You don’t have to be a famous key note speaker or a famous motivational speaker like Tony Robbins or Joel Osteen just to give a great speech. Public speaking to many people when performing such an act in front of an audience is every daunting and even more so intimidating.Fear is the biggest factor when it comes to performing a presentation in front of a sizeable audience let alone delivering a talk that you have created that you think may not be up to par for the audience.
A lot of people will take sky diving lessons then do the actual jump to face their fears. When they have completed a jump they tend to be more confident in everyday life simply because they have conquered a fear which in most cases eliminates other fears that they may have had. Public speaking in front of an audience can be of similar value in the same way. Think back to when you were a kid and you finally had to confront the neighborhood bully, once you pushed back or chased the bully away you conquered a large blockage and were then less fearful of many things. When you stand up in front of an audience to face that proverbial bully and attack that speech or presentation not thinking of how perfectly you want to deliver it but to actually perform it with you true self you will accomplish your goal of eliminating fear itself.
There are some tips that can help you be more fearless when you are speaking in front of large or even small groups. I myself actually have an easier time speaking in front of large groups for whatever reason. First of all knowing that ninety percent of your nervousness does not show to the audience is a known fact. Most people when they speak will get more nervous if they think that the audience can see some of those nervous things that go on inside or outside of your body like sweaty palms, nervous stomach or racing heart just to name a few, but the truth is that they can’t. Another biggie is that a lot of people get intimated by the audience. A good way to eliminate this fear is not to imagine them naked, but to scan the audience for friendly or receptive faces. This will give you the confidence that your presentation is being well received.
So if you want to kill two birds with one stone, get out there and give that presentation or speech at work, join a toastmasters club or volunteer to speak for a cause that you have some interest in or event some type of local city government or PTA and the list is basically endless and you will kill your fear.
Steven Stasczak is a motivational speaker who facilitates professional speaking training and team building events/workshops. He spent his earlier career as a top business to business sales manager before beginning coaching and training around the U.S. professionally. His areas of expertise includes developing effective public speaking workshops and helping individuals overcome fear of public speaking. He also performs and facilitates leadership training , time management workshops and fun team building activities to align your team in the workplace