Overcome Stage Fright

I've been speaking publicly for years, and I love doing it. I always look for opportunities to present in front of an audience as a way to build my brand. But I still remember vividly the first time I tried to speak off a script: I flailed, stuttered, stammered, sweated and lost my place in my notes. I was mortified.

I ended up tossing the script in the air, gathering my wits and beginning my speech again, off the cuff. It went so much better because I told stories about things I knew rather than quoting statistics.

Are you one of the millions of people suffering from glossophobia? That's the term for stage fright. Learn from the following female entrepreneurs, who reveal their feelings about public speaking.

"I am a perfectionist, and I did not want to make a mistake or look bad," says Fionn Downhill, 48, CEO of Elixir Interactive, about her early fear of speaking. "I also had a fear that a mistake could affect the reputation of my fledgling organization."

Downhill says she worried as she spoke that the information she was giving was not correct, even though she had proved and tested her presentations before she gave them. She soon realized that her perfectionism was driven by her own ego.

"I finally overcame my fear by realizing that this was not about me," Downhill says. "When I realized that the audience was there for information and spending their valuable time to get that information, I decided I had to make it all about the audience, not me."

Christina Ann Harbridge's fear of public speaking led her to an unexpected career.

"Fear is not exactly the right word for it. I got hives from it," the 42-year-old says. "When asked to be the best man in my best friend David's wedding, I got visible hives on my face and ended up handing the microphone to his brother."

Today, Harbridge is "mischief executive officer" of Allegory Inc., a verbal communications training company expecting to reach $1 million in revenue within a year. She attributes her early fear of public speaking to being placed in special education in school for stuttering and stammering.

The tactics Harbridge used to finally overcome her fear of public speaking originated when she played a daffodil in a preschool play and kept forgetting her lines.

To distract herself, she recalls, "I started noticing everything I liked about the car I was in, the room I entered and the people around me." Years later, she says, "I realized this trick of getting out of my head would create a better somatic experience."

Downhill took specific steps to overcome her fear of public speaking:

• Studying her topic thoroughly. Says Downhill, "I know that I could never over-prepare. "I pitch to speak on topics that I am very knowledgeable on," Downhill says. But she adds, "I know that I could never over prepare."
   
• Practicing in front of a mirror repeatedly to ensure that she is not gesticulating too much or making nervous gestures that could distract the audience.
  

• Allowing time to practice just before the presentation so it will be fresh in her mind.
  
  
• Looking out into the audience while focusing on a spot in the back of the room. However, she says, "Now I can make eye contact, and it does not make me nervous."
  
  
• Starting out with small local groups to build up her confidence before presenting at bigger events.
  

"Be yourself," Downhill says. "Authenticity is key and greatly appreciated by your audience."

Harbridge agrees: "Be the exact same person you are with your closest friends on a good day. It is the 'acting' that is the kiss of death for women. Relive a story--don't just tell it."

For more tips on overcoming your fear of public speaking, see Suzannah Baum's story, "Speak Better: 5 Tips for Polish Presentations"