| I've never considered myself a confident speaker but last year I did 8 talks, some were in small meetup type events, others in larger conferences. Most of the of other speakers I meet are just as introverted as me, get quite nervous about speaking, but with practice have got better and learn how to manage their stress and introvertness - I don't think the OP is any different to that. Experience and positive feedback helps, with good preparation the more talks I give the better I think I get. I know that I currently give a far better talk if I've got space around me (I want to be able to glance at my speaker notes if necessary, but find podiums really restrictive). I also like to move around and come to the front of the stage not be shy and retire to the back corner (even if that's what I feel like doing sometimes). I also have a routine before I go on stage - drink plenty of fluids, close my eyes, breath and just think about how I'm going to start, key points etc. The other thing that always helps me is remembering the audience have come to learn from you they want you to succeed. I don't think "everyone must be a speaker", for some of us it's just that it's an effective way of teaching and sharing knowledge despite our introverted nature. (Other thing to remember is when you're onstage at a big conference, you can't see past the first few rows anyway) |