Public Speaking Tip, act confident

I have been struggling a while with public speaking in my job. I was okay performing for a small group. But as our company grew, so did the size of the audience of potential customers and partners attending presentations. Resulting in ever increasing anxiety levels before and during the gigs. My head would feel flaming hot and this gut level reaction was preventing me from enjoying my work. It halted growth personally as well as in my career. Then I stumbled upon some remarkable insights.

I was convinced that the if-this-then-that structure of the body and mind; like feeling confident would lead me to acting and posing like a confident person. Although this is true, it also works the other way around!!! Apparently the neurological structures in our mind and body have so much feedback loops, that if you act confident (standing straight, brisk walking, relaxed smile) you will feel confident as well! I came to these findings after seeing the Ted Talk of Amy Cuddy and subsequently reading the book ‘Body Language’ of Allan Pease.

I took this advice to heart and started using confident body language and postures. And it worked! First a little, then more, and right now I enjoy public speaking! I give better presentations and feel way less anxious during and before my talks. I even get something of a positive rush during.

I hope you guys can learn something from this. So what is your experience with public speaking? And how do you cope with the stress involved with the act of presenting?