Dealing with stage fright: anne veck's expert advice

She has been on stage in front of thousands of people, styling hair extensions, creating dynamic cuts and even producing live colour looks, so what makes her so at ease? Anne Veck tells us her top tips for dealing with stage fright. “Did I used to get nervous before I went on stage? Well of course, who wouldn’t?” says Anne Veck, creative Director of Anne Veck’s Oxford and Bicester salon. “It does sound incredibly daunting and you don’t know exactly what to expect or how the audience will react. But honestly, you need to remember just one thing - you are the expert. So it doesn’t matter whether you are talking to 100 people or 10,000 people, you need to have passion about what you are saying.” Here, Anne shares her expert advice... 1. Practice, practice, practice. I can’t emphasise enough how important this is. If you don’t have a rough idea of what you will be discussing and demonstrating on stage in advance, then you will not engage your audiences. 2. Eye contact! Always maintain eye contact with your audience - when you're not cutting! - as it lets them feel like you are directly talking to them, which will hold their interest. There is nothing worse than someone talking to the floor or ceiling. 3. Family and friends can make great audiences. Ask them if you can practice in front of them - the more people you ask to watch, the more natural and comfortable you will become. They can also point out any areas that need work. 4. Focus on your core skill. You will naturally look more confident and your audience will be able to see how knowledgeable you are about the topic if it's something you're passionate about. Every hairdresser has a certain technique that they are really good at, so my advice would be to focus on this and let your other skills grow over time. 5. Structure your routine so you don’t get side tracked. It can be very easy to drift off topic, but you need to remember that you have a set time on stage and you need to keep to a schedule. 6. Speaking clearly is vital, if you cannot project your voice then a sound system will definitely be beneficial. You don’t want to sound quiet when you are walking around different areas of the stage and risk people switching off because they can't hear you. 7. Because I have been engaging with hairdressers for many years on stage, I also feel that I can explain my methods to my customers in a clearer, more captivating way. Think of the long-term benefits of what you're doing! 8. It can be easier to avoid talking on stage or even in front of a training class, but I guarantee that facing your fear of public speaking will not only benefit your skills as a hairdresser but also your own self confidence.