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Archiver > APG > 2007-05 > 1179939071


From: "Cindy Davis" <>
Subject: Re: [APG] speaking jitters pointers
Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 12:51:11 -0400
In-Reply-To: <46543C30.60602@circlemending.org>


Wow! Thank you Jean for some wonderful tips and reminders!!


Cindy Hineman Davis

-----Original Message-----
From: Jean Wilcox Hibben [mailto:]
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 9:06 AM
To:
Subject: [APG] speaking jitters pointers

I know I am a little late to be chiming in on this topic, brought up by
LaDonna, but I am still on the road (having left Richmond on Sat., now
in Knoxville to do some research before heading on). After 13 years as
a public speaking professor and, prior to that, an active member of
Toastmistress Clubs (later known as International Training in
Communication), I would like to add some suggestions for before & after
the presentation.
1) Just as athletes warm up, public speakers would be wise to do a
little warming up, too. Try some mouth & jaw exercises - say the vowels
(A,E,I,O,U) over & over, but exaggerate the enunciation & use of the
mouth (I know, sounds weird, but it really helps ... especially for
those who find their mouths don't seem to want to open in front of a
group). Also, deep breathing (from the diaphragm) helps to relax the
body. Try physical exercise, too (if practical), to help use up some of
the nervous energy (just don't get all sweaty or out of breath just
before coming up to speak ... that type of exercise should be done a bit
earlier in the day!).
When selecting your wardrobe, don't put on something brand new that
you have never worn before. You are likely to feel self-conscious; if it
doesn't fit right, that can add to the jitters (or make a whole new type
of nervous movement). Similarly, if you are planning to change
hairstyle, color, etc., do so a few days before you speak ... otherwise
you may start wondering if people are staring at it, that it isn't
right, etc.
Nourishment & rest should not be underrated. No one wants to see a
speaker yawning (if he/she is bored with the material, why should the
audience listen?). But watch what you consume: dairy products can clog
up the throat, causing the speaker to have a need/desire to cough or
clear the throat. Similarly, citrus drinks can break phlegm loose and
suddenly it's right there, needing to be "handled." Ick. Water, of
course, is the best liquid prior to (and during, as needed) a
presentation, but it shouldn't be ice water. I always smile & thank the
host who provides me with an ice cold bottle of water & then proceed to
use my own, much less frigid whistle-wetter. Even if you don't use it
during the presentation, having a bottle or glass of water handy will
let you know it's available (my mouth goes to cotton whenever I discover
I don't have water within reach!). As for other drinks (before or
during), I think it goes without saying that alcohol is a no-no (you can
unwind with that later, as long as you have a designated driver! LOL),
and soda causes ... well, you know. How unpleasant! But don't overeat
before a presentation! Best diet around: be an after-dinner speaker ...
don't want to have so full a stomach that you feel bloated. But you
also don't want to go without food. Even if you feel too nervous to eat,
it's important to have something in your stomach (besides not wanting
your stomach rumbling to compete with your speech, we get light-headed
if we haven't eaten for a long period of time & speakers fainting from
that issue is far more common than fainting from fear of public speaking).
When we're nervous, there are certain physiological effects that can
get in the way of presenting a satisfying speech. The pupils tend to
dilate when we are anxious ... this means that hand- or type-written
notes, which may have been easy to read in the living room, suddenly
seem blurry. Write/type large! But don't write out all the words ...
just put down your cue words. I often highlight points that might
otherwise be missed (I figure out what these are during my practice ...
they're the things I realize afterwards that I forgot to say). Of
course, other parts of the body are affected by nerves and certain
organs seem to shrink ... notably: the bladder. I try to time myself so
that I have plenty of time to make a "potty run" before I speak ... I
always ask about a society's schedule (is there a business meeting
first? how long is it? etc.; I hate surprises! And even more I hate to
be headed to the door to make one last stop & hear my name called just
as I'm about to enter the necessary room!).
Visualize yourself succeeding and having an audience that is
interested in your topic (even if they aren't grinning and nodding
furiously). Do *not* picture yourself doing anything wrong (stumbling,
forgetting words, etc.) ... the visualization before a presentation has
great power to be a self-fulfilling prophecy!!
2) Following the presentation, enjoy the "high"! But also make
immediate notes of things you want to do differently... parts you want
to change, points you forgot to mention, etc. Often I figure these out
from the questions that are asked. Do not "mind rape" yourself: if
there were no questions, it does not mean that you failed: perhaps you
covered it all so well that there was nothing left to be asked! If you
get non-stop questions, that doesn't mean you didn't cover things
effectively: maybe you were so inspiring that people were motivated to
know more! Always consider the time of day: if your presentation
follows a luncheon, don't be surprised to look out and find a few
snoozers ... it's probably not you. If your presentation precedes a
meal or is the last one of the day, don't be insulted if people leave
early: they may want to get to their cars and get on the road before the
mad rush or they may be starving! In fact, if people leave the room
during your presentation, it is easy to think that is a clue that you
are doing something wrong. Perhaps, but it's far more likely they
decided that your topic was not what they expected. Or their cell phone
vibrated and they have a sick child at home. Or they have some other
personal or biological need. After a presentation it is easy to look at
all these things as indicators that we, as speakers, are failing the
audience. This can be a big deterrent to taking future "gigs." I
prefer to look at this issue as people having lives that are completely
unconnected from me and my needs. That's easier on the self-concept, if
nothing else.

OK, I could keep going, but the library is opening & there is some vital
information that I believe is in those files. Hope some of this was
helpful in one way or another.

Best,
Jean


Jean Wilcox Hibben, MA,CGsm
Riverside County, California

Member, Association of Professional Genealogists
Member, Genealogical Speakers Guild
President, Corona (CA) Genealogical Society

CG and Certified Genealogist are Service Marks of the Board for
certification of Genealogists used under license after periodic
evaluations by the Board;the board name is registered in the US Patent &
Trademark Office.

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