016. How to Deal with Nerves

Start your public speaking career or take it to the next level with The Speaker Lab's Grant Baldwin!

If there’s one thing every speaker faces before a speaking gig it is the possibility of nerves, and how to deal with those nerves. Ask any seasoned veteran of the public speaking world and they’ll tell you they have received all sorts of advice, some of it good and some of it not as good.

Because there’s so much misinformation out there about how to deal with nerves I’m devoting today’s episode to that very topic.

On today’s episode of The Speaker Lab, we’ll be covering that and much more!

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW

What is the most common misconception about speakers getting nervous?
How can the same talk be different each time?
What you can do to focus your fear.
Does nervousness ever go away?
How practicing your content can calm your nerves.
Why it’s important to put yourself in real situations.
How to relax and enjoy yourself!
Why does the audience imitate you?
And much, much more!

Tweetable: “All good things come with the possibility of failure.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

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Calvin Black

Grant, Thanks for these great points on preparing well so that we can have confidence in spite of the nerves. I think an important part of this podcast was when you said you “were excited to give this talk”. I read recently (either Adam Grant Originals, or Talk like Ted) that when we are nervous it can be counter productive to try to calm ourselves down. Instead the author suggested saying the words: “I’m excited” and channeling that nervous energy into enthusiasm.