FEAR of Public Speaking
By: Doreen Hughes, Open For Business Consulting
OpenForBusinessConsulting @ gmail. com
Fear of public speaking is a common form of anxiety. It can range from slight nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic. Many people with this fear avoid public speaking situations altogether, or they suffer through them with shaking, sweaty hands, red blotchy face and a quavering voice. Is the fear of public speaking holding you back from the big job promotion you rightfully deserve? Are you in fear of taking the next bold step in your career? Do you sit in the back of the room in fear of being called upon? Does this sound like you? Well the good news is, with preparation and persistence, you can overcome your fear. Yes, you heard me right!
Practice, practice and then do it again and again! Practice your complete presentation several times. Do it in front of people you ' re comfortable with and ask for feedback. It may also be helpful to practice with a few people with whom you ' re less familiar.
Consider making a video of your presentation so you can watch it and see opportunities for improvement. During the video playback, listen to your voice tone. Are you talking too fast and your words become a jumbled mess? Are the words simple not there and you are saying“ ums and ahs” a million times? Are you using the word killers“ like” or“ like you know” a gazillion times? Webster calls these disfluencies, which generally weaken your message. They’ re distracting for your listeners and they make you sound bad and diminishes your credibility!
The first and most important step towards improving your speaking skill is to become aware of your distracting speech habits. Start counting, yes that’ s right; start counting the number of times you say these disfluencies. You will be shocked, as I was when I did this exercise myself.
Get organized ahead of time, carefully plan out the information you want to present, including any props, audio or visual aids. The more organized you are, the less nervous you ' ll be. Use an outline on a small card to stay on track. If possible, visit the place where you ' ll be speaking and review available equipment before your presentation.
Do some deep breathing. This can be very calming. Take two or more deep, slow breaths before you get up to the podium and during your speech. Most importantly remember we are here to support you! The good news! The League City Regional Chamber of Commerce is starting our very own Toastmasters Club. Participation in the Toastmasters Club is open to all chamber members in good standing.
For more information please visit; http:// www. leaguecitychamber. com / toastmasters
MOMENTUM / August 2018 18