I want to start by asking what is your biggest fear, is it the fear of public speaking? If so, I assure you it doesn’t have to be! Public speaking is as natural as eating or going to the cinema to see a movie! Don’t say it’s easy for me to say this because I have some public speaking experience because the truth is I’ve seen people overcome their fear of public speaking and become great speakers. The truth is, if you’re interested in public speaking, you shouldn’t let fear get the better of you.
According to documented research and surveys conducted around the world, the biggest fear people have is the fear of public speaking and it ranks higher on many lists than the fear of death. It logically follows that if these same people were given the chance to give a speech somewhere, they would actually rather drop dead than give the speech. Funny isn’t it? The striking thing is that it is true!
Pericles, the great orator and statesman of ancient Greece said: “Those who can think, but cannot express what they think, place themselves on the level of those who cannot think.” This just goes to show the importance of public speaking as a means of communication, since no one can say what they know until they open their mouths to speak.
So this brings us to the question, why are people so afraid of public speaking? I think the first big fear has to do with the fear of failure: fear of forgetting what they intend to say, fear that the audience will not accept them and what they have to say, fear of not believing in their ability to make a all right. jobs etc
While I won’t tell you that your fears are unfounded, I’ll just say that you shouldn’t worry, as all human beings, even the most experienced public speakers, have at least one fear or another, whether related to public speaking or not. .
Here are some tips that may come in handy:
Have a positive mindset: There’s nothing like being possessive and having the right frame of mind for whatever task you want to start public speaking, including. If you can convince yourself of the fact that your audience wants you to succeed (that’s why they came to listen to you in the first place!), then you’re well on your way to success. When you want to do your best in the right frame of mind, your confidence increases.
Prepare Properly: There is no substitute for knowing your materials and making the proper preparations. A popular cliché goes like this: “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” This works in all facets of life including public speaking.
Visualize Success – What you see in your mind will eventually become your reality as long as you take the right steps towards that reality. Imagine being applauded at the end of your presentation and not being booed like a newbie would probably think would be the case. A proper mental image will stimulate the creation of a physical image!
Know Your Audience: My mentor Richie Dayo Johnson (RDJ) says, “A good speaker speaks to an audience about a topic and not about a topic to an audience.” He trusts me on this; these are two completely different things. Knowing his audience is a subject in itself and is very important to his success as a speaker.
Learn to master your fear and let it work for you as you become the speaker you want to be!