How Do I Beat Fear Of Speaking to Groups?
There are many concepts that can be applied to overcoming public speaking anxiety. Learning them, understanding them and practicing them will allow us to reduce the difficulty of the challenge and eventually relieve it altogether. Consider the following concepts and apply them wherever appropriate.
1. You do not in any way shape or form need to be PERFECT. Public speaking is not about you. It is about the information delivered. All you need to do is convey a message. The idea that public speakers are powerfully articulate and perfect is far from the truth. They may appear to be skilled but most of that skill came from simply practice and comfort with the material.
2. Have the right motive. Your job is simply to deliver the message. The audience does not need to approve of you. They simply need to receive the message. Some people will like you, some will not but they will all get the message if you give it to them. Don’t be a public speaker. Just be a knowledgeable person who needs to tell these people something that may help them.
3. Public Speaking is not actually difficult. Standing at a podium is not hard. Reading and speaking are not hard. The only stressful idea about public speaking comes from within your own mind. The act in itself is very simple. A walk in the park. Don’t bring the difficulty with you.
4. Remember that the vast amount of anxiety that you feel will go away as soon as you begin. More often than not, the anxiety of anticipation is greater than the fear of actually addressing the audience and only makes it appear that the fear of public speaking is much more intense than it actually is.
5. Keep things simple and to the point. Simplification goes a long way toward reducing the stress of any situation. When things seem too complex or convoluted, it only works to heighten the anxiety that we feel about giving our speeches. Stick to a few main points and break them down from there.
6. Humble yourself and don’t be afraid to highlight your own imperfections. People love to identify with the speaker. If they can see that you are human and you are comfortable, they will actually envy you for being courageous enough to be yourself on the stage. Learn to laugh at yourself and don’t be afraid to add a bit of humor from time to time. You don’t have to be a professional comedian but if something seems amusing, then by all means include it.
7. Stop fearing the worst because it will never happen. Are you afraid that you will freeze up? You won’t and even if you do, it will only be temporary. Laugh it off and move on. Will someone challenge or make fun of you? Nope. Would you do it in their shoes? Probably not and most of them don’t want the attention of the whole room either. All of the most feared scenarios that run through the minds of people experiencing the fear of public speaking are incredibly rare. They almost never happen. You want to know what does happen? People sit quietly and listen and you will deliver the intended message. The next time won’t be nearly as bad.
9. Know your material. If you truly know your subject matter, then you will not need to adhere to any strict format. You will not need to memorize as much and you will not fear any failure to deliver your message. Learning your material is one of the easiest ways to eliminate the fear of speaking in public. When you are confident in your subject matter, you will be more confident in yourself and your ability to deliver it.
Learn more about public speaking here: http://learnhowtobeconfident.net/how-to-give-a-speech-with-confidence/
Processing your request, Please wait....
