So, you have a huge passion for your topic as a speaker. And you have a burning desire to share this passion with the world. Only prob...
So, you have a huge passion for your topic as a speaker.
And you have a burning desire to share this passion with the world.
Only problem is, you also have a terrible fear of speaking in public.
Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Public speaking is generally the number
one fear people list in surveys. Why? We are desperately afraid of being
judged and coming up short.
While
there are many specific tips to controlling fears that we will share
with you, the thing to remember above all else is to concentrate on the
audience. Because we are all afraid of being judged, when standing in
front of a group of people we tend to focus on ourselves. Does my hair
look alright? Is my tie straight? Should I have worn a different jacket?
Will everyone think I look professional? The best way to begin calming
your fears is to turn that focus back to the audience. Pay attention to
them and how they are responding. Are there confused looks on their
face? Perhaps you need to speak slower, or pause and ask if people have
any questions. Is the audience smiling and nodding? It’s a safe bet you
are connecting with them and can carry on. Remember, you got into this
business because you have information to share. Take the focus off of
you and onto your mission and your fears will begin to evaporate.
It
also helps many speakers to remember that you are the expert, and
you’ve been asked to present to the audience because you have
information that they want. The following statistics may also help.
According to several studies, 50% of the audience is prepared to like
you no matter what. Another 25% is just waiting to find something they
don’t like about you. And the final 25% is undecided—but you can sway
them. One way to sway that undecided 25% is to get talk to audience
members beforehand. Many groups have casual networking before it is time
for the speaker. Take this opportunity to greet people and talk to
them. Then once you are in front of the group, you can focus on the
friendly faces of people who you’ve already met in the crowd.
Spend
quiet time alone before you arrive at the site. Get very quiet and take
some deep breathes. Relax. Now visualize yourself in front of the
group. Imagine every aspect of it, how the room looks and smells, and
what the audience looks like. See yourself in front of the room,
smiling, self-assured, in charge of the situation. Watch how the
audience is smiling and applauding. Witness how they are taking the
information you have such a passion for to heart. Now take a few deep
breathes, open your eyes and go knock ‘em dead!
A
few tips for during the speech: walk to the dais, look at the audience,
and take a couple of big deep breaths before you begin. Choose several
people who seem especially interested in you and make eye contact with
them throughout. (You do not want to spend the entire time looking down
at your speech!) Do not try to memorise your entire speech. It is
excruciatingly painful for you and your audience if you should forget
it. Do not feel that you need to stand stiffly in one place the entire
time. Move around. This will help keep your audience interested and
energized.
Listen. Hear
that applause? It’s for you! You’ve done it! Presented your speech to
great acclaim. That wasn’t so hard, was it? And doesn’t it feel
wonderful to know that all those people are clapping for you? Ready to
do it again? Good, because your next audience awaits.
PS:
This is Module 19 of “Professional Speaking: Get Paid To Speak” an
executive online programme for professional and aspiring professional
speakers courtesy of African Professional Speakers Academy &
Association founded and led by Dayo Olomu
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