Speak First Newsletter - July 2006

What to do when you get an attack of the 'jitters'

Your knees turn to jelly. Your mouth is dry. Your palms start to sweat. And you've got butterflies in your stomach. Not everyone suffers from nervousness, but many people do - when making a presentation, pitching for business or sharing bad news with your team. Even the most successful and experienced of us can suffer from anxiety when the stakes are high. Happily, there are some simple things you can do to improve this situation.

Confidence isn't about outward show it's about inner strength and self belief. Muhammad Ali once said: "It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself". If you believe in yourself you will feel more confident. Beliefs are created and reinforced by experience and thoughts. The way you think about yourself has a profound affect on the impact you have on others. You can develop confidence by talking to yourself in a positive way, making positive pictures in your mind and acting as if you are confident by taking risks.

Click here for more hot tips for handling nerves even in the most stressful circumstances.

Ultimately there's no substitute for experiential training if you want to develop confidence in a range of situations. Speak First offers a number of courses that address this issue including a two-day Confident Presenter course, Developing Personal Impact and Assertiveness courses.

Contact us to find out more about these and our other courses.