Are lecturers always nervous?

It is just as likely to find a researcher who does not talk well as you could find an artist, a designer, a handyman, a farmer, or any other person who is more dedicated to their craft than in developing and refining their presentation skills. The person simply doesn’t perceive much of an advantage, or at least is not burdened with a disadvantage, in giving effective presentations.

You tend to find great speakers in places where being a great speaker grants an advantage. Salesmen, client-facing individuals, CEOs, angel investors, marketers all benefit from having great presentation skills. These people tend to also advance their skills by continuing their education or participating in training related to being an effective presenter, such as attending a free Toastmasters meeting, or by participating in pay training.

And then of course one’s personality and life experiences in public talking/presenting will change things up further.

I think a shot of bourbon cures all anxiety

@dynamicduo There is something to what you say. An extreme example would be a college research professor who is forced to give lectures to freshmen.

Still, the lecturers I am talking about do get paid for their talks. In some cases there are book signings where copies of the book can be purchased. So there is an incentive to polish speaking skills. I guess the incentive is just not that great. After some of the lectures, I think of how much better a job I could have done in presenting the information.

But even given that there is not that much of an incentive to present a great lecture, why the nervousness? They are presenting material with which they are intimiately familiar. At the very least, they should be able to convey a joyful enthusiasm for the work that they did.

Assuming the material is of the lecturer’s own, maybe they’re just a little bit insecure about how the audience might receive what’s being said. Their work is on the line, and for a lot of people their work is a large part of what defines them.

Perhaps a lot of people who are drawn to research are not strong communicators. Speaking in public is a talent, as is being able to break down complex subjects to a general audience. You’re right, there are plenty of programs that teach public speaking; one of the best (IMHO) is Speakeasy. It’s pricey but really delivers.

One of the best lectures I attended was a creative writing lecture by “Lemony Snickety” aka Daniel Handler. Mr. Handler stayed in character the whole time, and was really amazing. Most of the lectures I attend are historical lectures.