BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 09: Justin Tucker #9 of the Baltimore Ravens kicks the game-winning ... [+]
According to CBS Sports, Baltimore Ravens placekicker Justin Tucker is the “most clutch kicker in NFL history.” He’s the “surest thing in football,” says the Wall Street Journal. But like most people he gets nervous, too, just before he performs superhuman feats of athletics like making a record-setting 66-yard field goal.
“I’ll have all of the thoughts, from anxiety and fear to confidence, excitement, exhilaration, joy, celebration with my teammates and my coaches,” Tucker said in a recent interview. “All of those feelings exist and they’re important. They need to be acknowledged.”
Tucker’s secret to managing performance anxiety is a lesson that applies directly to people who get nervous before any ‘performance’ like public speaking. Tucker nails the performance because—when he kicks the ball—he sets aside any anxiety-provoking thoughts and puts his trust in the process.
Process builds confidence
Tucker gets very technical when he talks about kicking a football. He obsesses over every detail from the angle of approach to trajectories and arcs, and even tries to make contact with specific dimples on the ball.
Tucker makes it look easy on the field, but he spends countless hours in practice to get the details just right.
The same process applies to public speaking. I’ve written books on Steve Jobs, TED speakers, and now Jeff Bezos. Everyone I profile make public-speaking look easy—but only after putting in the practice—getting in the reps.
The neuroscientist Jill Bolte-Taylor told me she practiced her now famous TED talk 200 times. Practice builds confidence. But practicing the right way is crucial.
Practice under mild stress
Practice is a critical, says Justin Tucker. Repetition is essential. “It’s the Bruce Lee principle,” he says. “Practicing one kick 10,000 times, not just practicing kicking 10,000 times.”
In other words, Tucker is very deliberate in his practice sessions. Deliberate and focused practice also applies to giving a presentation or preparing for any kind of public speaking event.
Don’t just flip through your slides, prepare for a real event in front of people.
If your presentation is on Zoom, schedule a practice session and record your presentation. Watch it back. Take notes on your performance, fix problems, and do it again. If you’re going to present in front of an audience, ask one or two people to watch your rehearsal. Even small doses of pressure will give you confidence for the big day.
Top performers in any field put in the practice. Public speaking is no different. Schedule practice time and you’ll feel the difference—and your audience will see the difference.
