What to do to not be nervous before a performance. How not to worry before a performance? Useful tips

Most people different ages and professions have to speak in front of an audience. You have to give a report in public both at school, at university, and at work. At the same time, a person often has a problem - how to overcome anxiety before a performance. IN educational institution Having to give a speech in front of classmates or fellow students often causes discomfort. But at work, the fear of speaking in front of unfamiliar professionals who critically evaluate you is sometimes so constraining that it does not allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and clearly convey information. Do you know fear? public speaking? Then this article is for you!

Reasons for fear of public speaking

The main reason for fear of public speaking is the fear of making a loud speech in front of an audience listening to you. This behavior begins in childhood, when parents silence a child who speaks loudly in a public place. In the future, such prohibitions can develop into a phobia, and subconsciously a person begins to be afraid to express his thoughts loudly in public. The speaker feels that his voice is being squeezed, begins to worry, is squeezed even more, he may feel panic and fear. The mocking, belittling attitude of teachers or classmates towards the relative failure of a performance also contributes to the development of such a feeling. Such a reaction from others hurts a person’s feelings and contributes to the development and consolidation of a fear of public speaking.

Source of fear

You are well prepared for the speech, you know exactly what you will talk about, you are ready to answer questions, but the fear of the audience does not leave you. So what is the reason for this? Fear can arise from uncertainty, the possibility of making a mistake, or causing ridicule or condemnation from listeners. Therefore, before performing, you need to think about the fact that the audience has gathered with the intention of listening to you, and not ridiculing or attacking you. Or maybe something else is bothering you? Understanding the source of fear is the first, very important step to solving the problem.

Prove yourself

People successfully cope with anxiety when they view their performance in front of an audience as an opportunity to express themselves, to show their knowledge, vocational training, your ability to command the attention of the audience. Before public speech It is this attitude that helps reduce anxiety.

Prepare to speak in public

To avoid disruptions in the performance process that can cause increased anxiety, it is necessary to carefully consider detailed plan of your speech. It can be compiled on paper, providing the abstract of the speech, and, if necessary, graphs, illustrations, and other auxiliary materials. The plan should facilitate a smooth, logical transition from one part of the report to another and eliminate stops and hesitations when presenting the material of the speech.

Put yourself in the place of your listeners and try to understand whether the information you convey to the audience meets its expectations: whether it is clearly presented and whether it will be interesting to listen to you. Analyze the text and speech plan from this point of view.

Give a test speech in front of a mirror or a small audience in which you have confidence, and, if necessary, add to the content of the speech. You can record your performance on a video camera and watch it in search of the optimal presentation of the material, suitable gestures, facial expressions, etc. Rehearsing your speech in this way will help you feel confident and reduce anxiety.

Tune in for the performance

If you're anxious about an upcoming public speaking event, you may feel unsure about yourself. successful outcome affairs and tension, which provokes additional anxiety. Learn. Try to relax and relieve tension. To do this you can do breathing exercises with holding your breath and taking slow, deep breaths in and out. Or walk down the hallway hard, with confident steps. Practice positive visualization exercises for your performance. Imagine how confident you will look and speak during your report, and how attentively they will listen to you. Feel satisfied with your performance.

Speaking in public

You need to understand that the audience does not know that you may be nervous, and will not notice your nervousness unless you clearly show it yourself. Don't show your excitement to your listeners. Go out to the public confidently, stand freely, straight, straighten your shoulders. Speak slowly, calmly, if possible and if necessary, with expression and, if appropriate, smiling slightly.

Don't think about the audience

Try not to give of great importance what the audience is thinking about as you speak. Don’t try to peer into faces, analyze people’s facial expressions, or catch glances, because you may mistakenly mistake the listeners’ vague reaction for negative. Only if you yourself understand that you made a mistake, calmly correct your performance and continue further.

Take care of your appearance

Your appearance should not evoke feelings of irritation, pity or ridicule in your listeners. Try to make your clothes look neat, not too bright, give preference to the classic style. Hair and makeup should not be too flashy, and jewelry should take into account the social status of the audience.

It's not easy to prepare for important presentations. You understand that you are facing a huge risk, and you want to do everything right. This creates anxiety and fear, which can even paralyze you. How can you calm your nerves in this case?

