Some estimates state that as many as 75% of the population have a fear of public speaking. Other figures state that as many as 30% of the population have an exorbitant and debilitating fear of public speaking.
Even you might have fears of speaking in front of large groups of people—possibly for the following reasons:
- You’re self-conscious about what people may be thinking of you
- You’re asked to speak in environments that you’re not used to
- You’re insecure about how your voice sounds as you give your speeches
- You’re scared of saying something inappropriate or disadvantageous
- You think the audience might look down on you because they seem smarter or more successful than you
- You’re forced to talk about things that you’re not used to talking about
- You’re not sharing your honest opinions about your subject matter and it shows
- You’re not passionate about what you’re talking about
- You don’t know enough about your topic
- You don’t know enough about public speaking
Thankfully, there are practical actions you can take right now that will weaken that fear so much that you could actually enjoy speaking in front of large groups:
- Talk about what you love to talk about – One of the best ways to conquer the fear of public speaking is to find a topic that both you and your audience are passionate about. In this case, enthusiasm is contagious. When you talk about what you love most to people who share your same interests, your enthusiasm from within will make your audience feel that enthusiasm too.
- Show praise for your audience – A good way to guarantee the cooperation of your audience is to show them your approval and respect. Thank them for showing up, compliment them for their values and tastes, tell them how intelligent they are, and wish them well in the future. Not only will you put them at ease, they’ll start to look at you favorably because you showed them that you respect them and you care about their well-being.
- Provide useful information – You will feel more confident when you are providing information that you know is useful to your audience. Find a solution to a problem that your audience can relate to or find ways to improve an aspect of their everyday life. If you say things that are useful to your audience, they will want to listen to what you have to say.
- Talk about ideals that people cherish and respect – Politicians are masters at this. Generally, you’ll want to touch on topics such as family values, justice, fairness, honor, and generosity. However, make sure you don’t embellish it. Stay within the realm of reality. If you prolong this lofty talk for too long, people will start to question your sincerity.
- Don’t alienate members of your audience – Nothing would make most of us more nervous than to give a speech to a hostile audience. Try to stay away from topics that will divide or alienate members of your audience. If you absolutely have to talk about politics, religion or some other issue that everyone doesn’t agree on, make an effort to be tolerant of other peoples’ beliefs.
- Record yourself giving the speech beforehand – Use an audio recorder to improve what your will sound like before giving your speech. Better yet, record yourself with a camcorder so that you’ll know what to improve about your body language and vocal variety before the presentation. Take note that it may be too inconvenient to record your entire speech each time you practice so try recording your speech in 30 second intervals for a more efficient and pointed approach.
- Read books about public speaking – You may fear giving speeches in public because you don’t know much about giving speeches in general. But as Marie Curie said, “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” Just learning about the craft of public speaking can ease your fears tremendously. I recommend the following books:
- The Exceptional Presenter — Timothy J. Koegel
- Speak to Win — Brian Tracy
- Join a Toastmasters club – One of the best ways to practice your presentation skills is to join your nearest Toastmasters club. You’ll dramatically improve factors such as speech organization, body language, vocal variety, staying on message and persuasion. Not only that, you’ll be in a friendly and pro-active environment where you’ll be encouraged to do your best and enjoy yourself while doing it. As an added bonus, you’ll receive thorough training manuals and a helpful magazine subscription after joining. You can find your nearest Toastmasters club by clicking this link: http://reports.toastmasters.org/findaclub
It makes perfect sense to fear public speaking because there are so many variables involved. It is understandable why most people feel overwhelmed when faced with all the pressure. But if you follow the 8 suggestions in the above list, you’ll be well equipped to handle any situation that may arise. You’ll take your presentation skills to new heights that were previously thought impossible.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve tried the camcorder trick before. Watching myself on tape helped me get over my anxiety *and* hone my presentation. Incredibly helpful.
I’ve also heard nothing but good things about Toastmasters.
Nancy´s last blog ..Names of the Wild Things – Alexander, Carol, Douglas, Ira, Judith
I agree, Nancy. Watching ourselves on video really is helpful. I’m sure people who speak on television practiced in front of a camcorder many times before hitting it big. Thanks for the reply.
Humor helps a lot, but you have to make sure you’re actually funny.
Gordie Rogers´s last blog ..Is There Anything That’s Unforgivable? Part 1.
Definitely, Gordie. I’ve heard people attempt humor in their speeches that was so bad, they almost cleared the room out. But I usually hear the worst jokes in front of nicest audiences, so it’s okay.
Jerry Seinfeld had bit where he talks about a statistic that he saw where people are more afraid of public speaking than dying. The punchline was that if that were the case he would feel more comfortable lying in the casket than giving the eulogy at a funeral.
I still remember this one thing from the professor in my speech (I guess it’s now call communication) course in college 26 years ago. He suggested a way to learn to get over the fear of standing up in front of people is to stand facing the BACK of the elevator when you get in, since everyone always gets in and immediately turns back to face the doors. He added that if you really want to get passed the fear faster, start to sing while you are facing the elevator crowd.
While I’ve never broken into song, to this day whenever I get into an elevator I face which ever direction feels right, but very rarely do I just turn and face the doors.
Tom Glover´s last blog ..Creating a Reflection Practice
Thanks for stopping by, Tom.
I remember that Seinfeld joke from a few years ago. That is an intriguing statistic.
When it comes to singing in front of people in elevators, I guess people who are willing to frighten random strangers in public don’t care what others think of them. That is saying something.
I would add that it’s best not to read your presentation verbatim but to use a subject prompt to make it natural – I think they call it death by PowerPoint where the presenter merely reads out what the whole audience is reading anyway.
Toastmasters are also an excellent idea as familiarity breeds contempt.
Thanks for stopping by again, Sean.
I agree that it’s much better to give audience members eye contact rather than reading through the whole presentation. That was one of my greatest weaknesses when I first joined Toastmasters a year ago.
And about that last statement about familiarity breeding contempt—I’ve seen cases where that is true. But if you get lucky enough to meet people who share your interests, it won’t be that bad.
I concur with what Sean said…reading verbatim is not a good idea when giving a speech. Some improvisation is good and going by subject and keyword is better.
Humour is so import and and when I first started stand-up comedy I wasn’t a natural comedian, in fact I totally died at my first attempt but a great book by Greg Dean called ‘A Step By Step Guide to Stand-up Comedy’ really helped me learn the mechanics of humour. Once you start getting the knack of it, it becomes second nature.
Some great tips Tim!
Amit Sodha – The Power Of Choice´s last blog ..How To Be Single And Enjoy Every Second
That seems like an excellent book, Amit. Thanks for the reply.
I noticed that most comedy books and teachers suggest that comedians should focus on jokes about their personal lives. Telling jokes about our everyday lives is a great way to talk about what we know best and are most familiar with.
nice post. thanks.