How to Become a Confident Public Speaker (6 Practical Tips That Actually Work)

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How do you become a confident public speaker, even if presentations make you nervous?

In this episode, keynote speaker and communication coach Shannon Jenkins shares six practical strategies that helped her go from feeling physically sick before presentations to speaking on stages in front of thousands of people.

If you struggle with public speaking anxiety, overprepare your presentations, or worry about how you come across when presenting, this episode will show you how to build real confidence, not through personality or mindset tricks, but through simple, practical changes in how you prepare and communicate.

Drawing on real experiences from high-stakes keynotes (including a talk where the slides failed minutes before going on stage), Shannon explains how to calm your nervous system, stay grounded under pressure, and shift your focus from self-doubt to serving your audience.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why memorising scripts can actually increase public speaking anxiety
• How to prepare presentations using clear message anchors instead of word-for-word scripts
• A simple breathing technique backed by neuroscience to calm stress before speaking
• How a single trigger word can help you regain control in stressful moments
• Why planning for things going wrong can actually make you more confident
• The powerful mindset shift from self-focus to audience focus
• Why competence — not mindset alone — is the real source of confidence

This episode is for you if:

• You feel nervous before presentations or meetings
• You want to become a more confident public speaker
• You need to communicate ideas clearly at work
• You want to speak with more authority and authenticity

Topics in this episode

Public speaking
Presentation skills
Confidence and mindset
Leadership communication
Overcoming presentation anxiety