Recognize the fear and reframe it

Still from the cartoon "Kung Fu Panda"

First, you need to recognize that it is natural to feel nervous and anxious before an important presentation. In a risky situation, your natural “fight or flight” instinct kicks in. Just catch yourself feeling this way and acknowledge that the discomfort an integral part of games.

Once you acknowledge your condition, you can rethink it - and then you can cope with fear.

Here's what Beth Levine, author of a book on leadership lessons in the world of sports, recommends: “Think about an athlete who is about to compete in the world championships for the first time. Of course, he will be worried, but he will not be afraid and perceive the situation as an obligation. For him, such an event will be a great opportunity that he can’t wait to grab. A nervous condition It just reminds him that this match is really important to him.”

Connect with your body

Image: Giphy

When we are overwhelmed by anxiety, we seem to fall out of reality and get stuck in a series of anxious thoughts: What if I don’t succeed? What if something goes wrong? What will they think of me?

In such a situation, awareness can help physical signs Anxiety: rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, heaviness in the chest, sweating and trembling voice. Notice them and take a deep breath to bring yourself to your senses. Look at your surroundings. Touch something, such as a table or switch. Place your body weight on your toes or feet.

Your body can help you calm your nerves by:

Don't forget the basics. Before important speech you should get a good night's sleep, drink enough water, and watch your caffeine levels to keep your heart from beating too fast. Don't forget to eat well so you don't go hungry.

Choose a strong pose. Research has shown that being in a strong posture (for example, hands on waist, legs apart) makes a person feel more confident. Some scientists believe that posture even has an effect on the hormonal level (although this theory has been questioned by many). Even if confident poses are just a placebo effect, many people claim that they help build confidence before a big performance.

Shift your center of gravity. Stand up straight and take a deep breath. Imagine that there is a heavy lead ball inside your stomach. Feel its weight and strength. It’s better to have heaviness there than in your head or chest.

Get used to the place. If possible, arrive early to the performance room and pretend it's yours. Walk around, check the equipment and inspect the size of the room. Think about the volume and expression with which you will need to speak, and what gestures you will need to make.

Be sure to prepare for the start of the performance

Good preparation will help reduce anxiety. Try to find time to collect your thoughts, choose best direction speech and highlight the main points of the speech. Don't forget that you need to spend time not only preparing your slides, but also what you will say - most speakers, unfortunately, focus too much on the former. Practice transitions in your speech (but don't overdo it, otherwise your speech will sound too rehearsed). First of all, prepare and rehearse the beginning of your presentation, and then everything will go by itself.

Here's what Levin says about this: “The nervous rush of adrenaline dissipates after about two minutes. Start your speech with some positive or unexpected words that will set the tone for the presentation.”

Levine once worked with a top manager who needed to prepare a series of corporate videos for employees. He was very worried. Levine advised him to start his speech with a smile and something positive and natural, like, “I love being in this company and what we do every day.” This way he was able to relax and record the rest of the video with ease.

If you're presenting live to an audience, take some time for your audience to deal with their emotions at the beginning of your presentation.

Try polling your audience. Ask how many people in the room have been with the company for over 10 years and ask them to raise their hands. Or ask someone in the audience why they are interested in the issue at hand.

If you're giving a business presentation, lay out the outline of your talk and say something like, "Today we're going to tell you about x, y, and z—are these the topics you think we need to cover, or is there something missing?" .

Before the performance, warm up your vocal cords, especially if you are naturally an introvert. Chat with the barista at the coffee shop or ask a colleague how his day is going.

Control your nerves while performing

But how can you calm yourself if right during the presentation you began to feel anxiety and uncertainty?

Levin advises the following: “Even if you make a mistake, continue the performance. The audience expects a good and successful presentation from you. After all, you were chosen for this task. Even if you’re shaking inside, the public doesn’t know that.”

The same goes for an emotionless audience.

“Remember that what you take for a sullen expression may turn out to be a simple expression of concentration. You can't read your audience's mind," Levin says.

If you are afraid that at a presentation you might be asked a question to which you do not know the answer, it is better to make a list in advance possible questions. It's best to have multiple answers on hand in case you're asked something you're not sure about. Here are some of them:

"Good question. I can’t answer it yet, but I’ll definitely let you know if I find out anything.”

