3 Steps for Public Speaking Under Pressure | Tim Newman Speaks

Have you ever frozen under pressure when someone in your audience throws a tough, even hostile question your way? You’re not alone, and this episode is all about teaching you how to handle those moments with confidence and composure.

Welcome back to Speaking with Confidence. I’m Tim Newman, a recovering college professor turned communication coach. My passion is helping you build the soft skills that spark real progress in your career and life, especially the ability to stay cool, clear, and credible in the spotlight. Whether you breeze through presentations or find public speaking downright nerve-wracking, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you face even the most challenging moments on stage.

Here’s what we covered in this episode:

• The 3-step credibility playbook for tough questions (Acknowledge, Provide Evidence, Call to Action)
• Aligning with the ABCD method and why defensive reactions hurt more than they help
• Using evidence and social proof to handle pushback and skeptical questions
• Reading audience motives and managing both “genuine” and “maddening” challengers
• Body language moves that signal control and calm
• How to use empathy, validation, and audience engagement to redirect heated moments
• “Sleight of mouth” reframing tactics and building your own objection-response scripts
• Scripted responses for handling multi-part and high-pressure questions with authority
• Turning objections into opportunities and building forward momentum

Progress, not perfection, is the goal. Pick just one strategy whether ABCD, a validation line, or the quick reframe and rehearse it for five minutes so you’re ready when the moment comes. Remember, confidence in those pressure-packed moments isn’t about never feeling nerves; it’s about being prepared enough to choose your response with authority.

For even more resources, visit speakingwithconfidencepodcast.com for a free eBook (“The Top 21 Challenges for Public Speakers and How to Overcome Them”) or to sign up for our Formula for Public Speaking training. Your voice is your power, thanks for joining me on this journey. Until next time, keep practicing and keep speaking with confidence!

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction and Next Week's Announcement
• 1:05 The Three-Step Credibility Playbook
• 2:42 Recognizing Different Types of Challengers
• 5:08 Advanced Scripting and Reframing Tactics
• 9:15 Transform Pressure into Forward Momentum

Transcript

Tim Newman: 0:09

Welcome back to Speaking with Confidence, a podcast that helps you build the soft skills that lead to real results Communication, storytelling, public speaking and showing up with confidence in every conversation that counts. I'm Tim Newman, a recovering college professor turned communication coach, and I'm thrilled to guide you on your journey to becoming a powerful communicator. I want to thank you all for supporting the show. It truly means the world to me. Over the last few months, I've been working on a number of things, and next week I will share one of them with you. I'm really excited about it, so stay tuned. Getting up in front of a group of people and talking may be easy for some of you, and it may be easy for some of you and it may be terrifying for others. The purpose of this podcast is to give everyone strategies, tactics and tools to become powerful communicators and speak with confidence. But how do we deal with tough questions or an unruly audience members trying to make a point or embarrass us? That's what I'm going to talk about today.

Tim Newman: 1:05

Picture this You're in the middle of your talk, someone in the audience cuts in with a loaded question. Your credibility is on the line. Your hands go clammy, your chest tightens. What now? If you've ever frozen in that moment, you're not alone. That's why today I'm giving you a toolkit, a simple three-step credibility playbook Acknowledge, provide evidence, call to action plus two body language moves that keep you in control.

Tim Newman: 1:32

One stage. These are research-backed, field-tested phrases and tactics speakers rely on when pressure hits. They won't erase the nerves, but they will stop you from being caught off guard. Before we jump in, I want you to think about the hardest questions you've ever had to face. Now let's look at what happens in that exact high-pressure moment. The worst version of this moment goes like this You're mid-sentence when someone interrupts you with how would you know? You've never even worked in our industry. Your shoulders lock up, your breath shortens and before you know it, you've learned. That's not true. I've got plenty of experience. The room shifts uncomfortably, you've automatically slipped into defense mode and from there, no one wins. Research on audience perception shows defensive reactions often stick in listeners' minds longer than the point you were trying to make. So instead of reinforcing your message, you've reinforced your discomfort. Strong speakers take the same moment and steer it differently. One tool is the Action Evidence Action Flow, which aligns closely with the ABCD method documented by communication coaches. Aligns closely with the ABCD method documented by communication coaches.

Tim Newman: 2:49

Abcd is answer, backup, confirm and depersonalize. In practice, acknowledge lines up with answer, evidence lines up with backup and confirm. And action echoes. Depersonalize by moving the focus forward, framing it as acknowledge evidence. Action gives you one clear phrase to remember under pressure. Here's what it looks like on stage. A weak response would be I know what I'm talking about versus a strong response. I see where you're coming from.

Tim Newman: 3:19

Many clients felt the same way until they reviewed the case studies. Step one is to acknowledge the concern. Step two is to share tangible evidence and step three is to point to an action, like opening a slide or describing what the data actually means for them. For technical pushback try. That's a great point. That's why we've confirmed these numbers with independent studies before presenting here's the data.

Tim Newman: 3:45

The reason this works is you avoid conflict and replace it with proof. The micro action, show a simple chart and move the energy back onto common ground For experience-based objections. Phrase it as that's a fair question. That's why we partnered with frontline teams during development. Here's what we learned Again you validate, supply evidence, then invite them forward. Targeted social proof also shifts the weight of proof away from you Instead of insisting on your expertise, point to a credible pilot project or case study that shows the idea in action. By anchoring your response in shared evidence, you turn skepticism into curiosity.

