Speaking in public is at the top of the list! A normal physical reaction to having to speak in public is a release of adrenaline and cortisol into your system. This can be compared to compared to drinking several cups of coffee.Even experienced speakers feel their heart thumping very excitedly indeed. This astounding reaction to speaking in public is certainly not only felt by novices, even some of the great professional actors and entertainers suffer with real physical sickness before they take to the stage or podium.
You are not alone. Speaking in public is truly scary for most people, including many whom outwardly seem very composed. Our brain shuts down normal functions as the 'fight or flight' impulse takes over.Presentations skills and public speaking skills are very useful in many aspects of work and life. Effective presentations and public speaking skills are important in business, sales and selling, training, teaching, lecturing and generally entertaining an audience.
I had to speak for at least sixty seconds, but every second felt like a minute. Time seemed to slow down as my normally sexy voice came out in a quivering squeak! I searched my audience faces for any evidence that would indicate what they were thinking about me. How could I, great conqueror of all, be reduced to a pipsqueak in a mere moment?!Definition of pipsqueak - A person considered to be insignificant.Luckily enough the basic facts that were required for this mini introduction speech was ingrown knowledge. Just when I thought it was all over the teacher asked me to tell the class something interesting about myself. All of a sudden with cheeks quivering, butt shaking, and eyes widened by fear I became the most boring person in the class. I just could not remember anything!
By the time Byron finished, he had literally torn off strip after strip of the notes he'd brought to the front of the class and eaten it strip by strip. By the time he finished his speech his digestive tract was busy digesting the paper he'd written on. Of course with each strip he'd torn, wadded up, placed in his mouth and swallowed, Byron became more flustered because he was trying to do was read his speech and, of course, the words were disappearing and he ended up, at the end, with nothing to read from. I'm sorry to say none of us were able to contain our laughter although to see the school tough guy go through the agonies of delivering "a few words" about himself were, frankly, satisfying. He didn't seem like such a tough guy by the time he fidgeted back to his seat.
Jerry Seinfeld once said:"According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy."Mark Twain said this:"There are only two types of public speakers in the world. 1. Those who are nervous and 2. Those who are liars."A very useful acronym to help you put fear in a different perspective is: FEAR is: False - Evidence - Appearing- Real Keep in mind that feelings are not facts. Check the facts before you act (like running away and hiding) on your feelings.
Despite the terror you experience in front of an audience you can become a confident public speaker. You can experience the same freedom and normalcy that you feel when talking to your friends in front of an audience. So please, my friend, do not miss out of life or suffer a life of ruin because of fear of public speaking. There is no joy there.The fear of public speaking is one of life's most stressful experiences. It is not uncommon for people to be utterly terrified of public speaking to a crowd. A number of individuals would rather fall dead than walk up on a stage and address a gathering. In fact, it needn't even be a gathering. For some people, even the concept of a thousand people being able to hear or see them speak, either by means of the radio or through television, can make them break out in a cold sweat.
Explain to yourself why you are afraid."I am afraid because I think everyone will laugh at me." ,"I am afraid something will go wrong."Tell yourself why you shouldn't be afraid. "I have never seen a speaker get laughed off the stage.", "No one has ever laughed at me during my earlier presentations.","If something does go wrong, I can put it right."Close with positive thoughts about yourself."I am a intelligent and well-prepared person.","I can give a solid presentation and make a good impression on my audience."
Quote: Understanding our fears is the first and most important step to conquering them. As the saying goes, don't try to get rid of the butterflies - just get them flying in formation.OTHER WAYS TO HELP OVERCOME YOUR FEAR,Know your material inside out. Remember the quote: prior preparation prevents poor performance. It could also say that: prior preparation presents perfect performance.Know the room- arrive early and check out where everything is. Walk around and look at things from the audiences view.Make contact with your audience before you speak. It's wonderful to have made friends that you can connect with while speaking.Use good relaxation and breathing exercises. Watch how you speak about yourself. Change: "I am so nervous", to: "I am really excited." What you say is what you get. Change the nervous energy to enthusiasm.
The only way of curing the fear of speaking in public is gaining confidence, and that cannot be achieved overnight. So if you want to cure yourself of such a problem, be ready for some grueling hard work for a decent period of time. There are no quick remedies that will build you up in a jiffy for your Board meeting next week and only an extensive effort on your part will be likely to treat you of your problem.Having said that, however, one must also accept that treating Public Speaking Phobia is fairly simple.