“My instincts tell me that x. Let me talk to my team about this within a week and send you a detailed answer.”

Pass the question to someone else or ask the audience: “Let's discuss this as a group - does anyone have any ideas about this?”

In fact, no one can know in advance how there will be a performance. In addition to accepting your anxiety and preparing for your presentation, it is also important to evaluate your presentation afterwards. What was successful and what could still be worked on? What hike and preparation methods worked best for you? What techniques are best to use next time? By analyzing our speech, we improve our communication skills and our perception of ourselves as a speaker and a skilled communicator.

Even those who are not at all afraid to perform can feel somewhat insecure on stage. Stage fright is a completely common thing, common both for actors and for speakers at conferences. If you have stage fright, when speaking in front of an audience you may feel nervous, afraid, tremble for some reason or even feel a complete idiot- and all this in front of strangers! But don't despair, because stage fright can be overcome by teaching your body and mind to relax using a few simple tricks. And this article will explain to you exactly what you need to do.

Steps

How to deal with stage fright on performance day

Relax. To cope with stage fright, you need to do a couple of things that will help you relax, and this is important, because the less tension in your voice, the calmer your mind, the easier it is to perform. And here's how you can achieve this:

Hum softly to calm your voice.
Eat a banana before your performance. This will relieve the unpleasant feeling of nausea in the stomach.
Chew gum to relax your tense jaw. Just don't chew it for too long, otherwise you'll get a slight stomach upset.
Stretch. Stretch with everything you can - arms, legs, back and shoulders - this is great way reduce tension in the body.

Read yours favorite poem aloud. The sounds of your favorite rhyme are calming, fact, and even more than that - after this it is easier to speak in public.

Common Ways to Deal with Stage Fright

Pretend to be confident. Even if your hands are shaking and your heart is beating so hard that it’s about to jump out of your chest, pretend that you are no less than the most calm person on the planet. Keep your nose up, a wide smile on your face, and don’t tell anyone, not a single living soul, how you’re really going through right now. Fake it until you leave the stage.

Look not at the floor, but in front of you.
Don't slouch.

Create a ritual for yourself. You need a ritual that guarantees good luck! And then - anything, from jogging to singing in the shower or a “lucky” sock on your right foot. Do anything as long as it sets you up for success.
- An amulet will also work. Here, too, by analogy - even a ring on a finger, even plush toy in the room.
Think positively. Focus on what amazing results you can achieve, not on how much you can screw it up. Thought bad thought? Crush her with 5 good ones! Keep cards with motivational words handy and just do whatever helps you focus on the good instead of the bad.

Get advice from a professional. If you know someone who has no stage fright and is a great performer, ask them for advice. There's a chance you'll learn something new, or learn that stage fright is actually something everyone suffers to some degree, no matter how confident they may appear.

How to Deal with Stage Fright If You're an Actor

Imagine success. Before you go on stage, imagine how well everything will end - applauding spectators, smiles, congratulations from colleagues, and so on. You need to imagine the best, not worst development events, and then with more likely the first thing will happen. Imagine yourself and your amazing game - but from the viewer's point of view.

Start early. Imagine success even when you are just auditioning for a role. And in general, make it a habit.
The closer the performance, the more carefully imagine all this. Let's say, every day - before bed and immediately in the morning.

