere,
friendly and worthy of their attention.

36. START WITH A
QUESTION, A FUNNY
ANECDOTE, OR A
SHOCKING FACT OR
STATISTIC.
5 • START STRONG

37. START WITH A
QUESTION, A FUNNY
ANECDOTE, OR A
SHOCKING FACT OR
STATISTIC.
This is how Steve Jobs started his speech
at the 2005 Commencement Address at
Stanford University:
5 • START STRONG

38. START WITH A
QUESTION, A FUNNY
ANECDOTE, OR A
SHOCKING FACT OR
STATISTIC.
This is how Steve Jobs started his speech
at the 2005 Commencement Address at
Stanford University:
Truth be told, I never graduated from
college, and this is the closest I’ve ever
gotten to a college graduation.
5 • START STRONG

39. 6
USE YOUR EYES

40. 6
USE YOUR EYES
To truly connect with your audience,
you need to look them in the eye.

41. TRY THIS APPROACH:
6 • USE YOUR EYES

42. TRY THIS APPROACH:
Find 5 friendly faces in different areas of the audience.
Then move your focus between them.
6 • USE YOUR EYES

43. AVOID THESE MISTAKES:
TRY THIS APPROACH:
Find 5 friendly faces in different areas of the audience.
Then move your focus between them.
6 • USE YOUR EYES

44. AVOID THESE MISTAKES:
TRY THIS APPROACH:
Find 5 friendly faces in different areas of the audience.
Then move your focus between them.
• Looking across the room.
• Focusing on the back row.
• Looking above people’s eyes.
• Locking on to just one person.
6 • USE YOUR EYES

45. GIVE YOUR AUDIENCE THE
SENSE YOU’RE TALKING
TO ALL OF THEM
6 • USE YOUR EYES

46. GIVE YOUR AUDIENCE THE
SENSE YOU’RE TALKING
TO ALL OF THEM
Look left, then right, then
center, then back and front.
6 • USE YOUR EYES

47. GIVE YOUR AUDIENCE THE
SENSE YOU’RE TALKING
TO ALL OF THEM
Look left, then right, then
center, then back and front.
After you finish expressing an idea or thought,
shift your focus to the next person.
TIP
6 • USE YOUR EYES

48. 7
END WITH
A BANG

49. Starting strong is good.
Finishing strong is epic.
– ROBIN SHARMA
7
END WITH
A BANG

50. MAKE YOUR AUDIENCE FEEL
THAT YOU’RE LEADING UP TO
SOMETHING SPECTACULAR
7 • END WITH A BANG

51. MAKE YOUR AUDIENCE FEEL
THAT YOU’RE LEADING UP TO
SOMETHING SPECTACULAR
Finish up with a rhetorical question,
a quote, something funny, or a startling statement.
7 • END WITH A BANG

52. MAKE YOUR AUDIENCE FEEL
THAT YOU’RE LEADING UP TO
SOMETHING SPECTACULAR
Finish up with a rhetorical question,
a quote, something funny, or a startling statement.
And finally, always end with a powerful call to action.
7 • END WITH A BANG

53. On the brink of the Civil War,
Abraham Lincoln closed his speech with:
The dogmas of the quiet past
are inadequate for the stormy
present and future. As our
circumstances are anew, we
must think anew and act anew.
7 • END WITH A BANG

54. 8
HOW DID
YOU DO?

55. 8
HOW DID
YOU DO?
Review your performance and see what
you can do better.

56. THEN, DO THE
UNTHINKABLE
8 • HOW DID YOU DO?

57. THEN, DO THE
UNTHINKABLE
Speak in public again.
8 • HOW DID YOU DO?

58. THEN, DO THE
UNTHINKABLE
Speak in public again.
Because the only way you will truly overcome your fear,
is by facing it over and over.
8 • HOW DID YOU DO?

59. Inaction breeds doubt and fear.
Action breeds confidence and
courage. If you want to conquer
fear, do not sit home and think
about it. Go out and get busy.
-DALE CARNEGIE
8 • HOW DID YOU DO?

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