This is the Second part in this series on Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
Fact: - Public speaking is a common source of stress for most people.
In this section you will learn all about the power of three and why your purpose is invaluable to you.
If you want to grow our business or enrich your careers, speaking is one of the quickest ways to achieve that goal.
The truth about public speaking, however, Does Not Have To Be Stressful!
Fact: - Public speaking is a common source of stress for most people.
So how do we overcome this irrational fear?
In this section you will learn all about the power of three and why your purpose is invaluable to you.
If you want to grow our business or enrich your careers, speaking is one of the quickest ways to achieve that goal. The truth about public speaking, however, Does Not Have To Be Stressful!
Key 3--All You Need are the Main Points
You don't have to deliver a ton of data or minute details to give your audience what they truly want. Actually if you deliver facts and figures it often turns people off.
Many studies have shown that
people remember very few of the facts or information speakers deliver! Most of what they remember comes from how you deliver and not the words you use.
While you may choose to include lots of facts and information, you only need to make three main points to have your presentation viewed a success. You can even have your whole talk be about only one key point, if you wish.
When I first began presenting I wasn't aware of this simple principle. So many times I decided my audience wanted, no needed the encyclopaedia Britannica from me. And as you have guessed I just didn't have. So I tried to research my topic thoroughly and deliver as much worldly wisdom as possible.
By the time the presentation arrived I was shattered. And the annoying thing – often I forgot to mention stuff I had spent hours cramming for. Last and by no means least it bored the backsides of my audience. One person later told me during an earlier presentation he had solved a business problem by thinking it through. A real vote of confidence!
As time went on, thankfully I learned that all this complexity wasn't needed. More than that, it wasn’t wanted. As a result, my notes got shorter and my slides simpler (more of that later).
Through preparation and knowing my subject I got most presentations down to a half page of A4. This just contained a couple of reminders and the headlines for my three mail points.
As long as I focused on three key points, I was able to speak at length about them by naturally drawing upon my past experiences and knowledge.
Remember, all your audience wants from you is to walk away with your three key points that will make a difference to them. The aim of any presenter or speaker is to achieve knowledge transfer. That’s one of the points to keep in mind.
If you structure your presentations to deliver this result, you can avoid what isn't wanted. You are now free to concentrate on what your audience expect. This also makes your job as a presenter much easier, and much. Much more fun!
But Why three?
Because people remember things better in threes. You have a six digit phone number and most of you will probably remember it 234 675. Politicians always use threes; remember Education, Education, Education. Your mind finds it easier to hold on to facts in threes which is why politicians use that technique so often.
Key 4--Have a Purpose A real purpose
This principle is very important, so now is the time to pay attention!
A mistake people make when they present is they have the wrong purpose in mind. Often, they have no specific purpose. Ask yourself why you would talk to an audience with no outcome in mind. This can lead to people wandering of their topic, then your subconscious kicks in and you forget why you are there. All this does is cause a whole lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety.
That is so important. let’s say it again. When you present you need purpose or a reason to be successful.
This is a prime example of what is called a "hidden cause" of public speaking stress.
Many presenters believe when they start out that their purpose is to get everyone in the audience to like them. Least ways approve of them. In the mistaken belief that this was what good public speakers do. They are not consciously aware of this purpose. Many people don’t recognise how foolish it is. Moreover, just how detrimental to their presentation this is.
Because of this hidden purpose, new presenters feel the needed to be absolutely perfect and brilliant. They have to be cause that’s how the great presenters are – Right!
They just want to win the audience's unanimous approval, every time.
When you start out you may think that if just one person in the audience disapproved you’ve lost! If one person left early, if anyone fell asleep, or if someone looked bored in what you’re saying you are no good!
All this does is raise anxiety levels!
Once you become aware of this stress-producing purpose, you are able to look at it honestly and realize how foolish it was. How many public speakers get 100% approval from their audiences? The answer is Nil!
The truth about public speaking is no matter how good a job you do someone is going to disapprove of either you or your argument.
That is just human nature. In a large group of people, there will always be a difference of opinions, and reactions. Some will be positive, others will be neutral and some may be negative.
There is no rhyme or reason to it. If you do an awful job, some people will sympathize with you and feel for you. At the same time others will criticize you harshly. When you do a fantastic job, someone will resent your ability and might disapprove of you on that basis alone. Some people will leave early because of an emergency. Some will fall asleep because they were up all night taking care of an elderly parent. So, it's foolish and unrealistic to attempt to please all the people, all of the time.
More importantly, it's the wrong purpose in the first place.
Remember, the essence of public speaking is to give your audience something of value. The operative phrase here is Give before you receive!
The purpose of public speaking is not for you to get something (approval, fame, respect, sales, clients, etc.) from your audience. It is to give something useful to your audience.
Yes, if you do this well, you'll gain notoriety, respect, sales, and possibly new clients. You will be seen as an expert in your field. But this should never be your motivating force. If you focus on giving as much as you can to your audience, you will then be aligned with the truth about public speaking. You’ll also avoid one of the biggest pitfalls that cause people to experience public speaking - anxiety.
But how do you add value? You should by now understand to present you need to know your subject. Have a reason to be presenting, your purpose. Adding value is straight forward. Give your audience a little extra information. Some more detail. Point them at an independent resource. Give them a take away or get them asking thought provoking questions.
There are many, many ways to add value to your presentation. There will be a whole section on workshop and presentation extras on the web site www.paradigmshakers.co.uk shortly. So why not pop along and take a look.
The third part of this series on Overcoming the fear of public speaking will be published in the next day or two. So check back for the third piece in this series on overcoming the fear of public speaking. You can get this sent to your RSS reader by subscribing to this blog.
In that section we will deal with humour a powerful ally of any speaker and how you look at yourself when you are learning to speak.
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