I am going to show you three specific ways to overcome your public speaking fears, but first you need to believe that the fear and nervousness you are experiencing CAN be overcome. 1. It is normal to be nervous and even fearful before getting up to speak in public. Most great actors feel nervous before going on stage; world class athletes are nervous before a big event so don't feel that you have to be fearless! If you can accept that your nerves are a normal response and not unusual in any way, then you start to release the tension and allow yourself to function effectively. Because fear is a normal physiological response that releases adrenaline into your bloodstream - preparing you for the fight or flight response - you can harness the help you are being given. Adrenaline heightens your responses and gives you the extra 'lift' to give of your best. 2. Work out where your fear of public speaking comes from. With most people it is a fear of appearing foolish - nobody wants to look daft - so preparation is the key. Your self-esteem is a powerful mantle and you don't want to lower it by exposing yourself to laughter or ridicule. You may feel that the audience won't like you - in fact they are probably more supportive than you may think. You may be worried that the audience will not like your speech or value the content of what you have to say. Aim for approval from your audience and you will find yourself well pleased too; but never at the expense of compromising the truth of the message you deliver. 3. The audience knows nothing of your fears; audiences like this have seen many speakers before and are looking forward to hearing your speech. Because they are 'neutral' all you need to do is hide your nervousness and act the part of an accomplished speaker. Think about speakers YOU have seen before; how did they look and act. COPY THEM! Now bear in mind why you have been asked to speak; keep your material simple but to the point and focus on what you believe the audience needs to understand. Put their needs before yours and you will be assured of giving a great speech. These three ways to overcome your public speaking fears will soon have you saying "I enjoy giving a speech, and I'm actually good at it." |
