The fear of public speaking is overrated.
I hate to break it to you, but this fear does not even rank on the top 10 fears in the modern world. This surprised me as well as I researched for this piece. Instead, things like spiders, snakes, dogs, not being good enough, risk, failure, rejection, all rank - but not public speaking. In the modern functioning business world public speaking skills are essential for success for any business leader.
Not to discount this phobia, I will confirm 75% of people demonstrate concern about this personal, professional, and organizational skill set. To ignore this would be irresponsible, but to continue to overplay this concern is not a good strategy either.
I define FEAR as: False Expectations Appearing Real.
Similar to most FEARs, the issue more exists in our head causing, fight, flight or freeze type behaviors. This is being human. Our job is to overcome the notion of fear and place it where it belongs.
I suggest knowing your $%@! and getting mentally and emotionally prepared for the big day. More on this as we go along.
Will this fear ever go away? No, it will not experts say. The good news is the more you do it, the more comfortable you get! The easier it becomes. You gotta do the work, build the muscle, flex it, and do more of it. There is the real deal here. To avoid and delay is no longer a strategy.
I am asked often if I also always want to throw up when I speak in public? This is a legitimate question. The legit answer is “Yes”, but doing the work, and knowing my material allows me earned self-confidence. A bottle of water with me always helps to get started as well!
To fear this important skill is not good for anyone.
I have put together a list of valuable tips that will help you overcome your fear of public speaking and boost your confidence when delivering a speech or presentation. I hope this helps!
|
JRCI Public Speaking Suggestions for Your Success |
||
|
1. |
Know the Material |
Make sure you have command of your topic. |
|
2. |
Get Organized |
How you present organizationally matters. They need to follow you. |
|
3 |
Be Yourself |
Authenticity is everything. They will know when you are not yourself. YOU are in charge! |
|
4. |
Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice again! |
This says it all. Should you skip this step, you get what you deserve. |
|
5. |
Envision Positive Response |
Your motivation will come from a job well done, be proactive! |
|
6. |
Practice Breathing, You will need it! |
Breathing is everything. Your body will need more oxygen in this moment…breath! |
|
7. |
Silence is your Friend |
Allow for silence, collect your thoughts…move on. A strategic pause says you are in control. |
|
8. |
Get Training |
Highly suggested. |
|
9. |
Practice some more… |
You will need it. I do not care how experienced you think you are. |
|
10. |
Celebrate Success |
You earned it! |
Take a good look above, especially item number 4. Most fail to do the hard work. Prior to any speaking engagement, big or small, I am found speaking to no one, alone in my office....over and again, working the material. Something magic happens hearing the words coming from your mouth.
A self-confidence combined with some form of muscle memory is learned. In a difficult moment on stage, something kicks in, a muscle memory tings, and you work through it.
But without doing the practice, you will not earn that magic moment thing, you will bomb out. I maintain that is the real fear. Simply do the work and earn success. You can do it. Take a good look at this system on public speaking.
As you reviewed this list, you probably thought , “That’s it?”. This is not a complicated process. That is my point. We make it complicated in our heads. Say yes to your next public speaking opportunity and run this system. Remember to breath!