Reader,
Picture this...
Your managers, directors, and all board members of your company are sitting in a BIG conference room.
They are waiting for you to take the stage and deliver a presentation on something that you are good at and proud of
...Something you have a good understanding of and have been doing for years.
The moment you take the stage, your heart starts pounding fast and loud.
Your palms are getting sweaty.
Your mouth dries up.
Your armpits start sweating.
...And when you start talking, your voice trembles a little.
Now what would YOU do in this situation?
Would you try to calm yourself down?
Or
Feel excited?
Prof. Alison Brooks of Harvard Business School asked this very question to 100s of people and the response she got was almost the same:
91 percent said they would try to relax and calm themselves down.
Only 9 percent said they would rather try to feel excited.
Reader,
This is how we are always advised:
Try to calm down and relax when faced with nerves... Otherwise, you'll mess it up.
Right?
But... Lemme ask you this:
Is it a wise approach? Or is there a BETTER way to handle it?
To find out the answer, Prof. Alison designed another experiment.
In which she divided participants into two groups.
...She told presenters in the first group to stay calm and composed when starting their talk by saying this to themselves...
"I am calm".
She told participants in the second group to embrace their nerves by saying this...
"I am excited".
The outcome of the experiment was SURPRISING.
NONE of the participants in either group felt less nervous.
In fact, the presenters in the second group felt even more heart racing, more adrenaline rush, and more excitement.
They felt more confident in their abilities to perform under pressure.
But did they actually perform better in the eyes of others?
ABSOLUTELY.
The audience members rated their speech better...
The 'excited speakers' appeared more energetic, confident, persuasive, and competent.
What do you think made this possible?
Yes, this ONE mindset shift...
That anxiety (and speaking nerves) is not your enemy...
Instead, it gives you the energy to be at your peak performance level.
It causes more blood flow to your body and brain to perform under pressure and in high-stake situations.
It heightens your senses and ability to retrieve the content of your talk.
It also shows to your audience that it MATTERS to you...
And you're not there to just wing it.
So... Reader,
If you are ready to transform your anxiety into excitement and get a personalized BLUEPRINT to conquer your fears...
Let's chat.
Best,
Waqas - Head Speaking Anxiety Coach
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