Many studies have confirmed what most of us already know: public
speaking is the number one fear worldwide, even outpacing traditionally
scary things like death and snakes. The amount of stress, anxiety, and
sleepless nights endured by those faced with a speech or presentation
is truly staggering.
Yet the fear of public speaking can be conquered. There
are people who not only don’t mind speaking to thousands of people, but
actually relish the opportunity. Would you like to deliver speeches
with confidence and poise? Follow the following three steps and you can
eliminate your public speaking anxiety forever.
1. Don’t Accept Your Fear
Most people will
never take action to address their fear of public speaking precisely
because public speaking anxiety is so widespread. They accept their
fear as tolerable because so many other people do the same. The obvious
problem with this approach is that you will continue to give nervous
and lackluster speeches and presentations for the rest of your life.
Instead, view your fear of public speaking for what it actually is: an
irrational phobia. You would snicker at someone with trichopathophobia
(the fear of hair) or xanthophobia (the fear of the color yellow), but
at least their phobias won’t cost them countless professional and
personal opportunities.
2. Videotape Is Your Friend
Next time you’re preparing for a speech, videotape yourself practicing
it to critique your performance. Not only will it help you to correct
flaws in your content or delivery, but you will also become comfortable
seeing yourself speaking. After reviewing a tape of themselves
speaking, the most common response people have by far is “Hey, I’m not
that bad!"
3. Structure Your Speech
A large portion of your public speaking anxiety will
disappear once you learn how to structure your speeches correctly.
Talking for a 30-minute span may seem daunting whereas talking about
your 6 main points for 5 minutes each is much easier to handle. Provide
a main idea, follow it with supporting evidence, and then repeat the
process. Using numbers (like I did in the title of this article) both
helps you to remain calm (since you’re focused on a single idea) and
makes your speech easier to follow for your audience.
By focusing on these three keys, you can substantially
reduce or even eliminate your fear of public speaking. Becoming a
confident public speaker will free your mind from the dread of giving
another presentation and allow you to communicate your ideas
effectively and persuasively.
Matt Nadell is the Founder and CEO of
http://www.SuccessfulCommunication.com, a membership site devoted to improving public speaking and persuasion skills. He is a two-time national debate champion and has been featured in the Chicago Tribune as well as other publications. To receive your free report on "The 5 Secrets Of Fearless Speakers," go to
http://www.SuccessfulCommunication.com.
