Dealing with nerves - 11 powerful principles for public speakers

Dealing with nerves as a conference speaker is still something I have to deal with, even after 15 years of doing Keynotes and conferences.

I was recently in Oslo, Norway for a Keynote presentation – my first one back in-person for two years.

As usual, it was a nervous but rewarding journey. In this video I share some Behind The Scenes insights into deliver a talk.

I decompress in a DeLorean car! I share some ideas on preparing and I explain why decompressing after a talk is so important for me.

Watch the video, and below are the 11 principles.

Essentially, dealing with nerves is about preparation and understanding the sound principles behind effective communication.

If you’re keen on taking your learning about communication to the next level, may I recommend exploring the Communication Superpower course, now online!

The 11 principles for dealing with nerves

Here are the 11 principles that underpin my view of communication and are useful when dealing with nerves.

1. All communication has a Purpose, Audience, Context
2. Be Enthusiastic
3. Communication is something the audience does
4. Stories go where facts cannot
5. Don’t waste the audiences time – know your content
6. Practice is preparation
7. People remember how you make them feel
8. Non-verbal is a superpower
9. People resonate with those who are like them
10. You CAN hack your body
11. Listening is the greatest compliment