To understand your public speaking nervousness it is important to realise that the vast majority of speakers have them, so you are not alone. Let's start by assessing your present level of fear or anxiety about public speaking. Where are you on the scale when you think about delivering a presentation or public speaking? '0' equates to absolute panic (pain), and '10' equates to total fearlessness (pleasure). Write your answer down so that you can come back to it in the future.

Ok, so we now know where we are starting.

We are all different. Fear for one person may indeed be opportunity or adventure for another. I cannot possibly know your fears or what makes you nervous about public speaking but the odds are that they come from one or more of a number of normal sources. I have been a public speaker and seminar presenter for over twenty-five years. It is my life, and I thrive on it. It is rare for me to experience nervousness, but there are times when even I feel some anxiety. I know what they are and I embrace them with positive anticipation. Why? Because they keep my mind on the objective and they ensure that I remain professional, focused and alert. That focus influences me to be more aware of what I say and how I present it, and it keeps my attention on the audience, their responses, their needs and the needs of my client. For me, some anxiety is good and I consider it to be my friend.

That's all very well for you, David, you might say, but I am not an experienced speaker and my anxiety is not mild, it is positively screaming at me with the voice of a demon!

Few presenters, even in the world of television, do not suffer from even the mildest form of nerves or anxiety. Most of the celebrities that I have worked with over the years have told me that they experience anything from anxiousness to sickening nerves before a live performance or appearance. Those who don't, are not only rare, but will be exposing themselves to the risk of making mistakes, being over confident or doing or saying something that they regret later. So let's get nerves into perspective. They are normal, and they are necessary, but they are will affect your performance if they are controlling you. The secret is for you to be in control of them.

Remember…

THE MIND GOES IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS MOST DOMINANT THOUGHT!

If your dominant thought is based on the fear of failure or making a fool of yourself, then the odds are that you won't! Nerves keep you safe, and they are not the necessarily the enemy. Think of nerves as an asset, accept them, and know that they will help you to perform better, but learn to control them.

When it comes to presenting there are four primary causes of nerves:

Lack of Confidence

Self-Esteem and Self-Image

Lack of Knowledge

Anticipating Negative Responses

What if The Equipment Fails?

If you want to learn more about presenting or any one of the sixteen aspects of presenting and giving great speeches visit my website