How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking
The phrase "public speaking" causes fear and anxiety in the minds of people who are completely insecure. Does the concept of speaking in front of a group scare you, make you sweat, and make your heart beat fast? It is possible that you suffer from glossophobia - the fear of public speaking.
Glossophobia is one of the most prevalent fears. There are many methods to increase business exposure, so why bother with your nervousness? Stepping up to the podium not only positions you as a professional at your place of business, but it also provides a simple reference and opportunity to increase revenue.
Why Do We Have This Fear?
Let's talk about how this fear comes about and why so many of you are afraid of public speaking. Understanding the main reasons can hopefully help you deal with them better.
In the book, "A Public Speaker's Confessions" by Scott Berkun, he suggests that your brain identify the following 4 conditions, which you think are extremely terrifying, in order to survive:
- In an open area and no place to hide
- Standing alone
- In front of a giant crowd staring at you
- Become unarmed
This condition makes sense, because during the early years of mankind alone, or unarmed, it was very unsafe with wild animals and other ferocious tribal members nearby.
There is a condition that is experienced while someone is speaking in public. You're alone on stage, open to a target audience watching you, unarmed and unprotected (assuming you're not hiding behind a laptop).
So, what exactly can you do to progressively work on your fear of public speaking? Here are key guidelines you can practice before, during, and after your public speech.
Don't strive to be perfect.
Fear of public speaking often stems from your own fear of imperfection. Accept the truth that no one has ever made it perfect and neither should you. You don't have to try to be a "high-pitched speaker", just be yourself. Audience will respect it
Be yourself
Nothing is holding you back more than your own personal insecurity.
When it comes to finding a topic you're passionate about, chances are that a subject you know is yourself. Talking about your personal experiences and feelings means less research, and the less likely you'll be to stumble and forget something.
Being honest and just talking about your own experiences and beliefs can be scary, but it's also liberating. You don't need to be making this up; You're just saying what you know. It can also give a strength to your presentation.
Public Speaking Tips For Your Next Speech
When you are preparing, think about your audience.
When you start preparing for a presentation, the mistake you make is to start the topic. This immediately gets you into the details — and makes it much harder to break down the walls between you and other people.
Instead, start with the audience. Before diving into information, ask yourself: Who will be in the room? Why are they there? What do they need? Be specific in your answer. Identify the needs of the audience, both spoken and unspoken, create messages that speak directly to these needs.
Get organized
When you organize all your ideas and materials, it helps you become much more relaxed and calm. When you have a clear and organized idea, it can greatly reduce your speaking nervousness, as you can focus more on one aspect at hand, giving a very good speech.(mayoclinic.org)
Visualize your success.
Close your eyes and picture yourself delivering your speech with enthusiasm and confidence. What are the rooms like? What do these people look like?
Imagine your successful presentation and activate your thoughts to help turn your imagination into reality.
Pay whatever it costs, and spend every moment having a nice conversation
Make the decision now that you prefer to analyze to talk and learn to communicate well. Willing to pay any price and do whatever it takes to reap your goals.
many people leapfrog other people in their careers by overcoming their speech anxiety. In the long run, the better you speak, the taller you are, the further you go in your business career.
Struggling to hide your fears
Trying to hide your fear will create an extra fear of being "discovered" as a nervous person. It just adds to the public speaking anxiety that you already have.
It has other bad side effects. After your speech, even if it goes well, you may not feel as successful as you used to be, because you think: "If the target audience knew how scared I was, they would expect a lot less."
Summary
Fear of public speaking is a form of anxiety that is often experienced by many people. This can range from mild anxiety to disabling fear and panic. Many people with this fear completely avoid public speaking situations, or they go through it suffering and shaking hands, and voices shaking. But with practice and persistence, you can overcome your fears.
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