Tips for Authors Giving Talks: Confidence

Think back to when you've been in the audience at an author talk. How did you feel? What did you expect? The chances are you were hoping for a pleasurable hour, with maybe some information, perhaps a joke or two. I'd be surprised if you were feeling judgmental or negative in any way. If anything the opposite: you wanted the author to do well.

Remember that feeling when it's your turn to give a talk. All your audience expects from you is a nice time. They want you to do well. So, relax. You're not at school, having to do some ghastly presentation on the Battle of Stamford Bridge with a grim faced teacher marking you. You're among friends, even if you don't actually know them (yet).

The audience also doesn't want to be embarrassed by the speaker getting upset - if you've ever been in the audience when a speaker gets flustered you know how uncomfortable that feels, and how anxious it makes you. The first, and most important part of giving talks is to appear confident, even if you're dying inside. Appear confident, and the audience will be happy. It can be as simple as smiling and saying hello in a clear voice, but there are other tricks...

One trick to make yourself appear confident is to arrange the furniture eg chairs, lectern, mike to suit yourself. Take your time over this and don't let anyone, such as the person making the introductions, hurry you up. Make them wait until you're happy that all your notes are in order, your chair/lectern/mike are where you want them to be. If you're not happy, then stop, and ask that whatever is bothering you is fixed, then wait quietly until it is. This is sending out signals that you are in control of your space, and it will make the audience relax - you're the boss.

If the mike/visualiser/power point won't work, then smile to the audience and say something like, we'll just have to manage as we are. Again, you're in charge, but you're also saying we're in this together. It's the same as checking that everyone can hear you - yes, it's got a practical purpose, but it also makes you come across as a) part of the team and b) in control.

This post has been about confidence and how to fake it if you haven't got it. Tomorrow's post will be specific tips on what to do when things go wrong...

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