While stage fright can be overcome, there's no way one can totally avoid getting nervous when it's time to talk in front of hundreds at once.
When you get up to the stage, your mind gets filled with various thoughts that makes you want to just run the opposite direction.
As a motivational speaker, there's nothing more demotivating than failing to inspire your audience because you didn't sound confident enough.
It's best to do a few things to deal with that nervousness.
Preparation Preparation for the speech should come at least a week before the actual event.
Write down your speech.
Organize your thoughts and points.
Think of the props you'll bring, if any.
Cover all your bases.
Rehearse in front of friends.
The more prepared you are, the less nervous you're going to be.
The anxiety increases the closer you are to getting to the stage, but it can be kept in check with the confidence that you have prepared for it.
Breathing Exercises When we start feeling anxious or panicky, we forget to breathe.
When we stop breathing correctly, we get even more anxious.
To counter this, learn a few breathing exercises.
The most basic form is to just take deep breaths.
You can also learn to do belly breathing.
At any rate, breathing exercises allows more oxygen intake, which relaxes you.
Talk With Your Audience It's easy to imagine yourself pacing back and forth behind the stage waiting for your name to be called.
When you get to the venue, be part of the welcoming party for the audience.
Talk to a few of your audience members before the event starts.
Knowing some of them a little better will give you ideas for your speech.
The deeper connection with some of these audience members should reduce your nervousness as it would be like talking to new friends.
Start Talking Let's face it.
You can't totally eliminate nervousness.
When you get to the mic, shelf your speech and talk to your audience for a little while.
It's up to you to admit that you're nervous, but know that when you do start talking, that nervousness should start to fade.
It's important to just start talking.
If you admit your nervousness, make a joke out of it.
Seeing your audience smile will propel you forward and leave your anxiety behind.
Anxiety is never totally gone, but you can reduce it to a point where it no longer controls you.
Instead, you use the adrenalin that your body produces to deliver the great speech that you meant to deliver.