Sound familiar? 

Stage fright is something many of us experience. It can happen before a presentation, a speech, an interview, a meeting or even when you simply have to introduce yourself in front of a room. 

I know the feeling. 

When I first started presenting, I worried about forgetting my words, making a mistake or not sounding confident enough. Over time, I moved on to speaking at events, interviewing people and emceeing. Standing in front of an audience has become much more natural, but believe me when I say, I still get butterflies occasionally. 

What has changed is that I now know how to manage them. 

And perhaps that is the first thing to understand about stage fright: you don’t necessarily have to get rid of the nerves. You need to learn how to work with them.

Practise Until It Feels Familiar
There is really no substitute for practice. 

Practise in front of the mirror. Practise in front of your family or friends. Run through your presentation while driving. Record yourself on your phone, play it back and listen. Yes, listening to yourself can feel strange at first! But it is one of the easiest ways to notice things you may not realise you are doing. 

Are you speaking too quickly? Are you repeating certain words? Are you clear? Do you sound natural? Are you pausing enough? 

Most importantly, practise out loud. Reading your presentation silently in your head is very different from actually saying the words. The more familiar you become with what you want to say, the less frightening it feels when you finally have to say it in front of other people.

Know Your Message, Not Every Word
I have also learnt not to depend too heavily on memorising a script word for word. Instead, know your message. 

Ask yourself: What do I want people to understand, feel or remember when I finish speaking? Know your opening, your key points and where you want to end. Use short prompts or keywords if you need them. 

This becomes particularly important when you are emceeing because live events don’t always go according to plan. A speaker may be late. The programme may change. Something technical may go wrong. If you understand the event and know your key messages, you can adapt rather than panic because the script has changed.

Find Your Space Before You Begin
If it helps, find a quiet moment before you go on stage. 

I find that sometimes you simply need a few minutes to get into the right headspace. Step away from the noise. Go through your opening. Take a few steady breaths. Gather your thoughts and focus on what you are there to do. Different things work for different people, so find your own routine. 

The few minutes before you walk onto a stage don’t need to be spent worrying about everything that could go wrong. Use them to get yourself ready for what is about to go right.

Dress the Part
This may sound simple, but how you present yourself can affect how you feel. 

Dress appropriately for the audience, event and occasion. But also wear something you feel comfortable and confident in. When I emcee an event, getting ready is part of mentally stepping into the role. You know you are there for a purpose. You need to carry yourself accordingly. 

It isn’t about expensive clothes or looking a particular way. It is about feeling prepared and professional enough that once you step onto the stage, you can forget about what you are wearing and focus on the room.

Learn to Command the Room
Emceeing taught me that standing on stage is very different from simply reading from a script. 

You need presence. 

Walk onto the stage with purpose. Look up. Make eye contact. Stand comfortably. Don’t hide behind your notes. And remember, you don’t need to shout to command a room. 

Presence comes from confidence, clarity and knowing when to speak and when to pause. When you first take the microphone, give yourself a second. Look at the audience. Then begin. Sometimes that one small pause can help you settle yourself while also getting the room’s attention.

Your Voice Is One of Your Most Important Tools
Voice projection makes an enormous difference. 

When people are nervous, they may speak too softly, too quickly or in the same tone throughout. Learn to use your voice. 

Speak clearly enough for the person at the back of the room to hear you. Slow down when you are making an important point. Pause occasionally. Change your tone and energy depending on what you are saying. 

And don’t rush simply because you want to finish. A pause that feels very long to you may only be a second or two to your audience. 

Let your words breathe.

Read the Room
This is probably one of the most useful things I have learnt from emceeing. 

You can prepare everything, but once you are standing in front of an audience, you also need to pay attention to them. 

Are they engaged? Do they need more energy? Has something gone on for too long? Is the mood formal, relaxed, emotional, or celebratory? 

Sometimes you need to change your tone. Sometimes you need to shorten what you planned to say. Sometimes you need to inject a little energy into the room. 

A good presenter doesn’t simply speak to an audience. A good presenter responds to an audience.

Stop Trying to Be Perfect
You will make mistakes. 

I’ve stumbled over words. I’ve had moments where things didn’t go exactly as planned. Anyone who speaks or emcees regularly will have stories like these. The important thing is what you do next. 

If you stumble over a word, correct yourself and continue. If you lose your place, pause and find it. If something unexpected happens, acknowledge it if necessary and move on. 

Remember, your audience doesn’t have your script. They probably don’t even know you made a mistake unless you draw attention to it. 

Aim for connection, not perfection.

Focus on Them, Not You
One of the biggest shifts for me was learning to stop thinking so much about myself. 

Do I sound nervous? What if I forget something? What are they thinking about me? 

Those thoughts only make stage fright worse. 

Instead, think about the people in front of you. What do they need from me right now? Do they need information? Energy? Reassurance? Clarity? Entertainment? 

As an emcee, your job isn’t to stand on stage and impress people. Your job is to connect the different parts of an event, engage the audience, make speakers feel welcome, and help create the right atmosphere. When you start thinking about what you can give your audience rather than what your audience thinks about you, something changes. 

Find Your Own Style
You don’t have to sound like somebody else to be a good presenter. 

Some people are naturally energetic. Some use humour. Others are calm and thoughtful. Find what works for you. 

For me, being conversational feels most natural. I prefer speaking with an audience rather than feeling like I am delivering something to them. Your personality is part of your presentation. Let it come through.

And Finally…Keep Saying Yes
This is probably the biggest lesson from my own journey. 

I didn’t become more comfortable speaking because one day I suddenly stopped being nervous. I became more comfortable because I kept doing it. 

One presentation led to another. Then came events. Interviews. Larger audiences. Emceeing. Every opportunity gave me something the previous one couldn’t, and that is, experience. So, start where you are. 

Practise in front of the mirror. Present to your friends. Record yourself. Volunteer to introduce a speaker. Speak up in a meeting. Take that presentation you would normally avoid. 

Then do it again. The stage becomes less frightening when it stops feeling unfamiliar. 

I still believe a few butterflies are good. They remind you that you care about what you are about to do. The trick is not allowing them to stop you from walking onto that stage. 

You don’t have to wait until you feel confident to begin. Sometimes, all you need to do is just begin…before the confidence can follow.