Fake it till you make it

This week, one of my students told me that she was afraid of giving a presentation to a new client in English. She’s actually quite high up in her organisation, her English is good and she is perfectly comfortable presenting in German. She’s just worried about what her Dutch client will think about her English skills.

Sound familiar?
It made me think of three tips I read in an article a long time ago about overcoming fear. I’ve found them really useful myself — especially when I had to give my first webinar on teaching English interview skills to top management. They’re a little quirky, but they work!

First: Give your fear a name
I sometimes call mine Captain Catastrophe. Instead of thinking, “I’m nervous. My English isn’t good enough,” try: “Oh, hello Captain Catastrophe. You’re here again.” Giving your fear a name helps you realise that it isn’t you talking — it’s your fear. And somehow, that makes it much easier to take a step back from it.

Second: Let it float away
Imagine your fear is a leaf floating down a stream. Notice it, but don’t grab it. Let it float past.
There goes that thought … and there goes another one …
And then focus your thoughts on the task in hand.

And finally: Fake it till you make it
Get dressed up. Stand tall. Shoulders back. Look in the mirror and tell yourself, “I can do this.”And then practise in front of the mirror. And again … and again.
It might feel like pretending — but there’s evidence that changing your posture and behaviour can actually help you feel more confident.

And remember: Your audience is usually on your side. They’re not sitting there counting your mistakes. In fact, perfect English probably isn’t what your conversation partner is looking for. Being polite, respectful and professional is much more important. They want to understand you, have a good conversation and get something done. And if you’re both speaking a language that isn’t your mother tongue, there’s something rather nice about that, too.