I remember the very first time I presented to a group of customers back in the early 1980s. I got on stage, looked at their unsmiling faces and froze! I had forgotten the most important and basic rule...'remember to breathe'.
I know that it sounds simple, but it is easily forgotten in the sheer panic of standing under spotlights - like a bug under a microscope.
I now follow a very simple routine every time I need to make a speech, be it a small meeting of a few people or a massive gathering in a conference hall. Just before I get called to speak, I take five deep breaths. I breathe in to completely fill my lungs, count (silently) to five and then exhale to fully empty them of oxygen. Try it...but please don't faint, it probably won't help you deliver your perfect speech!
After doing this a few times, you should feel slightly light-headed and relaxed. You will then take to the stage feeling good, chilled out and calm. The audience (who want you to succeed as it is hideously uncomfortable for them to get a nervous speaker) will benefit from your new-found confidence!
Hamish Haynes
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