One of the most famous writers and lecturers in America’s history was a Southern gentleman named Samuel Clemens – better known to the world by his pen name of Mark Twain. The creator of timeless characters such as Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, Twain was known in his lifetime nearly as much for his public speaking as for his writing. He spent many years touring and speaking, and had the ability to fill a lecture hall wherever he went.
Twain is so well known for his witty turns of phrase that uncountable numbers of pithy quotes have been attributed to him (rightly or wrongly). As we might expect, the man seems to have had a number of things to say about public speaking, stage fright, and how to handle both.
“There are two types of speakers; those that are nervous and those that are liars.”
Most of us have heard, in one form or another, that the most common phobia is the terror of public speaking. It’s interesting that this fear is so pervasive, and it certainly says something about the social nature of humankind. After all, what is so terrifying about speaking in front of an audience? It’s not a life-threatening situation. We aren’t being pursued by tigers – we’re just talking.
And yet, our body reacts precisely as if the situation were potentially terminal. Physiologically, our fear releases a hormonal cascade that leads to a fight-or-flight reaction. We sweat. Our hands shake. We go dry in the mouth and weak in the knees. Our heart rates increase, and we flush. We get short of breath, and we turn pale. We feel lightheaded and faint. We get tunnel vision. We suddenly really need to use the bathroom.
“If there is an awful, horrible malady in the world, it is stage-fright – and seasickness. They are a pair.”
Mark Twain was no stranger to this state of panic; in fact, Twain himself is credited with coining the term “stage fright.” In his typically entertaining account of his first time onstage, he compared the experience to being seasick on a ship with two hundred passengers. “I was so sick there wasn’t any left for the other passengers,” he said.
Before his first lecture, Twain confessed, “My knees were shaking so that I didn’t know whether I could stand up.” He planned, ingeniously, to sprinkle the audience with supporters who would help ensure that the crowd laughed and applauded at the right times during his speech. This strategy, as it turned out, backfired amusingly when one of his allies got their signals mixed up – but in principle, the idea of planting or recruiting helpers in the audience is a good one.
If there’s someone in the audience we can use as a touchstone of security, it can help to counteract our nerves. In practice, we may not always be speaking to anyone we know, but it’s usually possible to find a person – or a few people – we feel more comfortable talking to, and on whom we can focus when delivering our presentation.
If we arrive early, we may be able to introduce ourselves to a few individuals and gain some support; once onstage, we can try to locate someone with a sympathetic face, or who reminds us of our cousin. Any comforting, humanizing connection in the audience helps us to mentally turn the interaction into something less intimidating.
“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”
Famous speakers the world over have stressed that planning and preparation are key. Practicing the presentation is one of the best ways to get comfortable with the material – and thus eliminate one of the main sources of nervousness.
After all, losing our place or going blank is one of our big worries, isn’t it? The prospect of getting up in front of an audience, only to stand there like a deer caught in headlights, is one of the primary fears of any speaker. Thorough preparation is the ideal antidote.
Plan the presentation with an organized structure with a clear and natural flow; then practice, practice, practice. The more we prepare, the less we have to worry about – and when we feel more prepared, our fear and nervousness will decrease accordingly.
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
Most of Twain’s lectures were not scripted, nor did he often read from his own writings. When lecturing, he spoke from memory – apparently extemporaneously, but in fact according to a carefully crafted and rehearsed plan, and according to the needs of the audience.
If we have an understanding of our audience, a well-prepared talk, and a thorough grasp of our subject matter, we have little need to be nervous. All we need to do is be sincere and direct, follow our plan, talk to our allies – and maybe do a little deep breathing and stretching to calm down before we start. It’s okay. Remember, even Mark Twain’s knees got wobbly from time to time.
Baker Communications offers leading-edge Presentations Training solutions that will help we address the goals and achieve the solutions addressed in this article. For more information about how our organization can achieve immediate and lasting behavior change that leads to success during presentations in any setting, click here.
