Comments on: Stage Fright, Public Speaking, and Anxiety

By: Amanda Hite @sexythinker

Amanda Hite @sexythinker — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:29:30 +0000

Loved the live stream of SRS. I can’t wait to see you really live doing your thing one day on stage..

By: Laurie

Laurie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:26:10 +0000

@HRI Whoa, that’s awesome insight about narcissism and egotism. Thank you.

@Mona Toastmasters FTW!

By: HR Instinct

HR Instinct — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:48:13 +0000

You are on stage for a reason. If you sucked, they wouldn’t have asked you. Stage fright is just another form of egotism – if you are nervous, you are making the event about you instead of about the information and about your audience.

By: Mona Dutta

Mona Dutta — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:28:19 +0000

I joined Toastmasters recently and even though I have not yet had many practice speeches, I can say I feel more confident already. The “table topics” section in Toastmasters where one has to speak impromptu within 30 seconds of being given a topic, without any prior preparation, is what has helped me most. Thinking on one’s feet, blanking out in the middle of a speech and recovering quickly, and knowing one can survive anything after that, just increased dollops of confidence.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:11:13 +0000

@SiKninja Word. Good advice. Thank you.

@Gail AWESOME. Thank you!

@Kerry Oh snap, thank you, but you didn’t have to out yourself. I wasn’t going to tell anyone that I was talking to you. I’m not sure if you want your brand associated with my spanx-loving brand.

@Dave I totally rehearsed in front of a mirror and then became self-conscious because I need to have my eyebrows cleaned up. Thanks for the advice.

@Kathleen Now I’m embarrassed. I wasn’t fishing for compliments, but shoot, I’ll take ‘em. Feels good to be done.

By: Kathleen - ClearedJobsNet

Kathleen - ClearedJobsNet — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:57:37 +0000

Oh MY GOD! Girlfriend you were the most awesome! Come on already all that coaching the Lucy gave you of prancing around and not worrying about how you look! How could you go wrong! Well no one could tell you were nervous even when you had to put on your “HR” hat and “shhhshh!” everyone! You certainly know how to herd cats (and sharks!)

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:44:53 +0000

L: Just do the hard work of rehersing in your mirror. You will be confident and relaxed during the real thing after you’ve done this for a few times. Most importantly just be “you”! That’s what people want–your personality, your punk style, and that’s why they hire you. Best wishes and luck!

Dave

By: Kerry Noone

Kerry Noone — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:42:58 +0000

Well you certainly fooled me… and 300 other people I am sure! You seemed a natural on stage and you did an awesome job keeping the crowd on schedule. It was a pleasure to meet you… and share a conversation that was broadcasted live to those who happened to be listening to the live stream during the break!

By: Gail Larsen

Gail Larsen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:17:37 +0000

The secret to being memorable is telling stories that make the information real to those listening. Native American wisdom reminds us, “Tell me a fact and I’ll listen, tell me a truth and I’ll learn, but tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” Stories also represent our original material – no one else can tell your story, and it is a natural way of communicating. Here’s a review for Fast Company on Transformational Speaking: If You Want to Change the World, Tell a Better Story.” http://bit.ly/yIriZ

By: SiKninja

SiKninja — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:43:32 +0000

i’ve always forced a friend or family member to sit through the entire presentation and give me notes on if everything made sense and what they feel I should change. None of them are in HR, so if they feel like they walked away with a working knowledge of the material, i feel solid going into the presentation…word up