8 Tips for Speaking Confidently

You’ve probably heard the usual advice for giving presentations: speak slowly, make eye contact with your audience, don’t say “um.” This is all great advice, but sometimes it’s not quite enough to get you through a stressful public speaking situation.

Your brain is literally designed to feel fear in stressful situations, so it’s totally normal to be nervous before a presentation. In fact, most people get nervous before they have to speak in front of a group! The key is to build up the courage to make your presentation confidently even though you’re fearful. Remember that the audience can only see what’s happening on the outside, not what’s running through your head.

Try these strategies to help make any presentation go smoothly:

1. Take a deep breath.

I talk a lot about using diaphragmatic breathing with my patients to help them improve their speech. Diaphragmatic breathing refers to using your abdominal muscles—instead of your chest muscles—to take a deep “belly” breath. This is similar to the breathing instructions you would hear in a yoga class! Feel your belly push outward while inhaling through your nose, and feel it curve inward while exhaling through your mouth. The idea is to keep
your chest and shoulders as still as possible. If you’re doing it right, no one will even be able to tell!

2. Relax your muscles.

Before your presentation, try to consciously relax muscles all over your body. Did you know that your vocal folds (sometimes called vocal cords) are made of muscle too? When your vocal folds have too much tension, your voice can “crack” or become high-pitched. One way to relax these muscles is by using diaphragmatic breathing techniques and breathing at a slow, regular rate. Inhale into your belly and speak on the exhale through your mouth.

Many of these tips work for all kinds of speaking situations: talking to your crush, making new friends, interviewing with a college admissions counselor, or really any social situation that’s stressing you out!

3. Only practice your presentation a few times.

This may seem counterintuitive, but hear me out! Practicing two or three times out loud is typically enough to identify where you stumble over certain words and need to make adjustments. If you practice more than that, it may start to feel like you’re memorizing a script. Avoiding this memorized, robotic-sounding speech helps your presentation come across as natural and conversational.

4. Have your own good luck charm.

Wear something visible that you associate with positive, confident vibes—a special bracelet, a new color of nail polish, or even some writing on your hand with a word or quote. Some professional athletes do this for games! It may seem funny, but it can boost your confidence.

5. Vary your intonation.

Intonation refers to normal variations in pitch when speaking that can convey emotion or meaning. It’s what keeps you from sounding monotone (think Squidward from SpongeBob). Here’s an example: try saying the sentence “You’re going to school today.” Now, repeat it as a question: “You’re going to school today?” Finally, say “You’re going to school today!” (the way your mom would say it if she knew you were faking sick). Although these sentences contain the same words, you use different intonation each time. How does this relate to your presentation? When we’re nervous, we sometimes speak too quickly and begin to sound monotone. Varying your intonation, the way you would in a regular conversation, sounds more natural.

Don’t be afraid to smile or make jokes — these are things we normally do when we’re talking and can help keep your audience engaged.

6. Take cues from someone whose confidence you admire.

Before your presentation, identify someone who has a strong, confident presence. This could be a friend, your favorite teacher, or even a celebrity. Notice the way they speak, their body language, and their use of facial expressions. When you’re presenting, try to channel that person’s energy and think of how they would carry themselves. Right now, my confidence role model is Lizzo—I love watching her because she’s authentic, engaging, funny, and seems comfortable in her own skin.

7. Remember, you’re the expert.

You’ve spent time and energy learning about the topic of your presentation, and most likely no one else in your class knows as much about it as you do! Most people truly won’t notice if you make a mistake.

8. Send some good public speaking karma out into the world.

This one is about being a good listener in addition to being a good speaker—and listening is equally important! Try your best to be attentive while others are presenting. Have a friendly facial expression and compliment your classmates when their presentations are over. Being kind is ALWAYS a good idea.

Alright, y’all, that’s it. You’re ready to crush your next presentation!

Share your best public speaking success (or most embarrassing story!) @geauxgirlmag on Twitter or @geauxgirlmagazine on Instagram and Facebook.

Madeline Janney is a speech-language pathologist working primarily with adults who have had strokes or traumatic brain injuries. On the rare occasions she isn’t talking (because of both her job and her personality), she enjoys thrift shopping, listening to live music, reading books for her book clubs, and obsessing over everything New Orleans. She is a graduate of Archbishop Chapelle High School, Loyola University New Orleans, and Southeastern Louisiana University.