Tim Newman: 4:27

Nancy Duarte notes in her research that even the way you phrase points in rehearsal can change the questions you'll receive. A sales leader, she observed, swapped the phrase align on goals for redefining goals and the shift instantly promoted more collaborative questions instead of defensive ones. That example underscores how practice language choices can set you up for easier handling of tough questions. So the transformation is clear Before you're tense, rushed and defensive. After you're steady, evidence-backed and collaborative. This isn't about looking forward to conflict. It's about being prepared enough that you don't get thrown off your course. And once you have this foundation, you can start examining the different kinds of challenges you'll face, because not every tough question comes from the same place or carries the same intent.

Tim Newman: 5:22

Hostile to heroic moments are where the real test happens. The person leaning in with folded arms isn't the same as the one sighing in frustration or the one that's showing off fishing for laughs. Each type signals a different motive. Communication expert Lucille Osei calls these the genuine challenges versus the maddening ones. The genuine challengers press because they want clarity. So answer them directly and give them concise proof. Maddening challengers look for attention, so set a boundary and invite them to follow up afterward, instead of letting them derail the room.

Tim Newman: 5:57

You can often spot a challenge before it arrives. A flushed face, shuffling papers or exaggerated sighs are early cues. When you notice these signals, body language becomes your first line of control. Research in psychology today recommends an open posture and movement toward people, not away. A small adjustment, like angling your stance slightly instead of standing square, reduces confrontation while keeping authority. Keep your hands visible and let gestures slow down. One deliberate move at a time. Project calm without escalating tension From there. The ABCD method helps you. Keep your answers anchored. Answer briefly, back it with credible proof, confirm understanding and depersonalize by noting that many have asked the same question before.

Tim Newman: 6:46

At one tech talk, a participant shouted this architecture will never scale. The speaker replied it didn't in our first test either, until we added the caching layer on slide 18. Have you run into similar bottlenecks? And in one short turn they validated, provided evidence and then pivoted with a question. When emotions run hot, validations come first. Saying I'd feel frustrated too if I thought timelines were slipping works better than calm down Because, as psychology today notes, empathy and active listening diffuse anger more effectively than instant defense. You can also mirror the intensity, but at a lower volume. If someone says this is totally unrealistic, a firm but calmer reply like it's ambitious. That's why we staged the rollout Acknowledges without surrendering authority.

Tim Newman: 7:40

Two more research-backed moves give you options. Engage the audience as an ally by asking does the rest of the room see it this way? This checks whether a concern is shared and often softens the disruption. And if side conversations flare up, shift the room into quick pairs or table discussion. Physician leaders emphasize that this resets dynamics and breaks up disruptions while preserving dignity. Handled this way, hostile moments stop being threats and become chances to actually strengthen connection. And once you have skill at turning those interruptions around, the next step is learning how to reshape even the toughest objections before they settle in Advanced scripting tactics where challenges stopping random jolts and start becoming deliberate openings you've prepared for.

Tim Newman: 8:28

One of the simplest tools here is sleight-of-mouth patterns. These are short reframes that let you redirect an objection without sounding combative. For example, the chunking-up pattern. If someone says your software is too complicated, you step back to the bigger principle with what makes simplicity most important for your team. Rather than sparring complexity, you uncover what they truly value. Redefinition is another core pattern. If a client labels an idea as risky, you can say innovative, with controlled tests that meet compliance. The objection is acknowledged, but the harsh emotional weight is replaced with a neutral or even positive frame. A health care director once shifted fast from resistance when untested method was reframed as protocol modeled on cardiac reforms. The counterexample pattern works the same way. If they argue, nobody in our industry does this answer with, except Bayer's Singapore division, their results may be worth noting. By pointing to just one real case, you replace absolutes with possibilities.

Tim Newman: 9:35

Preparing these scripts makes them far more natural in the moment. Build a what-if bank by writing down the top 10 objections you faced. For each one draft three response angles, a statistic, an analogy and an external proof. Then run practice sessions where you or a partner play the roles of devil's advocate, sniper, know-it-all or any of the other six scary six challenges from coaching research. This rehearsal makes it harder to get rattled on stage because you've already handled the tough hits in private. And when faced with multi-part or pressure-heavy questions, use a buying timeline tight, clear and backed by multiple sources, recommending a pause, for example. I want to give that the attention it deserves. Let me outline three factors now, and we'll look at details in the discussion after this. Steadies your pace and signals control, while promising a return to the point as a guiding script.

Tim Newman: 10:33

Try this three-step reframe formula One short sentence to reinstate neutrally, such as you need proven ROI. One to show what's really at stake, such as what's at stake is making sure budgets stay safe. And one to offer your process as a solution, such as that's why we track indicators each week. These reframes typically shift tone or open new directions within a single exchange. If delivered calmly, mastering these tactics means you're not dodging objections. You're using them to redirect conversations with precision. And when you treat them this way, something starts to happen. The pressure doesn't just fade, it transforms into forward momentum. The turning point comes when objections stop feeling like roadblocks and start becoming opportunities. You're no longer stuck defending, you're guiding the exchange. Every pushback shows you've prepared and each clear response builds engagement instead of resistance.

Tim Newman: 11:32

Pick one strategy this week the ABCD method, a validation line or the three-step reframe. Rehearse it for five minutes today so it's ready when you need it. Notice the shift that happens in that small pause when you choose to respond instead of react. That pause is where authority starts to show. Remember we're looking for progress, not perfection. That's all for today. Be sure to visit speakingwithconfidencepodcastcom to get your free ebook the Top 21 Challenges for Public Speakers and how to Overcome them. You can also register for the Formula for Public Speakers. Always remember your voice is a power changer. We'll talk to you next time, take care.