Public Speaking

“There are two types of speakers: Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” – Mark Twain

Have you ever been asked to make a presentation to a group of students, executives, board members or general audience? Are you excited or do you dread that moment?

There was a time when only a select few would make presentations. However it is not the same any more. Every individual in an organization is expected to make some form of presentation.

Fear of Public Speaking is natural even for those who are experienced speakers. However they have learned the art of keeping their emotions in check and learned to focus on practice to overcome their fear. The key to overcoming fear of public speaking is to speak to groups instead of just practicing in front of mirror.

Here are three tips that you can use to overcome your fear of public speaking. Just reading them will not help. You have to put them into action!  

  

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Know your audience. Knowing your audience helps you build your confidence. Are you talking to the Board of Directors or is it a group of students? Do they all understand the language well or do you have to speak in different languages? Or are you raising a toast for your friend’s wedding? All require different approaches. Do not let the audience be a surprise for you.

Preparation, Preparation, Preparation. There is no substitute for preparation. You may have all the experience and be thorough with the knowledge that you want to share, but that is no reason not to do this one important thing – preparation. Preparation may include presentation, visual aids and your speech.

Go through the content in detail. If another person has created the presentation, then it is more important that you get familiar with it.

Practice the speech standing in front of a mirror or presenting it to a group of friends.

Do not memorize your speech word for word. If you forget even one word you will forget all the parts after that word and nothing can be more nerve racking.

Proper breathing is essential. Before you start your presentation practice proper breathing. Proper breathing can help you cope with fear in a better way. Also remember to breathe in and out gently when giving your speech. People tend to breathe in and forget to breathe out fully during public speaking and this can cause a panic attack. One way you can be aware of your breathing is to speak at a steady pace. Breathing can become an issue when you tend to speak fast.  

Many people try to deal with their fear of public speaking by avoiding it altogether, but that’s an impractical solution. There will probably come a time when you’ll have to get up in front of a group and speak. The only way to truly get past your fear of public speaking is to try it. Start practicing now. It will get easier each time you do it.