Rehearse as much as possible. Rehearse until the words of the role begin to bounce off your teeth. Remember whose lines come before you and whose lines come after you. Rehearse in front of your loved ones, acquaintances, friends, or even in front of stuffed animals in a museum or in front of empty chairs - you need to get used to performing in front of people.
- An actor's stage fright often manifests itself in the fear of forgetting words and not knowing what to do. The best way get rid of this fear - teach, teach and learn words again.
- Performing in front of an audience is completely different from rehearsing in private. Yes, you may know the role brilliantly, but everything can change when you get on stage. Be prepared for this.
Get into character. If you really want to cope with stage fright, then get into the role as believably as possible, so that even Stanislavsky shouts - “I believe!” The more you get into character, the less you will worry about yourself. Imagine as if you are your hero.
Rehearse in front of the mirror. Honestly, this will increase your confidence, because this way you can see yourself from the outside. Keep rehearsing until you start to like everything, and this will significantly increase your chances of success on the stage itself.
- See yourself from the outside - cope with the fear of the unknown. If you know how you look and how you act in your role, then you will be more comfortable on stage.
- Pay attention to the mannerism of your style, watch how you accompany your speech with gestures.
  - Note: This is certainly not an option for everyone. Yes, this will help some, but there are also those for whom it will only drive them into greater anxiety.
Learn to improvise. improvisation is what each actor must master perfectly. It is with the help of improvisation that you can prepare for any, even completely non-ideal, situation that may arise on stage. Many actors and performers often worry - they say, what if I forget or mix up the words? At the same time, they forget that other actors are also people and can also make mistakes. Improvisation will turn any mistakes into a plus!
- Improv is the best way to teach you that you can't control every aspect of your performance. The question is not to perform perfectly, but to be able to respond to any development of events and to any situation that arises on stage.
- There is no need to get lost if something unexpected happens. Remember that the audience does not have copies of the script in their hands, so they will notice that something is wrong only if you yourself make it clear to them, and in the most obvious way.

Anyone experiences anxiety before speaking in public. Whether it's an exam, a competition, a performance on stage, or an interview to get required work as a future employee of a company or a place in an educational institution as a student. Or maybe this is a meeting with the one (or the one) with whom you are very much in love...

The first thing the reader of these lines needs to understand is that anxiety before a performance is not only an absolutely normal state, but also... necessary. Probably, it’s better for me not to “pull rubber”, but to immediately stun you from the very beginning...

How to calm down before speaking in public

At the very beginning, you must deeply understand the following:

Don’t try to relieve the feeling of excitement, remove the jitters, get rid of and overcome fear!

I will even say more:

Be afraid of public speaking as much as you can, let your “shaking”, your legs be “wobbly”, and your hands cold and wet to the touch, and trembling!

And I will be 100% confident for you that you will perform in public better than you could imagine. Believe me, there will be no “failure”. Because you are completely mobilized, your whole consciousness is spurred on and brought together - a feeling of excitement and anxiety.

Why do we get nervous before public speaking?

The main reasons for anxiety before speaking in public can be:

High expectations and overpriced significance assessment of this event. Often we attach great importance to an ordinary speech lasting 3–5 minutes, and if something goes wrong, then terrible things will happen after that. We compare the very chance to speak to speaking in front of the president or in court, where our freedom is at stake. It is important to learn to objectively assess the importance of such an event.

Last negative experience public speaking. If in a previous similar situation you were very worried or defeated, then in this situation you will experience the same emotions. Try to forget what happened to you in past situation and start over from scratch.

False Belief that the audience in which you will have to speak publicly is initially hostile. This is wrong. People treat the speaker at least neutrally and initially give the speaker a certain amount of credit. Of course, there are initially negative listeners, but they criticize everyone, not just us, and you shouldn’t judge all listeners by them.

Fear of forgetting prepared speech. In this case, you need to rehearse your speech in advance and make a plan so as not to get confused in front of the audience.

Fear of additional questions on this topic. IN in this case It is important to understand that it is impossible to know absolutely everything and, if you are asked additional question, to which you do not know the answer, you can address this question to the audience itself. This will be sincere and honest on your part. And the main thing in a speech is the speaker’s trust in the audience.

Inexperience of the speaker. This can only be corrected by systematically speaking to different audiences and with different topics. Practice is the most effective method. To get rid of fear, you need to constantly overcome it.

How to deal with anxiety before a performance

I will present the facts in order of importance.

First of all, you already know that anxiety and fear are normal things that help you stay focused. Never take any anti-anxiety medications to suppress fear, because you will not be able to achieve your performance goals! Then there will be no emotional charge of the required power.

Secondly, you must have clear goal speeches that you disclose in subparagraphs (tasks). Prepare a speech plan in advance consisting of several points, for example:

What is it (what are we talking about).
Causes this phenomenon(why it happens).
What needs to be done to make what we are talking about better.

Here a lot depends on the topic of the issue under consideration.

Thirdly, you need to prepare for the performance in advance if possible. Don’t come up with anything artificial, take facts from life! Keep a short plan in mind.

The most important thing I wanted to convey to you is to admit that you are afraid of yourself! Imbue yourself with fear and you won’t notice how it disappears.

