How do you quiet self-doubt right before you present?
Don't argue with the doubts. Picture them as a committee and show them the door.
What I say in the video
Ever notice that the doubts arrive right on schedule? You stand up to present, and there they are: "the itty-bitty shitty committee."
In my trainings, I don't argue with them. I get up, walk to the door, open it, and let them out.
It looks ridiculous, but it works. The person I'm coaching laughs, and then I watch their shoulders drop, and their delivery immediately improve.
So the next time that committee convenes in your head, show them the door.
What I didn’t say in the video
The reason people skip this one is that it can feel somewhat ridiculous. Smart, capable people think they should be able to reason their way out of self-doubt, so they argue with the voice instead, which is a losing battle. The voice knows everything they know and it has had a lot more practice.
The door works because it isn't an argument. It gives the doubt a shape and a location, and once it's a thing in the room instead of a fact about you, it can be moved.
Try it today
Before your next meeting, take ten seconds and picture the committee filing out. You'll be amazed at how much the pressure you're feeling lifts away.
Bill Smartt is a New York executive presence and public speaking coach and the founder of Smartt Talk. He works with leaders in financial services, tech, advertising and startups.
