(C) Copyright Chris Johnson 2007, 2014
Most of us have experienced stage fright at some time or another. I sometimes think of it in the same way that I used to feel when trying to ask a girl out on a date. The quickening of the pulse, the breath catching in the chest and then the horrible effects of fear of rejection that comes afterward.
Recently a client said to me, "I don't know how you do what you do. You seem as cool as a cucumber."
If only he realised that I'm no stranger to it. I'm so familiar with it that I have started to think of it as a very good friend of mine with just a few little quirks. It knows me well so I have done my best to know it as well with equal respect. Keep reading and I will tell you a few of the things I have learned in dealing with my crazy "friend" who still makes my heart jump every now and then... just like falling in love.
Stage fright can take a variety of ways to affect us. For some it comes as a blind panic which makes everything they have memorised and learned to perfection suddenly disappear from our heads. Some people totally freeze like a deer in the headlights shone on them from the audience they are addressing.
My very first time, I remember a 20 minute performance somehow going flawlessly except it finished in only 7 minutes! I didn't realise how quickly it had gone until my father who had been watching from the audience showed me his stopwatch.
The most memorable time for stage fright happened a few years after that and, I have to say, it may not have happened if I had taken the time to follow at least one of the tips you're about to learn.
It happened at one of my first Ladies Night parties I'd performed at when I was in my early 20's.
When I turned up, some of the women saw me and started shouting things that a guy had just turned up. What's he doing here? Is he the stripper?
Stripper?!
This was a new experience for the young 21 year old me who had never even been kissed yet at that time! At this point, I remember my heart beating faster as I wondered what I had walked into this time!
It seemed relatively tame still so I set up the stage area in the living room and went to another room to wait for my starting time. Before I stepped back in to start the show, the hostess introduced me as "a nice young man who is going to totally blow our minds".
One of the guests yelled out, cheekily, "Is that all?" I had no idea what she meant at that time.
They all started clapping and cheering as I came out, took my quick bow, and looked at them all to engage them and show my appreciation for their response. My heart was beating very very fast at this point and I knew that I was getting the classic signs of stage fright.
That's when I noticed an old lady who must have been in her 70's or 80's (it was the hostess' mother) who suddenly shouted, "Is that the strippier? Mmmmmmmm."
This made my heart jump into my throat just as the writing pad I'd been holding clattered to the floor. I bent down to pick it up and then... I couldn't stand!
My knees locked from the nervous tension and no matter how hard I tried to stand I couldn't! I must have looked like Basil Fawlty at that moment as I tried to stand again. It seemed an eternity before I did so successfully.
How did I manage to stand? I remembered one of my tips for reducing stage fright which I'll outline for you now.
- Prepare yourself fully before your speech or performance. Doing so will bring you greater confidence in yourself.
- Know your audience. For some public speakers, this is a good thing to do as mingling with your audience ahead of time helps you to relax more. It doesn't have to be an intimate knowledge of the people. A lot of entertainers don't do this first because it also takes away from the mystery of the performer but it's okay for public speakers I feel.
- Feel free to talk to other speakers or performers and learn what they do. There are actually a lot of techniques and tricks that other performers use.
- Eat light before the presentation. You don't want to be hungry but you don't want to have your stomach working on a heavy meal either as this can lead to really bad cramps if you're feeling any anxiety.
- Love your audience. I don't mean physically but I mean to change the way you see them in your own mind. One story I heard said someone sees his audiences as cabbages. I personally think that's stupid as who talks to cabbages without feeling crazy? My preference is to see them as friends. Find a few friendly faces you can relate to without "losing your cool" and occasionally switch your focus back to them throughout. It saves you from looking "above the audience" and enhances your likeability also.
- Breathe deeply before starting. When I first started out, my mentor told me of an English entertainer who used to jump up and down breathing heavily, saying to himself, "I love my audience". It was supposed to get him hyperventilating to charge his blood with oxygen and made him alive. I find calm but deep breathing through the diaphragm is sufficient and it can help to relax you.
- If you're stuck during the presentation, pause a little and take a deep breath or two. Have a sip of water even.
Are you wondering which tip helped me stand up in time before the old lady got to me?
It was Tip 7. I breathed deeply to allow myself to relax more and managed to shakily stand up again. By that time I was able to find something funny to say about trying to do squats since I heard they were all into physical training. It didn't matter that it was funny or not but it got me back into the flow so that everyone enjoyed the show and the readings.
I know it's true because I received a glowing testimonial from my client later as well as a few repeat bookings.
Stage fright is something I accept as a fact of life and as something that must be coped with just as many learn to cope with stress. It is not a curse but a reminder that you really do care about what you are doing. If you didn't care, you would never get it.
Next article I will describe HOW to know if you want to work with a particular person or not... based upon a casual glance at their hand.
Until next time...
ESPecially best wishes to you all.
