You've rehearsed your pitch. You know the material. But the minute you have to stand up in front of that client meeting or sit in your chair on the panel, your heart is pounding, your mouth is dry, and you can’t remember how to say anything, not even how to introduce yourself.

Here’s what most people overlook: that adrenaline surge isn’t evidence that you are failing. Your body is just doing what it is designed to do, treating a roomful of people staring at you as if they posed an actual threat and dousing you with fight-or-flight chemicals. Your hands tremble, your voice wavers, and no matter how many times you have rehearsed this in your mind, suddenly all the words fly out.

We are not out to kill the nerves. It's to redirect them. All those confident speakers you look up to or admire get that rush of adrenaline before they begin. They’ve finally found a way to convert that nervous energy into something productive, as opposed to allowing it to crush them.

Practice structure, not scripts

The worst thing you can do? Memorize your talk word-for-word. That’s a one-way ticket to panic when you’re in the moment lost or someone brings up something unexpected. Map your framework instead — your main points and how they fit together. Lock down your opening and closing, because that’s when anxiety is at its peak. But leave the middle flexible. Give yourself room to breathe and respond to what’s going on in the room.

We’ve coached many Brisbane executives who have been stung by over practicing. It’s because they’re playing a script and not having chat from the page. Practice out loud, on your feet, with your real slides if you’re using them and time yourself. But rehearse for real connection, not word-perfect delivery.

Ground Yourself Before You Open Your Mouth. Center Yourself Then Speak.

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Your breath forms the physical foundation of your voice. When you get anxious, your breathing becomes shallow and rapid, so your voice ends up tight and quavering. Before you say anything, take three slow, deep breaths, in through your nose, out through your mouth. Feel your feet on the ground. Actually notice them. Picture yourself rooted there, steady. Then expel that last breath fully before speaking.

This isn't wellness theater. It's basic physiology. You’re resetting your nervous system so you can begin with a voice that’s calm and grounded, even if that’s not what you’re feeling quite yet on the inside.

Stop obsessing about yourself

And most stage fright comes from that unrelenting internal commentary. Do I sound stupid? Can they tell I'm nervous? What if I forget something? You take that loop to exhaustion before you even get going, and the audience senses it.

Flip it. ASK: What does this room really want from me today? How do I make this truly useful or fun for them? When you’re there to do service for the audience and not worrying about, “How do I come off?” it becomes something else … that nervous energy turns into purposeful. People tell the difference, you sound more natural, more present, more like a keep-listening-to-this kind of person.

Think of it as a conversation, not a performance

Public speaking isn't theater. A conversation that just so happens to have more people involved.” Take pauses, real ones, not hurried fillers. Look into the eyes of actual human beings, not floating around the room vaguely. Keep it conversational, as if you are explaining something to a friend over coffee, not delivering an address at the Opera House.

Think of it as dozens of individual conversations all going on at the same time throughout the space. What distinguishes speakers who really land, and ones who don’t, isn’t how polished they sound. And not “do they reflect the reality of each person’s life?” That’s part of it, certainly. But: Do they make us feel as if we are being addressed directly?

The Brisbane Crowds Want Substance Over Shine

Signet’s tramps are rounded, expressive personalities; they have been enlivened by actors who understand that corporate audiences here don’t react well to polish for the sake of polish. They need clarity, warmth and someone who sounds as if they genuinely believes what they are saying. You don’t need dramatic flourish or rehearsed gestures. What you must have, she says, are plain language, a relaxed tone and body language that does not seem like you’re attempting to flee the building. The finest communicators we work with strike a confident but approachable pose: It’s as if they were speaking to you, rather than performing at you.

What this really, in practice looks like

Stage fright doesn't disappear overnight. But once you know what underlies it, practice with intentionality rather than just repetition, and seek honest feedback when appropriate, you can channel that nervous energy into something that works for you. The result? Walking into any room, a boardroom presentation, conference panel, recorded video, and speaking with clarity and authority but also relative ease. Not looking like you have to work too hard for it.

If you need more direct support, or would like to do this with your team, we run one-on-one coaching and group workshops based on these exact principles. No fluff, concrete frameworks that actually make a difference Funny thing is there’s no magic bullets!

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