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Business Brief: Stage Fright 101

Walt Grassl
Jul 30, 2013
photo of a microphone

photo of a microphoneYou promised to give a presentation to the local ASID chapter, but when you think about it, your hands shake and you can't sleep. Many great speakers once suffered the same problems. Here are five helpful steps:

1. Change your mindset. Just because you couldn't do something before, doesn't mean you can't do it now. Not everyone who is comfortable speaking was born that way.

2. Take small steps. The hardest part of any behavioral change is overcoming inertia. One small step is to join a speaking club. It is inexpensive yet effective.

3. Study. Practice. Perform. Don't just read about what to do, practice and then do it in real-life situations.

4. Invest in yourself. Realize that conquering this is an investment in yourself.

5. Learn to be entertaining. Studying improv and standup comedy will help you learn to get people to laugh-intentionally! This is not something most people are born with.

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