I want to save you some time, money and heartache because there are a lot of people peddling a lot of gimmicks out there to turn you into a better communicator. And I think they're either completely worthless or so difficult and hard that they're just not practical. So, for starters, there's something called tapping where people have this theory, if you just tap on your face often enough, you'll lose your fear and become a better speaker. most ridiculous thing I've ever heard beta blockers again, you can take drugs so that you don't feel this 10 step. But it can make you kind of look and sound like a zombie and it doesn't cure the central problem of You don't look comfortable and you're not saying anything interesting. So I do not advise beta blockers.

For other people that may want to use marijuana or alcohol. I'm not opposed to those things, but don't use them before you give a presentation or a speech because It's not really helping you come across more effectively to your audience. It's just making you relaxed. Well, if you're nervous, it's typically because you haven't rehearsed your presentation on video. Now there's hypnosis to help people reduce their stress. Again, I am not opposed to hypnosis.

I know it helps some people, not smoke, give up other bad habits. But if all it's doing is helping you give up your fear of public speaking, but you're using that as an excuse not to rehearse on video, then it's a horrible idea. NLP neuro linguistic programming, some people are really good at it. Anthony Robbins has made a whole career out of it. I find most people after about five minutes, the idea of mirroring someone Oh, they tilted their head this way. So I'll do that.

Most people just aren't going to do that. It's just too much to think about when you're trying to have a conversation. And I don't find it really is effective for many people at all tiny percentage of people to actually discipline themselves. To ever do that. There's this craze started by someone gave it the third most popular TED talk of all time saying if you just stand like Wonder Woman, and tell yourself how great you and powerful you are, that will reduce all of your your tension and fear you'll now be able to give a great speech again, horrible advice. Because you can feel confident and still give a lousy boring speech.

Don't go for these superficial things that are just about you feeling better, because you can feel great and give the most boring speech anyone your audience has ever heard. You can feel great. And the person interviewing you for that job is thinking that you're asleep or on drugs. So it's not about Deal. You've heard me say this before, it's not about you. That's the problem with all these solutions.

The the NLP is the face tapping the beta blockers. It's all about poor little knee. I don't want to sound unsympathetic to you. I am sympathetic to you. I'm on your side. Honey doesn't help you.

It just masks the problem. If I tell you, I've got to go out and give a speech in the middle of Times Square. And I think I'll do it naked. But I feel embarrassed because I'm not in good shape. And I'm afraid I'm going to be arrested. Or you going to tell me well, TJ, visualize a standing ovation and it won't be that bad.

And imagine the applause of the crowd. Are you going to tell me that to make me feel good? Are you going to say, hey, TJ, why don't you put some clothes on? It would hope and I would think that you would actually put some clothes on or tell me to put some clothes on. Every other week someone pitches me with some app that's going to solve all the problems because it will tell you how many words per minute you spoke well, you can speak at a consistent rate and still be awful. Same with devices to get rid of your arms, you can get rid of all of your arms and be an awful speaker.

All of these things are about attempting to solve one little piece of the puzzle and often it makes it worse. These days, I get pitched by people peddling virtual reality as a solution to making people better speakers and reduce their fears. We already have a technology to dramatically help you be a better speaker. It's just your cell phone. It's recording yourself on video. All these other things are gimmicks.

Now at some point will there be some new devices Some new pill that will turn people magically into great speakers. Maybe I'll be the first one to shout and endorse it and tell everyone Don't take my courses anymore. Just take that pill. I've never seen it happen and I keep looking for it so that you don't have to. So please, I beg you Don't fall for these gimmicks. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Holding your fingers a certain way. visualizing people in their underwear just doesn't help.