Speech: Stage Fright and What to Do About It (1969)

there may not be many people who can speak from experience about how it feels to jump out of an airplane but there are probably quite a few who given a choice between making the jump or making a speech about it would rather face the fall if you're one of them if stage fright has you up in the air let's consider how to cope with it so you land on your feet [Music] the first step in learning to control stage pright in making it work for you lies in understanding it what it is why it happens stage fright is fear of course physical fear with all its symptoms a rapidly Beating Heart a flushed face a dry mouth and Tremors of the hand compelling some kind of nervous action to dispel them and that's the whole point of all the physical manifestations action when you are confronted with any kind of fear inducing situation chemical changes take place inside your body to pave the way for Action in a bloodstream circulating at a pace sufficient for normal activities the release of a temporary oversupply of adrenaline triggered by fear causes a circulatory speed up a kind of instant regearing for a higher level of performance that's why seasoned performers like concert artists welcome the butterflies that come backstage they know they'll give a higher level of performance because of them a professional actor Will dispel some of his excess anxiety in the way nature meant it to be dispelled by action by pacing back and forth before he goes on stage now why does a speaker get an overdose of adrenaline and most do why this response to Danger syndrome when there's no physical danger apparent you get it because you care about what others think of you your life may not be at stake but your sense of pride of self-importance certainly is you look at them and you imagine that they're bored they're thinking how funny you look or they're disagreeing with you you imagine it in other words you've psyched yourself into the same state you'd experience if you were facing fire and shell but what you can psych yourself into you can psych yourself out of and You Begin by concentrating on something besides yourself and your shortcomings important thing to remember is that you wouldn't have been asked to speak if someone didn't want to hear what you have to say a real desire to communicate can obscure a physical handicap and help overcome stage fright by concentrating on communication you do away with your consciousness of self you don't have to have the good looks of a movie star to be a good speaker not even all movie stars are handsome or beautiful Abraham Lincoln was not The Dashing man of his Time Winston Churchill was not exactly thin and Franklin Roosevelt often delivered his talks to the from a wheelchair it's true great speakers concentrate on the message they know that no one is Born Free of the mechanisms that trigger stage fright that we're all in the same boat and that what we have to say is what is going to carry us through the Rough Waters of stage fright so spend as much time as you can developing what you have to say find out all there is to know about your subject keep digging for facts and information much more than you can possibly use why because some of what you dig out is going to be odd interesting unusual the very kind of hooks that will make your material interesting and important to your audience inspiration rarely if ever comes out of the blue inspiration is a byproduct of the perspiration you pour into research and preparation picture your future audience in your mind and decide what what result you want to get from them do you want to persuade inform entertain have a clear grasp of the effect you wish to create then practice develop your confidence in your outline or notes by actual tests before an audience that can be both critical and appreciative you don't memorize or write out your text unless for some reason you must read it know how you're are going to begin and end but use your notes only to make certain you cover all you want to say when you're up there with All Eyes Upon you the better you look the better you're going to feel so before the big day get the clothes that make you feel best and take care of personal grooming the speaker who is least self-conscious may be the one who was most conscious of self beforehand comes the dawn are you going to be a nerveless man of steeve de no you're not a robot you'll feel tension but your self- preconditioning will help control the tension so that most traces of it are hidden and what's left will spark your performance Jim recently qualified to compete in this year's National skydiving championships today he is going to tell us a little bit about the sport of skydiving Jim speaking and jumping have much in common listen skydiving like many other things is simply a matter of self-control a state of mind most jumpers never completely overcome their sense of fear but this is not necessarily A Bad Thing a little bit of controlled fear apprehension or whatever you choose to call it makes you more alert and more perceptive everyone who wants to learn to skydive must learn to control his fear uncontrolled fear can be a dangerous handicap but properly managed tension can give you the sense of power and confidence that you will need until you're back on the ground I would now like to show you a picture of some of the main parts that a parachute jumper must have visual aids can be Lifesavers for a speaker giving him strings to pull so to speak to satisfy his body's need for Action under stress letting him talk with his body to help break his tensions and free his mind to concentrate on what he is saying but if you use visual aids be careful not to become so preoccupied with them that you lose eye contact with your listeners remember those people out there are participating too so interact with them as individuals look at them pick out the friendly ones those who are truly interested and respond to their interest but not always to the same ones let those who seem to be bored or preoccupied interact with their private worlds if you let yourself go be yourself use body motions and facial expressions that Telegraph your interest and involvement with your subject you will start creating images in the minds of your listeners you know that you have done something worthwhile you've answered a challenge to yourself you somehow feel more important like nothing can really hold you back when they feel what you feel see in their Mind's Eye what you have seen you are communicating you'll sense it and nothing else will do so much to develop a positive frame of mind not everyone can speak from experience on such an unusual topic as skydiving but everyone speaks from some kind of experience experience your audience wants to share or you wouldn't have been asked to speak in the first place so build your confidence by fulfilling your audience's wish to share emphasize the message recognize that the fear of stage fright is real but the dangers are largely imaginary be your own doctor and analyze your fears if they're all in your mind you're the only one who can get them out then get them out by thorough preparation know your subject so well that you have more ideas than you need and can express them clearly and effectively Define your purpose if you know what effect you intend to achieve with your audience it will give you confidence particularly in persuasive situations practice know how you intend to begin and end and use notes only as reminders of the points you want to include use whatever good speech techniques you've observed in others especially those such as visual aids which involve body movement and help to break your tension rely on the positive attitude you get from careful grooming and from interacting with the friendly faces and finally accumulate experience with time practice and patience you will gain the inner Poise and self assurance to be at your best before an audience to get the jump on stage fright you learn to respect and trust your equipment you have confidence in it and you know how to use it properly that first step is a long long one and when things start to happen it's vital that they happen properly the reward for mastering stage fright is a thrill that surpasses skydiving a satisfaction with yourself which remains long after the Applause is over [Music]