Winning Your First Round

The audience has seen you, heard you, and will admire your candor and you’ll feel you’ve won a victory. You have learned that you have normal human apprehensions and you’ve learned to face up to them; thus you’ve won your first round.

The Rocky Mountain Round-up Riders are a group of over a hundred men from the West. They meet annually in Colorado for a horseback trek on trails high in the mountain recesses. Some of these riders have more silver threads than gold, and though they lead somewhat sedentary lives, they ride the treacherous trails with far less concern than many novices blessed with less brittle bones. Why do these veterans do better than the younger, more sure-footed men? Tom McGonagle, a retired Denver merchant who spent his early years herding Herefords, gives this answer:
“Folks never fear a fear they’ve once conquered.”

Fight Your Fright

Even after the initial lesson, almost everyone who rises to speak suffers some degree of stage fright. Many distinguished speakers admit recurring nervousness. Veteran Illinois Senator Paul Douglas admits that it may be due to the unusualness of the situation-but a moment’s reflection upon his message readily allays any fleeting apprehensions. Recurring stage fright is just a mental uneasiness that can usually be relieved by taking several deep breaths to restore your composure and cure any palpitations.

Senator Robert Kerr observes, “I just don’t let that recurring feeling rob me of my reward.” He feels that when a speaker is fully informed on his subject, he knows more about it at the moment than anyone present, and that thought in itself destroys any mental hazards.

Oklahoma Senator Mike Monroney’s remedy is, “Rationalize the situation. Recall that this is the moment you’ve been waiting for!”

Remember that a speaker who has a full understanding of his subject radiates confidence. He is as confident that his seeds of thought will sprout, as is the gardener who buys grass seed and a lawn mower at the same time. The important fact for an embryo orator to bear in mind is that his ability to appear publicly and present his speech was established in that initial crucible when he learned to fight his own fright.

Tags: public speaking

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