Much of the fear of public speaking is about how you feel. Put yourself in this mindset: you are the host, not a guest. You will be less anxious if you are the host.
Here are some tips to put yourself in a host mindset:
Arrive early before a business presentation or speaking engagement. Get the lay of the land. Check out the room from all angles.
Do a sound check, if there’s a microphone.
As the host, you own the room. Move the furniture and adjust the lighting to suit your needs.
When your audience begins to arrive, greet them at the door as their host. Talk to a few people as they arrive to warm up your voice and your gestures. Make eye contact. Smile.
When you assume the role of the host, at least in your mind, you’ll deliver a more confident and relaxed speech.
In my 20-year career working at six major corporations, I witnessed many people who were passed over for promotions. Many found their ideas were not taken seriously. They just didn’t seem like “management material.” Most of them had the knowledge they needed to do the job. So why didn’t they advance in their careers? Answer: the fear of public speaking. They lacked the confidence to speak up and the communication skills to stand out, and it cost them.
Conversely, I’ve seen people who were very good talkers but didn’t necessarily have as much knowledge as others on their work teams. They often times were taken more seriously and got promotions they perhaps didn’t deserve. Ideally, those who advance in life should be good communicators and know what the heck they are talking about.
Don’t let fear paralyze your career. Before you can gain the confidence to speak and learn the skills to stand out in this highly competitive world, you have to first put fear in your rear view mirror.
You can begin to eliminate your fears of public speaking long before you step to the front of the room to deliver your business presentation or speech. You can take steps in the preparation phase that will reduce stress, anxiety and your fears of failure.
Preparing for Your Presentation
A speech or presentation begins as soon as you accept the assignment. That’s when you begin to do your audience analysis, content development and rehearsals.
Practice, practice, practice! There is no substitute. Practice aloud. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of your friends or family. Record yourself. Have someone else read your speech to you.
Memorize your outline, not your speech. This will allow you to speak more authentically and appear to be more credible.
Believe at least one thing in your speech will be meaningful to at least one person in the audience. That’s not a high hurdle. But if you do not believe that with all your heart then you have two choices: rewrite your speech until you do believe it or stay home.
Make a packing list so you don’t forget handouts, visual aids, etc.
If you have presentation materials, scripts, or any technology, have a backup plan. Technology can and will fail.
Come prepared with a small bottle of room temperature water and throat drops. Keep them handy while you’re speaking. A coughing fit can ruin a presentation.
Remove coins, keys, etc. from your pockets. If you fidget with a ring or watch when you’re nervous, remove the distraction.
The more prepared you are, the less fearful you will be. We will look at additional steps to overcome public speaking fears future posts. So, don’t be afraid to check back frequently!
Are you afraid of public speaking? Well, you’re not alone, as illustrated in the humorous clip above from Jerry Seinfeld. Year after year, the fear of public speaking ranks No. 1 in study after study.
There’s even a fancy word to describe the fear of public speaking – glossophobia. Gloss comes from the Greek word for tongue and phobia, of course, is Greek for fear.
In our next post, we’ll present some tips to deal with anxiety and the fears you face when doing public speaking or making business presentations. But for now, know that you are not alone and help is on the way!
