It’s rare to find anyone who has never been faced with the challenge of public speaking. It could be for a small group of friends or hundreds of strangers, but the result is often the same - fear.
It is possible to overcome this fear, however! You can start by following these eight tips.
1. Speak in public more often.
Any task becomes easier when you do it more often. The same is true for public speaking. Try to set yourself up to have more speaking engagements. You can do this for church groups, community events, etc. It can even be something as simple as holding a seminar at work. The key is to get out there and speak in person or online.
2. Be prepared.
There is nothing worse than watching a speaker who isn’t prepared. They fumble around for something to talk about and start using phrases like “um” and “ah” to try and stretch out the speech. It’s uncomfortable to watch. Don’t let this happen to you! You will have much less fear when you take the time to properly prepare.
3. Engage the audience.
Pose questions to the people in the audience. This is a great way to keep the audience engaged and remove some of the attention off yourself. You will feel much less fear when you are splitting attention with audience members.
4. Learn to build your confidence.
Confidence is a critical factor in public speaking. Therefore, you should learn to master this skill. Find courses and TED Talks on the subject. Also, learn to get outside your comfort zone and do things that will help your confidence in general.
5. Apply humor to the situation.
Humor is a great way to break the ice, but you must use it with caution. People differ in what they find funny or not. Keep the humor clean and stay away from topics such as politics and religion. If you don’t consider yourself to be a funny person, then don’t try it. You will only add more fear to the mix if you try to be something you are not.
6. Self-deprecation is a good tool to use.
When you poke fun at yourself, people can relate to you. The key is to show the audience that you are human and capable of making mistakes. When you can tie this in with humor, it works even better.
7. Practice controlled breathing.
One of the most effective ways to combat fear is through deep, controlled breathing. Before you speak, take a few slow, deep breaths to calm your nerves. During your speech, remember to pause and breathe—this not only helps you stay calm, but it also adds dramatic effect to your delivery.
8. Believe that people want to hear what you have to say. When you are speaking or presenting, remember that people want to hear what you say. Otherwise, why would you be there? If you don’t feel like anyone wants to hear you, then you will likely feel more fear. Don’t defeat yourself before you even begin.
Now that you have these tips, it's time to take action. It's as easy as 1,2,3! Which one will you do first?
If you are ready to work on your communication and presentation skills, here are three ways to get started:
1. Take my speaker confidence assessment.
2. Attend my free Speak with Confidence and Ease workshop.
3. Schedule a 20-minute discovery call with me.
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