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10 Tips for Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking

June 2nd, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Business-Work, Personal-Development, Public-Speaking

Public speaking is one of the most common fears of professionals. Some of you worry to much about what others might think, some have little confidence in themselves and others might just be afraid they won’t know what to say. Regardless of the reason for your fear, if you plan to succeed you’re going to have to overcome it. In reality, public speaking can be a lot of fun if you allow yourself to have fun with it.

While there are a lot of different techniques people use to build up their comfortable zone, these are my favorite ways to not only overcome this fear of public speaking but also to build more confidence in yourself.

Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking

Don’t be afraid of failure: Many people don’t realize it, but failure is one of the best learning tools at our disposal which is exactly why you shouldn’t fear it. I like to think back to the old adage “What doesn’t kill us, only makes us stronger.”, believe me, that saying holds an abundance of truth. A bad presentation won’t be the end of the world, but it will be a stepping stone to build on and improve your skills for the next time around. So rather than worrying about failure, think of it as an opportunity to grow.

Try some deep breathing exercises: Don’t hyperventilate on me here, but if used properly deep breathing techniques help to lower your blood pressure and calm your mind and body. Having the jitters before stepping up to the podium is normal, but you are going to want to relax yourself as much as possible in order to give an excellent presentation. Lifehack.org has a great article on deep breathing techniques you should check out. If presentations and public speaking are a big part of your chosen career, you might consider investing in some yoga classes which will not only teach you breathing but a lot more calming secrets as well.

Know your material: One of the biggest fears people face when it comes to public speaking is forgetting what they plan to say. You may already picture yourself standing on stage with a giant blank spot where your thoughts used to be, but if you know your material you have nothing to worry about. Try and allow yourself a minimum of two weeks before speaking to write your thoughts down and study them daily. Once you have everything in your head, start reciting it to yourself in front of a mirror without looking at your notes. Knowing your material will build your confidence and make for a much smoother presentation.

Join a Toastmasters Club in your area: Practice makes perfect and some times you just can’t do it on your own, but there is help to overcome your public speaking woes. Toastmasters International is a unique non-profit organization that provides an outlet for professionals like yourself to give presentations and learn how to function in a group setting. Currently they have over 226,000 members in 11,500 clubs throughout 92 countries so chances are there is a location near you. Club dues are only $27 every six months, so this is a very affordable option for everyone.

You can’t control the audience: Right from the start you have to realize that you can’t control the audience in front of you. They will either love what you have to say or they won’t, but you can’t force them in any direction. Simply presenting properly thought out and targeted information is all you can do the rest is out of your control, so please don’t allow that to effect your performance.

Act and speak natural: The last thing anyone wants is their speech to appear forced or unnatural. If you normally use hand movements as you talk, then use them on stage as well because that is what is comfortable for you. Pasting your hands to your side makes you look like a stiff and you will probably be very boring to watch. You should also try and communicate as you would in any old conversation. There is no need to put on an act when you are speaking, people came to listen to you not a robot drone that doubles as you, so just give them what they want.

Focus on one person in the audience: Right at the beginning of your speech pick one person in the center of the audience to focus on. This could be a friend of yours or just someone wearing a funny hat. As you make your speech keep your attention pointed towards that person and occasionally scan the audience as you are talking. What this will do is allow you to narrow in on a single person and take your mind off of the actual size of the audience, believe me it works wonders.

Drink a cup of coffee before going on stage: A lot of people recommend avoiding caffeine before a large presentation to avoid the jitters, but in reality caffeine has a lot of benefits to weary public speakers. According to Wikipedia: “Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system first at the higher levels, resulting in increased alertness and wakefulness, faster and clearer flow of thought, increased focus, and better general body coordination, and later at the spinal cord level at higher doses.” Now I don’t know about you but better thought, focus and alertness during that presentation sounds good to me, so drink up.

Dress for success: How you look can be another great confidence booster. Most often public speakers want to come across as professional but also relaxed and fun. Consider choosing a sharp looking business casual outfit that really makes you stand out. Take the extra time to do your hair and nails if need be, maybe even an extra spritz of cologne or perfume that morning. Once you’re finished, take a look in the mirror and say “Now that’s a good looking person who knows what they want!”. Just remember, if you feel good about yourself, the audience will feel good about you too.

Get plenty of rest: All stress and no rest is hard on your mind, body and soul, so make sure that you get plenty of sleep the night before and avoid scheduling anything that may effect your mood the day of the big speech. The last thing you need is to be sleepy or have something else on your mind, think clear thoughts.

If you follow my advice, your next bout with public speaking should be a positive one. I wish you the best and remember all that matters is what you think of yourself, not what others think of you!

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