How can I get more comfortable in front of crowds?

Question:

How can I get more comfortable in front of crowds?

I am pretty quiet to strangers and don't like being in the spotlight. However, once I know someone well and am comfortable around them, I am pretty out going. How can I get more comfortable talking and performing in front of crowds, and being more comfortable when I am meeting new people? Thank you!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: It's slightly bizarre, but I once had a teacher make this comment: "Do you really think that they care that much about you?"

Sure everyone is watching you, but only a jerk is sitting there waiting for you to mess up. And do you really care what that person thinks? Take a deep breath and exhale (the exhale part is important). Find someone who will be in the audience and who is willing to work with you in advance and will be supportive. If you start to freak out then just focus on that person and exhale.

Take your time to gather your thoughts before the show/presentation. You don't have to race through it.

Personally, I tend to ramble and interject lots of ers, yeahs, and uhs when I speak. If you are giving a presentation then index cards work wonders to help you keep your place and prevent your from mumbling.

Everyone gets nervous in some setting. I sing, and by the end of high school I had completely conquered my stage fright. I could stand in front of a large group of people and be perfectly comfortable. Then, when I got to college and had to sing in front of my fellow music majors my nerves came back. The first time I sang in class I had to literally put my hand on my leg because my leg wouldn't stop shaking. But the next time it wasn't quite as bad, and the time after that it was a little easier. Keep it up and eventually you will find the stage fright management technique that works best for you.

Good luck! Practice, practice, practice. Working behind a stage gets you to where you ignore crowds. Passing out fliers or tickets helps too. Don't get wrapped up in the details of who you see in a crowd. Just do YOUR thing. As for performing, I too consider myself rather quiet around people I don't know, but I've found that performing is very comfortable- you have an exact script to stick to, you really can't see the audience that well- and once you're in character they don't distract me, and you have this certain anonimity on stage because when you walk off the stage you don'thave to be anything like the characters you play. Rehearsal is key to being ready for the performance, for both the shy person and the outgoing!
As for talking/socializing in a crowd of people, I tend to make sure when going somewhere crowded that I have a friend or two to "hang out" with because if I'm overwhelmed by many faces I find myself very quiet, and well, a good book is more fun than that!