If you have a fear of Public Speaking or Presenting you are not alone. It Is believed that around 77% of the Population suffer from Glossophobia at varying levels. This means that on average only one out of every four people is comfortable speaking in public. Of the 77% that experience anxiety almost half of them will experience a mild anxiety and the other half will experience a moderate to severe debilitating panic when faced with the prospect of speaking in front of people.
What Can You Do to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking?
As with many of the fears we currently experience the fear of public speaking is an irrational one. It is also a very real experience for the many people that do suffer from it. The good news is it can be overcome in most cases as it often stems from underlying fears and beliefs we have. For example, we are not afraid of public speaking but we do fear being rejected or being embarrassed. Another reason could be a previous negative experience with Public speaking. In my experience the below 3 Step approach can help to make it a lot easier. Are you ready to start the journey toward being able to Present with Confidence?
1: First assess what you are really afraid of by asking yourself these questions:
- What is the Worst thing that could happen?
- What is the consequence of that?
- …and what is the consequence of that?
- …and what is the consequence of that?
- What assumptions are you making?
- Now, if you think about it what are you Really afraid of?
- What could you do to minimize the consequences you listed?
2: Secondly now that you know what you are really afraid of think back on your life and ask yourself:
- Has there ever been a time when you spoke to a group of people and felt comfortable? (This could be a social situation with a group of friends.)
- Have you ever talked to a group of strangers and felt comfortable?
- What was different about that?
- If you could do that what stop’s you from talking to a bigger crowd of people?
- What if you approached the presentation with the mindset of it being a simple conversation?
3: Prepare, Practice & Repeat
One of the best ways to overcome fear is to expose ourselves gradually. The more we do something the less anxiety we will feel about it and the more comfortable we become.
Once you have prepared your speech or presentation it is time to practice and familiarize yourself with it.
- Start by presenting it to yourself in the Mirror.
- Then present it to your parents, siblings, or a group of friends you trust.
- Then present to a group of your colleagues you are comfortable with.
- If you can. Go visit the presentation venue and familiarize yourself with the space. If you can’t do this. Don’t Worry.
- Finally think of a time when you felt really confident in your life then visualize yourself standing in front of all those people, feeling confident and giving your presentation and notice how well its going. Next take some time everyday before you get to your presentation to do this.
What if something goes wrong during the presentation?
Remember earlier I mentioned that around 77% of people have a fear of public speaking at one level or another? That means that at least ¾ of your Audience are already impressed with you for just getting up there. It also means that ¾ of your Audience are happy its you and not them. Things can go wrong. You could fumble a word or drop your pointer. Don’t worry it happens. Think about what you would do if this was a group of your friends? Would you make a joke about it? Do that, it will make you real for your audience.
Bonus Tips:
- Pick a few people in the Audience that are spread across the room and keep making light eye contact with them as if they are the only ones you talking to. This way the audience will feel you are addressing all of them.
- Don’t be afraid of silences. If you need to gather your thoughts, just be quiet for a few seconds and carry on when you ready.
- Don’t be afraid to be you. Everyone is unique and everyone has their unique style. The more comfortable you are the more relaxed you will be.
- Remember your audience are not psychic. They do not know what you are going to say so if you forget something, add something or say something in the wrong order only you will know.
- Finally, everyone gets nervous before a big presentation. Even the seasoned professionals. It just means that you care about adding value to your audience and what they think.
Good luck. You can do it and once you have done it once it will get easier each time. Also you will be part of the few that no longer fear public speaking and presenting.
I hope the above tips help you to present with confidence and overcome your fear of public speaking. If you are still feeling a bit unsure feel free to contact me and we can setup a session to dig deeper into the cause.
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Stay Awesome,
Rob
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“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” – Arthur Ashe
