How do professionals get through this? Most people develop a sense of control. There are three things that one must prepare to be able to overcome this last minute fear of public speaking, namely:

• Mind. The human mind is very powerful. When you are agitated, it is usually followed by another physical symptom such as hyperacidity, nausea, sweaty hands or trembling knees. You should prepare your mind that you are set to do this and that you will be just fine.

• Body. It may be called public speaking but gestures are also very important. Practice walking around the stage prior to the event. Be comfortable as you should own that stage when you’re on it. Most public speakers also go around, shake hands and engage in small talk before and after the event. You should also be mindful of your mannerisms.

• Matter. This represents outside factors such as the venue, lights and visual aid. You should know where the projector is beaming from and how to manage the file of your presentation.

These are very basic items that can help you control the last minute fear. Later on, you would be able to device your own ways. It also makes sense that some people even do a little warm up exercise like stretching, jumping jacks or vocalization. It helps them clear their mind and be energized. Make this your last minute public speaking exercise.

One should not face an audience with a blank mind or be worried on issues that are not as important as the main purpose. You should know your subject better than your audience. Public speaking is also about giving worth to the time the audience spent to witness your presentation. You can overcome the paralyzing fear from the many eyes that gaze upon you when you open your mouth with confidence of knowing what you are going to say. Public speaking without preparation can be a great disaster.

Ample time should be spent in preparation. The subject often needs to be researched to give the audience information that they don’t already know. You can carry cue cards to guide you with the key points of the presentation. Be mindful that cue cards are not a script containing all your lines. Rehearse. Memorizing a piece is not necessary in public speaking, it is better to know it by heart.

It is normal to have jitters. You may experience hand sweating, shivering and stuttering. Such nervousness can also affect your voice in many ways. You may feel your heart racing which can be accompanied by hyperventilation or nausea. The mere thought of public speaking can cause people to feel that way. But it’s not really as bad as it sounds. At times, it’s all in the mind.

A human’s body is built to react when put under pressure. Public speaking is not exactly a walk in the park. But even the best speakers experience a great amount of fear the moment they take the stage. Yes, even professionals get the jitters. But they probably don’t want you to know that so they try to conceal it. If you dread the thought of public speaking, you are not alone. It may be an initial reaction or might need more attention to get over it. But know that a lot of people experienced the same phobia and conquered it.

One of our earliest public speaking training is probably “Show and Tell” back in kindergarten school. Remember that time you have to bring something to school and tell the whole class what it meant to you? That wasn’t so hard to do. Talking to friends about mundane things does not take a lot. Public speaking is not far from those activities.

Talking in front of many people need not be a scary experience. You don’t need to be perfect. You can make mistakes, get tongue-tied or forget some lines. Truth is, the audience also doesn’t expect you to be perfect. It is how you handle the situation that differs. The essence of public speaking is to give your audience something of value, impart knowledge or make them feel better about themselves. The success of anyone in public speaking is ensuring the time they spent with their audience is worthwhile. It is something you can do as well.