Top 5 Public Speaking Challenges (and How to Overcome Them)

Mar 02, 2025

Public speaking is one of the most powerful skills you can develop—but it doesn’t come without challenges. Whether you’re stepping on stage for the first time or you’ve been speaking for years, obstacles can still pop up. But hey, every challenge has a solution, right?

Here are the top public speaking challenges and exactly how to overcome them so you can step up with confidence and deliver an unforgettable performance.


1. Nervousness and Stage Fright

The Problem: Your heart races, your palms sweat, and your mind blanks the second you step in front of an audience. Sound familiar? Stage fright is one of the biggest fears people have.


The Fix: You don’t need to eliminate nerves—you need to channel them into energy.

  • Breathe deeply before stepping on stage to calm your nervous system. Do diaphragmatic box breathing to practice... simply take a deep breath in through your stomach, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four, breathe in for four and repeat. Do this 100 times a day, and your public speaking anxiety will dramatically improve.
  • Reframe nerves as excitement. Your body reacts the same way to fear and excitement, so trick your brain by saying, “I’m excited!” By the way, your brain doesn’t know real from fake; it only knows what you imagine. So next time you imagine trouble, say, "Wait, let's imagine AMAZING." Over time, this will rewire your brain to expect success instead of fear.
  • Practice under pressure. Rehearse in front of friends or record yourself to get comfortable. Better yet, practice in an empty room, knowing your roommates or family can listen in from outside. The better you practice public speaking in uncomfortable environments, the better you'll perform on stage.


Pro Tip: Even the best speakers still get nervous. The difference? They’ve learned how to use that energy to enhance their performance.



2. Losing Your Audience’s Attention

The Problem: You start strong, but halfway through your talk, people are checking their phones, whispering, or zoning out.


The Fix: Keep engagement high with variety and interaction.

  • Use storytelling—it makes your talk 22x more memorable than facts alone. However, bad storytelling is another way to lose your audience. Have you ever been to a wedding where the father of the bride tells every detail of his daughter’s life? Boring!
  • Want a storytelling framework that crushes every time? Check out my 7-Figure Speaker Story Framework!
  • Ask questions to keep people involved. And please, don't answer your own questions before giving the audience a chance—that drives me nuts.
  • Change your tone and pace. No one wants to listen to a monotone speaker. Need help? Take a vocal lesson—it’ll transform your ability to engage.


Pro Tip: The moment you feel energy dropping, shift gears—ask a question, move around, or drop a punchline.



3. Forgetting What to Say

The Problem: You’re in the middle of your talk and suddenly—your mind goes blank. Panic sets in.


The Fix: Have a structure that guides you.

  • Use a simple framework like the rule of three (three main points in your talk).
  • Memorize key transitions so you always know what’s coming next.
  • Pause instead of panicking. The audience won’t know you forgot—own the silence and regroup.
  • Use a saver line: Sheesh, my brain went blank right before my most important line… what was I talking about again?


Pro Tip: If you get lost, ask yourself: What’s my key takeaway? Then, return to that. Public speaking success comes from knowing how to recover smoothly.



4. Speaking Too Fast

The Problem: Your words come out at lightning speed, making it hard for people to follow.


The Fix: Control your pace with these tricks:

  • Use intentional pauses. They add impact and slow you down.
  • Practice with a metronome (yes, like musicians use!) to keep a steady rhythm.
  • Record yourself and listen for speed—then adjust.
  • Just slow the bleep down! Is it that hard to do? Practice on your friends.


Pro Tip: A well-placed pause makes you sound more confident and in control. Speaking too fast is one of the most common public speaking mistakes—but it’s an easy fix.



5. Lacking Confidence

The Problem: You second-guess yourself, worry about what people think, or feel like an imposter.


The Fix: Confidence comes from preparation and mindset.

  • Get a dang speaking coach! No offense, but you'll never prepare properly or know what you're doing if you don’t learn from someone who does.
  • Prepare more than you think you need to. Confidence grows from knowing your material inside out. Although, I disagree—confidence comes from KNOWING WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
  • Adopt a power stance before stepping on stage (yes, this helps).
  • Shift the focus—it’s not about you, it’s about serving your audience. But again, nobody knows how to do this properly if you've never learned how.


Pro Tip: Confidence in public speaking isn’t about not feeling fear—it’s about moving forward despite it.


Final Thoughts: Every Challenge Has a Solution


Public speaking challenges are real—but they don’t have to hold you back. The key is to take a dang course or get a coach. That’s the only solution, and if the coach sucks (because most of them do), then come back and find me. I guarantee my work!


Listen, if you want to master these techniques with step-by-step guidance, join the waitlist for my Magnetic Message Blueprint mini-course. 🚀