Dazzle them with your public speaking

Public speaking for many is something they would rather not do. In fact some people are down right afraid to speak in front of people. I know people who consider public speaking their biggest fear and will avoid it at all costs even if it means missing out on the big promotion and changing jobs. I was once one of these people and am writing you today to tell you that no matter how afraid you are of public speaking it can be beat with some practice and confidence in your abilities. So if you are one of these people then you have to read the following few quick tips that I have personally used and practiced to beat my own fear of public speaking.

Practice every chance you get!

Practicing is the probably the most effective way to overcoming your fear of public speaking; however, finding time can very tough. Good ways to combat the time problem is to multi task and practice your speech when you are doing everyday tasks. I personally practice my speeches while I am in the shower and while I am cooking my dinner. I even pretend my spice rack is the crowd so that I can practice keeping my body and eyes in a general direction. Now to some this may seem kind of weird and I would be lying if I have not got some weird looks from people as they pass my kitchen window on the street. But you will be amazed how much more confident you will be after you have repeated the speech a bunch of times even it was only to Mr. Basil and Mrs. Thyme.

Another great way to practice is to do it in front of pets or family. I personally will get my mini Boston terrier and cat to hang out on the couch in front of me and I will deliver my speech to them. Other times when my nieces and nephews are around I will also give the speech to them. The reason I do this is because just having the feeling of eyes on you while you speak helps you get used to that sensation. Also if you want the feeling of a ton of eyes on you deliver your speech to some pet fish! I got 24 fish so that 48 eyes all watching me. Now I know what you are thinking this is not the same and you are right it’s not but just getting use to feeling eyes watching you can have a tremendous effect!

DON’T go big or go home!

A lot of people out there live their lives by the saying “go big or go home” and do it with grace. In this case whatever you do don’t start off big it will only overwhelm you and if it is a bad experience it will only deter more and make your fear control you that much more. So I say to you start with a small group of colleagues or friends. It may be fun to invite a few friends over and have a speech prepared about something that interests you. For example I really love the show The Walking Dead and I wanted to persuade my friends that they needed to watch it. So one Sunday night I invited them over for supper and then unloaded my speech for the reason I think they should be watching The Walking Dead. The speech really was just for fun but it was really a tool for me to get used to speaking in front of real people who are actually listening to what I have to say. To be honest I was nervous beyond belief but after I was done I felt like I could take on the world and my confidence was through the roof. The next week I decided to present to my colleagues of 12 people strong and again I was scared but remembered how well I did in front of my 4 friends and this made for my presentation to be phenomenal. Fast forward a few months of now presenting in front of small groups the whole time I have to speak at my best friends wedding of 200 people! I was so nervous but reminded myself of how far I have come and how it’s not any different then the small groups I present to on the usual. I am proud to say this speech went without a flaw and I actually had people coming up to me telling me how good of a speaker I was. I took baby steps to get here but what all these little steps did for me was build my confidence and make into the public speaking ninja I am today!

Just start saying yes

My biggest problem when I was deathly afraid of speaking was that I always said no to every opportunity I got. After the first time I said no it got easier and easier every other time I said no, a slippery slope if you will. It came to a point where I did not even think about it when I was asked I just straight up said no! But after I saw that movie yes man I started to think to myself if the power of yes really is that powerful. So I started to apply it to my fear of public speaking and the first time I said yes to the opportunity to speak (my friends wedding) was the hardest and my anxiety was running on full cylinders. I used all the techniques I just mentioned and I managed to pull it off but found that just by saying yes got me out of my rut of saying no and I found good things started to happen. The ultimate good feeling was when another friend just a few weeks ago asked me to me the master of ceremonies at his wedding and of course I said yes! I have to admit I am a little on edge about it as the whole night I will be speaking constantly but with my confidence this high and the power of yes on my side I can’t lose!

Now use go be the speaker you know you can be!

Well I hope my few little tips and personal experiences has helped you understand your fear of public speaking and that you take upon yourself to take the steps to becoming a public speaking ninja!

If you have any questions or comments please do hesitate to ask. Also I have added some resources and books that have helped me with my public speaking fear.

Cheers!

Resources

Helpful video