With over 35 years spent talking to cameras and crowds, top Kiwi entertainer and AIA Vitality Ambassador, Jason Gunn, shares some practical tips he’s learned throughout his career to manage nerves and communicate clearly in all types of situations.
Jason is also the founder of Easily Said, a communications training company focused on helping teach people the art of authentic, confident and compelling public speaking.
Knowing where the nerves come from
Over the years of speaking to crowds, I’ve become all too familiar with the three unwanted visitors that often show up: self-doubt, judgment, and imposter syndrome. They knock loudly at the door, and if we let them in, they take over. It doesn’t matter how experienced a speaker you are, those feelings appear in everyone.
When people ask me how they can get better at public speaking, the same themes come up again and again.
More often than not, these feelings trace back to their experience of speaking in the school speech competition. If you had a negative experience as a child during these events, that becomes the story we carry. Public speaking equals judgment and pressure. So years later, many people are taken right back to that moment when they get up to present.
Managing your nerves before speaking
Our bodies don’t know the difference between nerves and excitement. Our heart rate lifts, our energy rises, and our hands might shake. It’s a similar response.
The key to speaking with confidence is recognising when we’re feeling nervous, and using it to our advantage instead of letting it take over us.
That nervous energy is the secret sauce that helps you stay sharp and show up at your best. It’s a signal that you care and that you want things to go well. They are your brain’s way of saying, “This matters.” So I encourage you to reframe it, instead of fighting it.
Great speakers create moments that resonate with others
Speaking confidently comes from mastering the art of storytelling. Stories are how we remember things, so I spend a lot of time helping people find their stories, shape them and tell them in a way that feels natural.
Before I step onstage or in front of a camera, I always ask myself three simple questions to bring clarity: “What’s the one thing I want them to know? What do I want them to feel? What do I want them to do?”.
Nerves do tend to grow when you make it all about yourself, so I encourage you to shift your focus to the audience or the people you are talking to. If you can make them the hero and focus on making their lives better, the pressure starts to lift.
You are a speaker, you just don’t have the right tools yet
Everyone is a speaker. We do it every day! The difference is that most people have never been given the tools to do it with confidence, or in front of people other than their friends and family.
I always come back to my H.E.A.R.T formula - my secret to staying rooted to connecting with your audience.
- 'H’ is for heart. Show you care. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
- ‘E’ is for empathy. Before you ask someone to see where you’re coming from, you’ve got to understand where they’re at and then tailor your approach to speaking to them.
- ‘A’ is for authenticity. You’ve got to be yourself and be vulnerable to relate to others.
- ‘R’ is for reassurance. The world needs more of it. Not just positivity, but a sense that things will be okay and that there’s a way forward.
- ‘T’ is for telling stories. It is not what you say, but how you say it. The energy, the pace, the feeling behind it.
You can give the same message to fifty people, but it will land fifty different ways. That’s why, before any big moment, I always come back to H.E.A.R.T.
Speaking confidently starts with how you look after yourself
We often underestimate how much speaking well is linked to our mental wellbeing. Things like listening to your body, getting good sleep and meditating frequently bring a lot of clarity.
I’ve learned that if I want to give energy to others, I have to top myself up first. If I’m not looking after myself, I feel it straight away. While I can still get up and do the job, people can sense that something is missing if you’re not at your best.
At the end of the day, mindset is everything. If you’re not in a good place yourself, it’s very hard to lift others up.
Right before I speak, I take a step back and remind myself why I’m there. I have a moment to sit quietly, reset and run through a few affirmations to ground myself. It’s about getting myself into the right state.
It’s no different to preparing for a sport. You wouldn’t show up to a game without a warm-up, and speaking should be treated the same way.
Progress over perfection, every time
I encourage you to let go of perfection. The little mistakes and stumbles are what makes you human, and it’s what people connect with. So instead of fighting it, learn to laugh at it and move on.
It’s also worth remembering that confidence doesn’t necessarily define a great speaker. You can be quiet, even shy, and still have something powerful to say. Often, that honesty is what shines through the most.
If you want to improve, keep it simple. Watch yourself back on your video and ask one question. What’s one small thing I could do better next time? That’s how you build confidence over time.
But it all starts in the same place. Being kind to yourself, staying present, and just being you.