Tips and tricks for preparing for and speaking in public

Be aware of the reasons for your fear. There can be many of them. Try next exercise: remember your previous performance, focus on sounds, details, feel the changes in your body. Think about who and what your anxiety is connected with: with yourself or with your listeners. Next, build your work in those areas that caused you problems.

Understand that you will not be fired from your job or sent to prison for mistakes you make, assuming that this is the worst thing.

Make a plan for your speech in advance that is logically structured and carefully thought out. When compiling it, and this is the basis of your speech, you need to analyze literary sources, choose three or four of them and study them carefully. While reading, you need to make notes indicating the pages. Find in the literature general provisions and what distinguishes them, mark it in the plan. It would be good if it was a detailed plan.

Imagine one of the listeners, put yourself in his place and think about what he expects from your lecture, what he needs and what he will be interested in. Analyze your plan from its perspective: what will be unclear, uninteresting, and what may not be enough.

Anticipating the needs of your audience will help ensure productive interactions.

It is better if the text of the speech consists of logical flowcharts. Highlight the main ideas in color and write them on small numbered cards.

The phrase “give a lecture” should not be taken literally. While speaking, you must make eye contact. This will help keep the attention of listeners and monitor the reaction to your words. Then you will have the opportunity to dwell on something in detail and receive feedback.

Before your speech, try to imagine in detail your ideal speech: how you will look, what you will say, how the audience will behave. The script should be built in in a positive way. Try to feel the joy and satisfaction of a job well done.

Think about what might raise questions and special interest at the audience. If any terminology is used, prepare a dictionary and try to translate complex concepts into simpler language. One a wise man said that “the talent of a true professional lies in the fact that he can simply talk about complex things.”

Think about how you can decorate your speech with intonation. Use yours strengths: erudition, sense of humor, erudition. Choose a speaking style that is comfortable for the audience. A know-it-all tone can irritate listeners. During the speech, you can ask questions that will activate the attention of those listening if they suddenly stop listening to you: “Do you agree with me?”, “Do you want to add something?” Very effective method of use interesting examples, jokes.

Take care of yours appearance. Disheveled lecturer with circles under his eyes after sleepless night, in wrinkled clothes will only cause pity. Clothes should be comfortable, neat, preferably classic style. A woman's makeup should preferably be natural and soft. When choosing jewelry, consider the income level of your audience and social status.

If you still feel nervous before the performance, walk for 5 minutes, walk quickly.

During the performance, stand with your arms straight at your sides, feel how the tension “flows” into the floor, while moving your hands.

A well-tested technique - deep breathing. After breathing for a few minutes, you will feel how your body has “ventilated” and relaxed.

The ability to logically and beautifully structure speeches comes with experience. Take advantage of every opportunity to participate in various events. And your preparation, friendliness and naturalness will be the key to your successful performances.

Video on the topic

How to calm down before a performance and overcome fear and anxiety

Public speech with Radislav Gandapas. Part 1: One, two, three

Video channel "USPEHTV".

Radislav Gandapas will talk about the structure of public speech.

“Do it once, do it twice, do it three!” Is it possible to put complex management skills into a clear, strict and short algorithm? Can! The best business trainers in Russia conduct a mini-training on the air of the Success channel. In 23 minutes, the training participant, and with him all viewers of the channel, will receive a management tool that they are guaranteed to be able to immediately apply in their work - one, two, three times.

Methods for overcoming anxiety during a performance. Radislav Gandapas. Part 2

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90% of people forced to speak publicly complain that what hinders them most is fear of an audience, anxiety, and inability to cope with their emotions. Radislav Gandapas will explain the nature of anxiety before a performance, convince you that worry is healthy - and show some techniques for overcoming anxiety.

Vadim Kurilov conducts the “Voice” training, where he teaches how to speak freely, expressively and fearlessly. He himself was very afraid to speak only once - when he spoke at a meeting of the department stage speech GITIS. “At that moment I was convinced that what I was teaching worked,” he told CHTD.

When I start talking to a person, I immediately feel the degree of tension in his voice. Those who have a lot of tension in the body find it difficult to make speeches. The fear of speaking in front of an audience is individual, it’s like the fear of heights - a genetic predisposition, life circumstances. From social status this fear does not depend: recently I listened to the speeches of the top leaders of one large company, and only one of them knew how to speak freely in front of the public and was not constrained.

