Work Through Your Fear of Public Speaking

Work Through Your Fear of Public Speaking

If you have a fear of speaking in public, there are a few techniques that may help you survive.
First, create your presentation using flipchart notes, or using PowerPoint slides if it is possible. Handle your humor gracefully.

When things go wrong that are beyond your control, the only thing that you can control is the reaction you have toward them. Don’t become irritated and get upset, instead use humor to ease the audience, don’t surrender to such a situation, and don’t continually refer to the problem. Always maintain your dignity, keep your sense of humor, and do your best, whatever the circumstances.

If you are new at public speaking, you should first pick a topic that you want to make your presentation about. Usually, if you know more about the topic than what you will refer to during your speech will help you remember what to say. Rehearse out loud what you intend to say, several times or until you think you are ready. Go to the presentation early and rehearse your presentation again.

Greet some members from the audience as they come through the door. This helps you become relaxed. It is easier to talk to someone that you know than it is to speak to a room full of strangers. Then begin by addressing the audience, and count to three before even saying anything.

Never apologize for being nervous, they probably didn’t even notice your nervousness anyway. Concentrate on your message. Focus your attention away from yourself and directly on the message you want to convey.

Public speaking is an acquired skill that improves with practice. So you wouldn’t want to start with “Thank you for that kind introduction”, Always start your presentation with a bang, for instance use an interesting quote, or news headline, or maybe start off with a powerful statistic.

Use more of your body language than your arms and fingers; your body speaks louder than words. First, smile; use your facial muscles, and other parts of your body. For instance, if your topic is about running, then run in place for a few steps. When using your hands, make use of your shoulders as well, not just from your elbow. Half gestures tend to look artificial and are not really appealing to the audience.

Try to be yourself; it doesn’t impress anyone when you try to imitate another speaker. Do whatever it takes to enhance your credibility with the audience. Remember never to read your speech word for word as this tends to put your listeners to sleep. Have a Key word type outline that will help prompt your thoughts. To connect with the audience you have to illustrate your own thoughts from your own experiences. The more passion you put into your topic the more response you will have from your audience.

When you are about to end your presentation, you should say something like “I will take questions right after the presentation’ then move on to the closing point. Summarize your key points and conclude with a call to action, or a quote.