The Fear-Less Public Speaking Blog
You will find articles here, mainly about public speaking nerves. These articles feature many of my clients and their stories about dealing with public speaking anxiety.
If you are interested in a course or one-on-one coaching, see what others say for direct testimonials.
Public Speaking and the Shame of Appearing Nervous – Why Do We Care and What Can We Do?
Do you worry that your audience will notice your trembling hands or shaking voice? In this article I explore why we care about looking nervous, whether the audience really does notice (or care), and what we can do to hide the nerves. Why do we...
Nine Ways to Calm Your Nerves by Connecting With Your Audience (and Imagining Your Audience Naked Is Not One of Them!)
Presenting to an audience can feel unnatural. Most people don’t like being in the spotlight. It is tempting to become less noticeable by hiding behind a PowerPoint presentation. But that is an unhelpful strategy. We need to do the opposite because connecting with the audience...
Why Do So Many People Fear Public Speaking? – The ‘Spotlight Effect’ and Other Explanations
At my Toastmasters club, Talking Heads, we have a quote on our website that always gets a chuckle: “There are two types of speakers – those that are nervous and those that are liars.” – Mark Twain Sound familiar? You’ve probably seen the headlines too—those...
Presentation Anxiety in Students – How Can We Help?
Periodically, a debate blows up on social media about whether young people should be forced to present in front of the class. The Atlantic reported one such debate a few years ago after a 15-year-old high school student tweeted: “Stop forcing students to present in...
How to Speak Clearly When You Are Put on the Spot – Impromptu Speaking Without Panic!
You might be articulate when you have time to prepare. You can structure a presentation, practise it, and deliver it well. But when you are asked to speak off the cuff, something different happens. Your mind goes blank. You ramble. Or you say far less...
Why Verbal Communication Skills Matter More Than Ever for Graduates
This article was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2025 to reflect current research and the impact of AI on graduate employability. Graduates are entering a workplace that looks very different from the one their parents stepped into. Technical skills are changing faster than...
How Finding Something Important to Say Can Boost Your Confidence
While researching this topic, I came across a comment in an online forum. “I put on my first parent seminar this week. I was so terrified I almost cancelled! But I got over myself because I know parents are a bit desperate about how to...
When Your Topic Scares You!
When I ask a group of people if they have ever had to talk to an audience about something they didn’t understand or were not convinced about themselves I usually get a lot of nods. Then I ask them how they felt about it. They...
Fear-less, Not Fearless: The Real Goal of Public Speaking Confidence
Most people with public speaking anxiety imagine they need to conquer or overcome their fear. They hope that one day they will speak without a single flicker of nerves. The bad news is that this is not realistic. You will probably always feel some nervousness...
Why Your Audience Barely Notices Your Mistakes
Many years ago, I did a public speaking course through work. At the end of the course, we each gave a speech, which was filmed. We were given the video to review in our own time. I was really unhappy with my speech because at...
Stop Trying to Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking
Body language expert Mark Bowden tells a memorable story in his book Winning Body Language. A man came to him, desperate for help because he broke out in hives every time he presented. He was understandably distressed and wanted the symptoms to stop. Instead of...