The biggest reason for stage fright

The biggest reason for stage fright is not what you think it is.

It’s not the size of the audience or the prestige of the event.

It’s not that you don’t have a commanding presence on stage.

It’s not that you’re not funny enough or can’t tell engaging stories.

It’s also not the complexity of the topic you are speaking on.

Nor that you haven’t practiced enough.

And it’s not that you haven’t attended enough public speaking workshops.

Although all of that can contribute.

But none of it is the root cause! The root cause is this:
You don’t believe in the words you use!

None of the usual advice will fix this. That’s why it can’t work. If you don’t believe in your words, any body language tip will have to work against your belief. It only adds to the stress.

But here’s the good news:

When you find words you truly believe in about the things you deeply care about, nothing else will matter!

Solve that problem, and you’ll solve the others, too.

PS: I wrote a little eBook on how to do that. It’s called: Speak Easy and it’s a short read with a pretty unusual take. If you haven’t done so already, download it here for free: https://michaelgerharz.com/speak-easy

How confident are you as a speaker?

You are backstage.

Palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy.

In other words: You’re just plain terrified. Stage fright has got you in its grip and it’s squeezing hard.

Public speaking is the monster under the bed for grown-ups. It’s that universal fear that sends shivers down the spine of some of the boldest leaders.

Their powerful voices suddenly feel weak. Their decisive stride seems uncertain. Their usual commanding presence fades into doubt. Backstage, the bold leader is no longer a tower of strength.

Almost certainly, you’ve been hit with advice to conquer that fear. But in my experience, most of that advice actually achieves the opposite. It doesn’t make you feel less nervous but more.

Huh? More nervous? Let me explain …

Often, it’s quite a beast in terms of things you have to consider and do in the correct order: Deep breaths, power stance, eye contact, pacing, how to hold your hands, how to stand, when to smile, … 

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg …

What’s worse is that all of this is on top of actually having to remember what you wanted to say. (Not to mention: actually saying it.)

I’ve never seen it work well. Not only does this advice not eliminate stage fright. As I said, it actually adds to the stress.

Which is why I prefer a very different approach that I hope can change the game for you, too.

In 16 years of working with leaders who went on stages, large and small, this is the only approach I’ve seen that has consistently led to improved confidence in front of audiences.

I’ve turned it into a free eBook: Speak Easy – 4 Steps to Total Confidence in Your Communication.

It’s a short read with a pretty unusual take.

If you haven’t done so already, download it here: https://michaelgerharz.com/speak-easy

PS: Please share this with someone you know who struggles with stage fright. I hope it can be a game changer for them.

Speak Easy

If you’ve ever struggled with stage fright but somehow nothing you’ve tried has really worked, this is for you.

Perhaps you’ve already watched a couple of motivational YouTube videos that promised a fix.

Or you’ve been to workshops hoping to improve your body language to come across more confidently.

Maybe you’ve read some books or tried power posing and meditation.

But whatever you tried, either things didn’t really improve or you fell back to your old patterns shortly after.

I’ve tried some of these, too. I never found them to work well, either.

Until I’ve changed my approach.

I tried to understand what was really going on and realized that almost every advice out there only addresses the symptoms but not the cause. It’s a pretty unusual take that not many speak about but I think it’s obvious once you see it.

I wrote a little eBook to share with you what I’ve discovered over the years.

It works for me and it works for my clients.

I hope it does for you, too.

It’s also free.

Get it here: https://michaelgerharz.com/speak-easy

PS: If you find this useful, please share it with your friends and colleagues so that others can improve their stage presence, too.

10 thoughts on focus

The best communicators find the courage to cut to the core, separate the signal from the noise and direct everyone’s energy on what matters most.

Where others are overwhelmed with choice, leaders who master focus point us in the right direction. Where others are torn between alternatives, they make us see how to make that choice.

I’ve written down 10 thoughts on what they do differently and I’ve assembled a free workbook to help you apply these thoughts to your own communication.

Check it out at https://michaelgerharz.com/focus.

PS: If you find it useful, please share it with a friend!

Spread the Word

Picture of Dr. Michael Gerharz

Dr. Michael Gerharz