7 Ways To Overcome Your Fear Of Speaking In Public

Sooner or later, there will come a point in your life where you are going to need to get up in front of an audience and speak with them. It might be as simple as giving a presentation at work, giving a toast at a wedding, or doing a talk at TED. Whatever the situation maybe, if you are going to have to give a speech in front of a crowd, you will have to learn how to overcome your fear so that it does not get the best of you.

Some will assume that many top speakers were born with this talent which is not true at all. In fact, just listen to what this motivational speaker had to say about it: "When I first started out I was terrified. I had no confidence in myself and did not think anyone would want to hear what I had to say. But over time as I learned to overcome my fear, I got better and improved my presentation skills. After 15 years of speaking in front of people, I can now talk with absolute certainty. As cliche as it may sound, it really does come down to practice."

If you are interested in dealing with your fear of speaking in public, here are some tips worth considering:

Tip 1: Normalize your fear. In other words, be aware that just about everyone shares the fear of public speaking. It is normal in our society.

Tip2. Remember that your thoughts create your reality. If you tell yourself, “I am a terrible public speaker,” then you’ll become that which you think.

Tip 3. Remember to visualize how you want to see yourself being. How would you ideally like to feel when speaking in front of people? Would you like to be calm and relaxed? Start visualizing yourself as a calm and relaxed speaker, and step inside of the picture and feel the feelings as if they are happening right now.

Tip 4. Give yourself a positive verbal suggestion, such as “I am a calm, confident, dynamic public speaker.” Within a short period of time, you will become what you affirm.

Tip 5. Ask yourself why you are afraid? Did a negative episode happen in your life where you were ridiculed or judged? If so, a part of you decided, “I’ll never do that again.” It became your survival strategy. Healing that wound will require that you ask the scared part what it would need to feel safe. Perhaps your scared part would only be willing to speak up if it was being heard by a friendly, supportive audience, where mistakes were allowed (such as a Toastmasters Club.)

Tip 6. Find a person who will listen with support and encouragement, like a coach or a mentor. Then role-play with that person until you feel comfortable speaking.

Tip 7. Speak from your heart. Realize that your speaking is a gift. It is benefiting the listener. Become passionate about what you say. Focus on them, not you. This is about them and what you have to give to them.