Relax the pelvic girdle

I work according to the method of the great Christine Linklater, it’s called “Freeing the natural voice.” This is not a performance, but rather “freeing your natural voice”, revealing your capabilities.

It is very important what you tell yourself. It has been scientifically proven that the brain believes equally in reality and in images. And you need to formulate it precisely: you don’t need to tell yourself “relax”, you need to say “let go, release” - “let yourself go”, remove excess tension.

The specific techniques are very simple! They joke about me: “Well, Kurilov will again now start advising you to relax your butt.” Yes, that is right! And culturally we say this:

1. Release excess tension in the pelvic girdle.“Relax your butt” is not a metaphor, but truly the most important thing. Pay attention to the word “extra” - not completely relax, but let go of the excess, but remain in good shape.

2. Release excess tension in the lower jaw. Your mouth opens a little when you do this, you don’t have to be afraid of that.

3. Relax your stomach. This is where you relax, just jump out! This is, of course, completely unusual for us. If you are uncomfortable with how this might look, dress loosely.

When you remove the clamp of these 3 points, air begins to enter bottom part lungs through your mouth, and you begin to automatically breathe with your stomach. When you've done all this, you'll take a deep breath—Kristin Linklater calls it a "sigh of relief."

Do not confuse a “sigh of relief” with the concept of “taking a deep breath” - no, let go of the pelvis-stomach-jaw and let in the air.

This not only helps the body, but also emotionally relaxes. Certainly, severe stress This technique will not immediately relieve the pain, but it will help you calm down. You can perform the exercise both before the performance and during the performance.

Posture and voice are your choice

Another secret to not get nervous is a stable posture: your feet should be at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. So that the foot is under hip joint. This is less than shoulder-width apart: when your feet are shoulder-width apart, it is awkward to take a step forward.

The knees should be soft - not bent, as in flamenco, but slightly mobile, as in Argentine tango!

You need to breathe through your mouth while performing. The physics of the body, when we talk about performance, is, in fact, the voice. It is realized by sound. You need to understand your range, be able to include both lower and upper case, and learn to understand when which is optimal. First, you can even indicate in terms of speech: here I have confidential information, which means lower case. Then it happens automatically.

Men often say - why do I need tops, why do I need to squeak?

But a well-developed upper register gives richness, sonority, and flight to your voice. It’s interesting that sometimes vocalists come to me and ask me to work with them. speaking voice- and then they say that they even began to sing differently.

Germans and Russians don't know how to relax

I started with voice training. I studied at the Pedagogical Institute. Lenin at the faculty in English, and on final courses Institute began studying with Laura Eremina, who hosted the “Poetic Notebook” program on the All-Union radio.

I have owned a PR agency for many years, and for me the scene is familiar: I organize presentations, conduct them and help clients do the same. I myself never had a problem with performances - I took up this because I felt a “social order” from my agency’s clients.

We are overstressed lower jaw. Do you know why? Because we lived “gritting our teeth” for 70 years.

Life is pain: pull yourself together and screw up. This is genetically inherent in us, even among those who have not experienced this ideology. The Americans and British are better at this. But for the Germans, by the way, it’s also not easy. My German teacher says this: “We have big problems with jaw relaxation."

Do you have to imagine that everyone in the hall is naked?

The public is 2 people, 10 people on the board of directors, and 500 people at the conference. One interlocutor is also an audience. Recommendations “imagine everyone in the room without clothes” or “with big ears” - honestly, they don’t work. After something like this, it’s hard to return to your topic, it’s too much.

Imagine them as small, defenseless children? Maybe it's all right. But I wouldn’t imagine the people in the room as anyone. I would work with myself. This is my problem, my emotions, and I want to change them. Fear is an emotion, and I need to change my emotional state.

Things to do for your brain while you're talking

Of course, performance technique, like any action, has two components - the brain and the body. The body, from my point of view, is primary here. But, of course, no one canceled analytics.

So, the brain. How do we usually analyze? I’m smart, I went through training, read books. I will draw up a plan, write notes, make a presentation, and write text for each slide. And it seems like at this moment we should rehearse. When is my performance? Tomorrow at 9 am! What time is it now? Two o'clock in the morning. Will there be a rehearsal? No. And in general, I won’t get enough sleep and won’t be in the right state. It turns out that I seem to understand what needs to be done, but there is too much information and anxiety.

