Your heart is racing. Your palms are damp. Your notes suddenly look like a foreign language.
Here is the secret most audiences miss: the confident speaker at the front of the room feels it too.
Confidence and nerves arrive together. The difference lies in the story you tell yourself about what those nerves mean.
The CEO's Thinking Face
One of my clients gave regular updates in leadership meetings. Every time the CEO joined, her focus shifted from her message to his face. He looked serious. Stern, even. She decided that expression was a verdict on her.
So she watched him instead of speaking to the room. She lost her place. She tripped over her words. The update she knew inside and out started to feel like a test she was failing in real time.
During one of our sessions, I offered a different possibility: maybe that was simply his thinking face. Maybe his expression reflected how he processes information, and it had everything to do with him and very little to do with her.
That one shift changed how she walked into the room. Same CEO. Same face. A brand new story.
The Conference Invitation
Another client received the same invitation from corporate year after year: present at an industry conference. And year after year, he declined.
He had the expertise. He had the results. What he lacked was a story about himself as someone who belongs on that stage. He came to me because he wanted to say yes and feel ready when he did.
He said yes. He presented. It went well.
The conference stayed the same. His story about himself changed.
Nerves Are Energy Looking for a Direction
In both cases, the nerves came from an internal story. One client told herself the CEO was judging her. The other told himself the stage belonged to someone else.
Nerves feel like a warning signal. In reality, they signal that the moment matters to you. That racing heart is energy, and energy is something you get to direct.
Prime Your Presence
This is where the fourth step of my 5 S.T.E.P.S. to Speaking Success™ comes in: Prime Your Presence. My clients learn to prepare their body, voice, and mindset before they ever say a word.
A few ways to start:
Rewrite the story. Notice the story running in your head and ask, "What else could be true?" The serious face becomes a thinking face. The invitation becomes proof of your expertise.
Breathe low and slow. A few deep belly breaths settle your voice and steady your pace.
Plant your feet. A grounded stance tells your brain, and your audience, that you are ready.
Rename the feeling. Swap "I'm nervous" for "I'm energized." Same sensation, new direction.
Focus on your listeners. Shift your attention from how you are coming across to what your audience needs to hear.
Bring This Message to Your Audience
The moments that matter to your business, the leadership update, the client pitch, the conference stage, deserve a speaker who shows up with clarity and confidence. Nerves included.
I share this reframe and the full Prime Your Presence approach in my talks with organizations, associations, and conferences across the Midwest. If you are planning an upcoming event, let's talk about bringing this message to your audience.
Reach out at leslie@lesliefiorenzo.com or visit lesliefiorenzo.com to explore booking a talk.