5 Steps to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking

Quote of the day: 
Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious. Great speech is impassioned, small speech cantankerous. -Zhuangzi

image: Edcast.org

Public speaking anxiety will certainly rank high in most people's list of their greatest fears. At least on mine it does. However, this fear of speaking is to a lesser extent diminished today than say in previous years. Its like the fear of public speaking affects us all. For me, it is a recurring fear but the good thing is that I'm a lot better now at presenting, after undergraduate and more recently graduate studies -where making presentations was part of coursework and assignments to broaden knowledge and enhance confidence and skills.

But you see, the thing with public speaking is, its scary when you try it out the first time -as it is with all things in life it seems. That first time can be a nightmare and can lead to what eventually opens up your inner confidence while relegating fear to the background -because truth be told it is this fear of hearing your own voice, of standing in front of familiar faces and strangers alike, of attempting to recall your points while standing behind a projected screen, not to speak of breaking out in a sweat and having butterflies in your stomach -you could either fail at it or be a success at first trial.

So whether you are speaking in front of just a few people or dozens or thousands, or even being at an interview, public speaking isn't as easy as it looks and it involves lots of preparation. Some of the things I've learned for effective public speaking include:

1. Prepare in Advance: Go over your notes and slides up to a day before at least, and be sure to break things down into easy to understand points. One trick I use it to imagine myself speaking to little kids -where things have to be kept simple for easy understanding.

2. Dress the Part: You want to look the part when you get up there for your presentation. Being as presentable as possible is always a nice touch whether its a talk or an interview, it projects confidence.

3. Don't use Jargon: Its best to keeping things simple and not use too much jargon -even if its a tech presentation there will be people in the audience who have no clue about the terms being used. So its best to just keep it simple by not using too many technical terms.

4. Its Okay to move Around: Being expressive with your hands, moving around, making eye contact with the audience, and projecting a confident voice all help to make for a great presentation.

5. Don't Speak too Fast: Its great to practice beforehand, practice speaking in front of the mirror and maintain a stable level of speaking -not too fast or too slow, just enough for people to fully grasp your presentation without having to strain their ears.

As with all things, practice makes perfect. The very thought of public speaking can be a nightmare at first, but it shouldn't be a lasting one. What do you do to prep for a presentation? Are you good at it, and what ideas can you share for those just starting out?



Peace. Love. Light* 



Current Listen: Lira -Let There Be Light