Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking - Paul M Johnstone

Standing in front of an audience can be a daunting task, let alone to stand and talk in front of them simultaneously, in English. Giving a speech to a group of people who are well aware of the fact that you are going to talk requires a lot more than guts and will. It needs preparation and flexibility, too.

Based on several publications I have read, and people I have taught I have compiled a list down 10 steps (out of so many) that I believe can and will help you overcome the fear of speaking in public.

1. Prepare your points!

No matter how good you are in terms of talking, you will need to prepare your speech. Get your points right, have some facts to support them and make sure you know everything there is to know about the topic, backwards and forwards.

2. Prepare, Prepare then Practice!

You need to know what you are talking about.  In most cases you will be speaking about something you are involved in or passionate about, and that’s great.  The knowledge you have about your subject will work for you.  Once you are happy with your content and knowledge, then and only then should you practice.  A mirror and a recorder help here.  If you know your stuff you should only need pointers or section headings.  Let your knowledge and passion shine through and don’t be constrained by trying to learn a script.

3. Arrive on time, early is best!

Come early and get the mood right. Check the room and its size so you can tell how loud you should or shouldn't be. Get on the stage and move around it. Make sure you feel comfortable there.

4. Look confident and be confident!

Bring forth your self-confidence. If you think you are not confident enough, then take your time to have it. Do not rush as your confidence will slowly grow by time.  And here is the best part, Your audience have absolutly NO IDEA you are nervous!

5. Make eye contact!

It is never a good presentation if there is no eye contact. Take time to look at all the people in the room.  Look at your audience!

6. Find a friend in the room!

If eye contact makes you feel threatened in some ways, choose a target. Find someone among the crowd who presents you with warmth and possessiveness, look at him or her and gradually put your eyes on everyone else. Repeat the steps.

7. Don't forget to smile!

One of the best tips I can give you is to smile at your audience before you say a word.  As smiles bring you happiness, give them back! Make sure the audience know that you are happy to be there. It is never wrong to smile at times even when the topic you are presenting is serious. Choose and take your time to smile.

8. Take a pause and breathe!

Do not rush your speech! Take some pauses in-between long sentences and breathe slowly. There is a phrase in speaking circles, when you need to make your point count “Pause till it hurts” allow your audience time to take in what you have just said.  The more you rush, the more you will panic and probably lose confidence. So don't do it.

9. Use your natural tone and modulation!

Adjust you intonations and make sure they vary from slow and steady to fast and firm. Change them accordingly so that your speech won't be monotonous.

10. It's okay to be nervous!

Whenever you feel nervous, just know that you're being normal.  Nerves are your body’s way of telling you this is important.   Everybody will experience stage fright, and that includes the experts and those with more experience. The difference is how you handle it. Take it and play along with it. It's okay!

So, what are you waiting for? You know the steps, now speak!

Catch up with you again soon!

Paul Johnstone is the founder of

The Paradigm Shakers

Providers of Thought Provoking Training

Delivered by Subject Matter Experts

http://www.paradigmshakers.co.uk/

How to Conquer Public Speaking Fear Part 4

Welcome to to part 4 of this special Report on Overcoming the fear of public speaking. 

Public speaking is a common source of stress for most people.

So how do we overcome this irrational fear?

In part 4 of this series on overcoming the fear of public speaking 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 how nothing bad ever happens to speakers and how you can easily handle any comments from your audience 

Key 7--Nothing "Bad" Can Ever Happen!

One thing that adds to the fear of public speaking is the dread people have that something awful, terrible, or publicly humiliating will happen to them.

What if I pass out from nervous exhaustion? What if I forget everything I intended to say and am left standing there, totally speechless? What if the audience hates me and begins throwing things at me?

What if they all get up and leave after the first ten minutes? What if they snipe at me with harsh questions or comments once I'm done? What if someone in the audience tries to turn the group against me?

Even when they do, it's useful to have a strategy in mind that has them turn out perfect. Sound difficult? It's not really.

These could be embarrassing if they occurred. Fortunately, most of them don't happen.  This is an irrational fear of failure, and believe me you won’t fail.

I've found that most of the "negative" things that happen when I'm speaking can be handled by keeping this one simple, but powerful, principle in mind: 

everything that happens can be used to my advantage.

If people get up and start to head for the door, I can stop what I'm doing and ask for feedback. Was there something about my topic, my style, or my manner of presentation that was offensive to them? Were they simply in the wrong room at the start and didn't know it? Did someone misinform them about the presentation topic?

No matter what they tell me, by stopping to deal with this situation, honestly and humbly, will often score points with my remaining audience. It also will give me the opportunity to learn how I am affecting people, so I can make any corrections that might be needed.

Even if everyone walked out and refused to give me a reason, I could ultimately find ways to benefit from this experience. At the very least, I could use it as the opening for my next presentation. "You know, I gave this same presentation the other day and everyone in the audience walked out in the first ten minutes. That's my current record, so I guess we'll just have to see what happens today."

The same principle is used for dealing with hecklers or people who ask harsh questions. If you assume that nothing truly bad can ever happen when you're speaking, you'll be amazed how well you can relate to such events and how often you can indeed use them to your advantage.

And once you've successfully used this principle many times, your anxiety about public speaking will have almost disappeared. You'll know it will be virtually impossible for anything "bad" to happen to you,  And you will be armed with the knowledge you’ll be able to handle whatever comes your way. That is a very comforting thought.

Key 8--Some quick tips on Managing Your Audience

To succeed as a public speaker, you don't have to control the behaviour of your audience. There are certain things you do need to control--your own thoughts, your preparation, arrangements for audio-visual aids, how the room is laid out--but one thing you don't have to control is your audience. They will do whatever they do, and whatever they do will usually be "perfect."

If people are fidgety or restless, don't try to control this. If someone is talking to a neighbour, or reading the newspaper, or falling asleep, leave them alone. If people look like they aren't paying attention, refrain from chastising them. Unless someone is being intentionally disruptive, there is very little you need to control.

Thinking you need to change or control other people is a hidden cause of stress in many areas of life. This is just as true for relating to a group as it is for relating to your friends, spouse, children, or other acquaintances.

The fifth and final 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 last part of this report on overcoming the fear of public speaking. You can get this sent to your RSS reader by subscribing to this blog.

Paul Johnstone is a Speaker, Trainer and Paradigm Shaker. Founder of The Paradigm Shakers and a Subject Matter Expert.

Providers of Thought Provoking Training

Delivered by Subject Matter Experts

Check out the free speaking tips at The Paradigm Shakers

http://www.paradigmshakers.co.uk/

P.S I always appreciate feed back and comments and new followers!

©Paul Johnstone