Fear not!
Managing the Anxiety that comes with Public Speaking
It’s an oft quoted fact that more people have a fear of public speaking than of death or spiders. Which means, as a trainer from the Leader’s Institute pointed out in a presentation I attended recently, when it comes to funerals more people would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy!
Anxiety symptoms run the gamut from sweaty palms and knots in the stomach to the fear of being boring. Extreme fear of public speaking, known as Glossophobia, can and should be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. But for the millions of others who suffer from more mild anxiety, here are a few tips to help you manage that fear and have a successful speaking engagement.
1. Ask questions. As the speaker you have the right and responsibility to understand the event. Ask the event organizer who will be in attendence and what the goal of the event is. Other details to know are how many people will be attending, what sort of room the event will be in and what sort of A/V capabilities will be available (and if so – who is responsible for running any A/V). Knowing what sort of situation you are walking into will help alleviate the anxiety that comes with the unknown.
2. Be prepared to do without your PowerPoint. Adding PowerPoint or other A/V always ups the anxiety quotient for fear that something may go wrong with the technology. To prevent such worries from increasing your stress, have a printed copy of the PowerPoint with you and practice the presentation a few times without the PowerPoint. If something does go wrong, you’ll be prepared.
3. Change the Chatter. Many people who suffer from Speaking Anxiety are feeding themselves negative self-messaging along the lines of “I’m going to be terrible” “No one is going to listen to me” “Everyone will know how nervous I am.” I do a simple exercise with my clients who send themselves this mental noise – I have them write down a positive reinforcement for every negative message. Professional athletes envision themselves crossing the finish line or shooting the game winning shot – why not visualize yourself succeeding too!
4. Remember the Audience is on YOUR side. Know who really doesn’t like to see a speaker fail – the audience. More often than not, the audience is on your side and is rooting for you. We understand that most people are not professional speakers and we don’t expect them tobe. We do expect you to be enthusiastic about your topic and we expect to hear you. Other than that, we’re pretty much happy that it’s not us up there!
5. Practice, practice, practice! If anxiety about public speaking is something you want to put to rest once and for all, then try some aversion therapy. Ask to speak to small groups – whether they are industry, volunteer, networking or church groups – most are always looking for folks willing to share their expertise and experience. Joining a group like Toastmasters is also an excellent way to hone your skill as a public speaker in a safe and encouraging environment.
Speaking in public establishes you as authority in your field. It’s a simple way to gain credibility and visibility for your company and to highlight your position within your company. Not everyone is destined to be a magnificent public speaker, but everyone has the right to be heard.
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