Welcome to the final part in this report on Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
So how do we overcome this irrational fear?
In this final section of overcoming the fear of public speaking you’ll learn about over practicing and why the audience want you to succeed.
We’ll review the previous four sections and give you some of the hidden causes of Glossophobia (the fear of public speaking)
Key 9--The More You Practice, the Worse You Get
Preparation falls into two areas, one marked good and the other marked bad. Lets start with the bad one first. This is something I used to do when I started out networking. I had 60 seconds to fill every week and I took advice and wrote my 60 seconds every week. Then I tried to learn them off by heart, spending hours rehearsing my speech. Getting tongue tied and the moment I stood up I forgot what I had spent hours trying to remember.
You are not trained actors so why try and learn your lines? And because you are not trained to memorise scripts you get it wrong. So stop trying.
Now to the good preparation: Usually I read a lot about my subject, or the subject I am speaking about. This is not in the days before I present, I do it weeks in advance so the general information has time to sink in. That’s all you need.
Understand your subject, and you can speak about your subject.
Many people believe you can over prepare your presentation. All that does is send you back into the bad old habits – you know the ones we are working with you to eliminate.
Much of what we have shared over the past four instalments can reappear. You can end up focusing on the wrong part of your presentation, trying to get everyone to like you, memorising it line by line and packing too much into your allotted time.
I’m sure there is a law about the more you worry over something the more likely it is to happen.
On the other hand, if you know your subject well, or if you've spoken about it many times before, you may only need a few minutes to prepare sufficiently.
The main point here is that you know your subject. As a subject matter expert you should know all about printing if you are a printer. You’ll know all about plants if you are a gardener, or all about video cameras if you are a videographer. All you might need is to remind yourself of the three key points you want to make, along with some good examples and supporting facts and: Lights, Camera Action – You’re ready for the spotlight
Now I spend enough time working on the topic especially when it’s one that is associated with what I do, teaching people to speak, so I know and understand as much as I can. What I never do is Practice, practice and practice the speech.
As we have covered earlier it is detrimental more often than it is beneficial. Also if you are word perfect through constant practice, and you are not a trained actor. You forget where to place the emphasise and it can all get a bit monotone and dull.
Over preparation usually means you either don't know your subject or you do, but you don’t have confident in your ability to talk about it in public.
If you don’t know your subject you’ll need to do some research. If its your lack of confidence you need to learn to let your natural ability to speak come through. The only way to do this is to put yourself in the spotlight, and do it. Remember what we said earlier in this series. Once you have learned how to present properly, every opportunity you get top speak in public you get better.
Go out and grab every opportunity you can to speak. Speak on your subject in public, to small groups to colleagues. Offer to speak free, just to get the experience. If you have something of value to tell others, keep getting in front of people and deliver it. In no time at all, you'll get all the confidence you ever dreamed of.
Key 10--Your Audience Wants You to Succeed
The last Key to remember is that your audience wants you to succeed.
They do it’s not a myth people really want you to succeed.
This is mainly due to the fact your audience has a fear of public speaking, and they admire you for getting up there and doing it. They know the risks they believe you are taking every time you present yourself in public. They feel for you. They will be on your side, no matter what happens.
What does this mean for you the speaker? Well most audiences are in forgiving mode all the time. While a slip of the tongue might feel like a catastrophe to you, most of the time it goes completely unnoticed by your audience.
Because they want you to succeed, their judgement of you will be much kinder and far more lenient than yours will ever be. Remember to remind yourself of this point, every time you think you've not done well.
You know one of the great things about learning to speak in public. Once you have mastered the skill, every time you have an opportunity to speak in public, you just get better. So keep at it and you will soon be seen as the expert people want to pay to listen to, Enjoy the journey.
Review Of the Hidden Causes Of Public Speaking Stress
Here I have listed for you in one place all the hidden causes of stress in speaking in public.
A. Thinking that public speaking is inherently stressful (it's not).
B. Believing you have to be brilliant to succeed (you don't).
C. Packing too much information or having too many points in a presentation.(please don’t)
D. Presenting the wrong purpose (give before you receive).
E. Trying to please all the people all the time(get real – you can’t).
F. Trying to be someone else rather than simply being yourself (the first part is hard the second real simple).
G. Forgetting humility.( do what it says on the tin)
H. Having fear of negative outcomes (they almost never happen - when they do, turn them to your advantage).
I. Focusing on others behaviour (if you can’t control in why focus on it?).
J. Over practicing (work on your own confidence and trust in your own ability to succeed).
K. Believing your audience are your harshest critic.(they never are)
By eliminating these hidden causes you another step closer to banishing the fear of public speaking
And here once more are the headlines for the 10 keys that will unlock your door to becoming a presenter and public speaker.
Review of the 10 Keys Please Keep Them In Mind
Key 1--Speaking in Public is not Inherently Stressful
Key 2--You don’t have to be perfect to Succeed
Key 3--All You Need are the Main Points
Key 4—Have a Purpose a real purpose
Key 5—You succeed when you’re not a Public Speaker!
Key 6--Humility and Humour Go a Long Way
Key 7--Nothing Bad Can Ever Happen!
Key 8—Tips on managing your Audience
Key 9--The More You Practice, the Worse You get
Key 10--Your Audience Wants You to Succeed
Review of 10 Keys - Keep these in Mind
That's all there is to it. Just look for these eleven hidden causes and keep the ten corresponding principles in mind.
Of course, you will need to practice. It's extremely easy to forget the ten keys. So keep reviewing them.
What is the best way to practice? Go out and speak in public. Join a local Speakers Club, http://www.the-asc.org.uk/ Or try a Toastmasters Group http://www.toastmasters.org/. I have a preference tor the association of speakers clubs format, and the fact they are based in the UK, but there may not be one near you.
You can visit my own web site www.PMJohnstone.co.uk where you can access my public speaking tips which are delivered to your in-box every working day.
Just keep seizing the speaking opportunities and in no time at all, your skill, confidence, and natural ability will shine through.
Please take a look at www.paradigmshakers.co.uk for a newsletter on business tips which has a large section on presenting and public speaking.
Finally, if you get up in front of a group and find this stressful, it only means you forgot what public speaking is all about. At that time go back and review this series. Check out where you went wrong or what you didn't remember. Then armed with the knowledge people want you to succeed, go back out and speak again. As people we all learn by our mistakes and I made lots without this information so you should be far better prepared than I ever was. It may take a while , but the long-term rewards will be impressive.
I hope you have enjoyed this series of tips and techniques for overcoming the fear of public speaking. Please feel free to comment on this blog. If you have any questions please mail them to me at
Paul Johnstone is a Speaker, Trainer and Paradigm Shaker. Founder of The Paradigm Shakers and a Subject Matter Expert.
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P.S I always appreciate feed back and comments and new followers!
©Paul Johnstone
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