9th Issue of Newsletter

Free Your Voice from Speaking Anxiety

Happy fearless Sunday!

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Fear of going blank on stage is one of the most common causes behind public speaking anxiety; it makes us panic and causes an avoidance behavior around public speaking.

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FEAR OF GOING BLANK ON STAGE

Have you ever gone blank in front of an audience?

How did it feel?

To me, it used to feel as if the world around me was going to end.

But when I found the underlying cause of this fear and learned how to react when it happens, the fear of going blank just vanished.

Know that ...

Let's dig deeper and find out the potential limiting beliefs behind this fear:

Limiting Beliefs Behind This Fear

• Going blank on stage would make people think I'm stupid
• I must be perfect in front of the audience, otherwise I will be rejected

Have you ever noticed that if you stop speaking for 3 to 5 seconds during your speech, it feels like an eternity?

Suddenly, you feel this HUGE pressure to say something, otherwise people would think you are stupid.

I used to believe ....

that as a public speaker, it's forbidden if I take a long pause—even for a few seconds. I will look stupid and unintelligent, and the audience will REJECT me as a public speaker.

That's what made me fear going blank during a presentation or talk.

This is because I grew up watching others delivering "flawless" speeches, reading news, and delivering political sermons on TV.

But the reality is quite the contrary ...

Actors rehearse their lines 100s of times and others use a teleprompter and that's how they don't go blank on TV.

Have THIS belief that going blank is not the end of the world. It can happen to anyone who is not reading directly from slides or using a teleprompter.

I'm certain that at some point it will happen to you as you are a HUMAN.

But whenever it happens, you should know how to react and get back on your train of thought.

Now, I've already discussed this limiting belief "I must be perfect in front of the audience, otherwise I will be rejected" at the end of the previous issue of this newsletter.

Here's the belief you should hold on to about your audience: All they care about is ...

WIIFM: What's In It For Me.

So long as you are providing value to your audience, they don't care if your mind goes blank, you make mistakes or start dancing.

Value in terms of either one or a combination of many of the following:

• Education
• Entertainment
• Information
• Inspiration

Whenever your mind goes blank on stage, here is what you should NOT do ...

picturing the audience in their underwear 🩲.

I don't know why such kinds of advice is out there on the internet when it comes to public speaking anxiety—I was never able to decipher the logic behind it.

I never believed in it and would never recommend it to anyone else.

Here's You Should Do Whenever It Happens

1 - Look at your audience

Instead of looking at the floor, side walls, chairs, or at the ceiling, look at your audience.

Otherwise, it's easy to tell that you've lost it—not that there's something wrong with it, but you can get away with it without anyone noticing it.

So, stare at them. Yes, I am not joking.

Take this as an opportunity to have a moment with them.

Chances are you will recall the next lines of your talk, and no one would even know that your mind went blank.

Also ...

be okay with taking pauses in your speech as it creates a deep impact and allows the audience to digest the content of your talk.

Taking pauses also allows you to recall what to say next.

2 - Be honest and ask your audience

If you still feel lost don't panic and don't overcomplicate things.

It's OKAY!

Simply be honest name the big elephant in the room 😉

"I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought, can someone remind me where was I?"

Someone in the audience will help you get back on your train of thought.

You can even take this opportunity to joke about it.

Bonus Tip

Practice and rehearse at least 10X before the actual speaking engagement—not on a single day but spread it over multiple days.

Here's a technique you can use during the prep and rehearsal stage:

it's called Memory Palace.

I used this technique (with my body parts) for a ten-minute long speech in front of a large crowd and it worked like a charm.

Here are some useful YouTube Videos to learn more about it:The Body Method and Creating Memory Palaces.

By the way, using bullet point notes would also do the job.

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BRINGING IT HOME

TL; DR

Your fear of blanking out on stage stems from these two self-limiting beliefs:

1. Going blank on stage would make people think I'm stupid
2. I must be perfect in front of the audience, otherwise I will be rejected

Crush these limiting beliefs and know how to react when your mind goes blank on stage.

Remember, it's not WHAT happens to you, it's HOW you respond to it that makes all the difference.

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Feedback: If you have any thoughts or any questions about this week's issue, do not hesitate to reply to this email [waqas@denverspeakup.com]. I will be happy to read and respond 😀.

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THREE MORE WAYS I CAN HELP YOU

1 - 1:1 coaching - I'm now offering 1:1 coaching (limited openings) to help you overcome the crippling fear of public speaking (in under 2 months) by eliminating limiting beliefs and gain the self-confidence you always wanted.

2 - Free live webinar - I will host a Live FREE Webinar on Friday (@12:00 PM MT, 11:00 AM PST, 01:00 PM CST, 02:00 PM EST) in which you will learn three secrets to overcoming your public speaking anxiety.​

3 - Social media - I regularly share practical tips and insights on public speaking and communication skills. If you are active on Youtube, Instagram, or ​Threads, let's connect.

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P.S. ​If you know someone who could benefit from this newsletter, I’d love to have them join our community of public speakers. They can subscribe here. Thanks!

Best,

Waqas, Founder & Speaking Coach

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