Find the unfortunate victim

You absolutely cannot memorize the text! No one. Preparation must begin with what I call “searching for the unfortunate victim.” She can also be a wonderful coach, of course! When top executives come to me, their referees usually have already written the entire presentation, and then these same referees hate me. Because they have to redo everything.

A friend can also act as a “victim”. The main thing is that he is off topic and asks stupid questions. Sit down over a cup of coffee and just talk, this is how ideas and formulations crystallize, this is how you understand what is really important and what can be left out. It’s more difficult to do this yourself, but it’s also possible: in front of a mirror and with a shower instead of a microphone.

Include writer and director

After practicing on the “victim”, answer yourself two questions. The first is usually formulated this way: why is my speech interesting to these people? The most important thing here is this: why is my speech interesting to these people right now? What is going on right now that makes my speech important? Maybe some economic situation or new law- that is, the agenda in a broad sense. You don’t have to talk about it directly, but you definitely have to think about it. And chances are, if you think about it, you'll want to say it.

The second question is the purpose of the speech. I worked a lot with different speakers. And so, for example, I tell the brand manager - what is your goal? 99% answer: “Tell me about a new product.” Despite the fact that their basic goal, of course, is to sell, but they don’t even talk about it. But the fact is that if you sell, there is one goal; if you came, for example, to the director of a store and you need him to learn how to motivate salespeople, another; if you go to the press, the task is for them to write well.

The famous director, coach and teacher explains how to remove clamps, breathe correctly and perform in public with maximum effect.

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The purpose depends on the audience. To formulate it, you need to pose the question like this: “What do I want the audience to do after my speech?” And in order for them to do something, they must learn about something and remember something. Of course, I will tell you about the properties of the product, but this information will only be a means to an end. For example, I talk about my Instagram channel: the goal is to get more subscribers. The audience should learn from me what my channel is about and why it is interesting, and remember what it is called.

What does a director do when analyzing a play? He looks at his three main events - initial, main and final.

Origin Event lies outside the territory of the “play” - what led the characters to where they found themselves. What happened before my performance that made me come to perform? This plot can be anything - from events of world significance to what I dreamed about last night. For example, I looked at my friend’s Instagram, envied that he already had 100 thousand subscribers, and decided to expand the audience. You can admit it, why not!

Main Event (Climax) It can be different - the main idea or, for example, some kind of number. Or drama - if you don't subscribe to my channel, that's it, my life is over.

Final event similar to the goal. What will the listeners do if they liked my presentation? This should be made very clear in the final part.

The theater of the absurd is built in the same way as the classical one, it’s just that the events there are different, absurd. Therefore, any speech before any audience should be built on these principles. If you think in these terms, in terms of "events" and "actions", if you know exactly what is "happening" during your speech, you will feel confident and less afraid to go out in public.

Where to put your hands and how to cry on stage

If you are the kind of person who is constantly tense, it’s okay, with experience this will change. You just need to constantly practice, use every opportunity for this: for example, making toasts during feasts or telling stories to friends on occasion.

Everyone says you need to get out of your comfort zone? - no need! When performing, there is already a lot of stress, so where can you go? I prefer to phrase it this way: “expand your comfort zone.” If you feel comfortable talking to the “victim” over a cup of tea, you don’t need to immediately run out to the million-capacity stadium - you need to move a little at a time. First try speaking in front of a friendly audience, next stage add something else. Gradually, a person begins to get used to the fact that the stage is not a place where you constantly think about what to do with your hands. Everyone asks: what to do with your hands? No way! If you are focused on the topic of your speech, you forget about it.

Never in your life tell an audience “I’m worried.” Those who believe that sincerity is captivating have had bad teachers.

After such a phrase, they stop taking you seriously and unconsciously classify you as an unprofessional. Such techniques are more subtle. I had a friend who was so worried that she started crying when she went on stage! I told her that when this happens, she needs to pause and say: “Our meeting means a lot to me, and I feel powerful emotions just because I’m here.” She did just that. Then the audience came up to her and said: “We cried with you!”