The conclusion of your speech is not synonymous with the fact you've stopped talking. Here it's your job to wrap up and sell your presentation with a conclusion like an archer who sends the arrow directly into the center of the target he or she is aiming at, that center being your audience's interests.I don't know who first said it but I'm sure my former college speech teacher read this somewhere before imparting its wisdom to his freshman public speaking class and the statement goes like this:Public speakers are known by their entrances and exits!
You are not alone. Speaking in public is truly scary for most people, including many whom outwardly seem very composed. Our brain shuts down normal functions as the 'fight or flight' impulse takes over.Presentations skills and public speaking skills are very useful in many aspects of work and life. Effective presentations and public speaking skills are important in business, sales and selling, training, teaching, lecturing and generally entertaining an audience.
I had to speak for at least sixty seconds, but every second felt like a minute. Time seemed to slow down as my normally sexy voice came out in a quivering squeak! I searched my audience faces for any evidence that would indicate what they were thinking about me. How could I, great conqueror of all, be reduced to a pipsqueak in a mere moment?!Definition of pipsqueak - A person considered to be insignificant.Luckily enough the basic facts that were required for this mini introduction speech was ingrown knowledge. Just when I thought it was all over the teacher asked me to tell the class something interesting about myself. All of a sudden with cheeks quivering, butt shaking, and eyes widened by fear I became the most boring person in the class. I just could not remember anything!
By the time Byron finished, he had literally torn off strip after strip of the notes he'd brought to the front of the class and eaten it strip by strip. By the time he finished his speech his digestive tract was busy digesting the paper he'd written on. Of course with each strip he'd torn, wadded up, placed in his mouth and swallowed, Byron became more flustered because he was trying to do was read his speech and, of course, the words were disappearing and he ended up, at the end, with nothing to read from. I'm sorry to say none of us were able to contain our laughter although to see the school tough guy go through the agonies of delivering "a few words" about himself were, frankly, satisfying. He didn't seem like such a tough guy by the time he fidgeted back to his seat.
Jerry Seinfeld once said:"According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy."Mark Twain said this:"There are only two types of public speakers in the world. 1. Those who are nervous and 2. Those who are liars."A very useful acronym to help you put fear in a different perspective is: FEAR is: False - Evidence - Appearing- Real Keep in mind that feelings are not facts. Check the facts before you act (like running away and hiding) on your feelings.
Despite the terror you experience in front of an audience you can become a confident public speaker. You can experience the same freedom and normalcy that you feel when talking to your friends in front of an audience. So please, my friend, do not miss out of life or suffer a life of ruin because of fear of public speaking. There is no joy there.The fear of public speaking is one of life's most stressful experiences. It is not uncommon for people to be utterly terrified of public speaking to a crowd. A number of individuals would rather fall dead than walk up on a stage and address a gathering. In fact, it needn't even be a gathering. For some people, even the concept of a thousand people being able to hear or see them speak, either by means of the radio or through television, can make them break out in a cold sweat.
Explain to yourself why you are afraid."I am afraid because I think everyone will laugh at me." ,"I am afraid something will go wrong."Tell yourself why you shouldn't be afraid. "I have never seen a speaker get laughed off the stage.", "No one has ever laughed at me during my earlier presentations.","If something does go wrong, I can put it right."Close with positive thoughts about yourself."I am a intelligent and well-prepared person.","I can give a solid presentation and make a good impression on my audience."
Quote: Understanding our fears is the first and most important step to conquering them. As the saying goes, don't try to get rid of the butterflies - just get them flying in formation.OTHER WAYS TO HELP OVERCOME YOUR FEAR,Know your material inside out. Remember the quote: prior preparation prevents poor performance. It could also say that: prior preparation presents perfect performance.Know the room- arrive early and check out where everything is. Walk around and look at things from the audiences view.Make contact with your audience before you speak. It's wonderful to have made friends that you can connect with while speaking.Use good relaxation and breathing exercises. Watch how you speak about yourself. Change: "I am so nervous", to: "I am really excited." What you say is what you get. Change the nervous energy to enthusiasm.
The only way of curing the fear of speaking in public is gaining confidence, and that cannot be achieved overnight. So if you want to cure yourself of such a problem, be ready for some grueling hard work for a decent period of time. There are no quick remedies that will build you up in a jiffy for your Board meeting next week and only an extensive effort on your part will be likely to treat you of your problem.Having said that, however, one must also accept that treating Public Speaking Phobia is fairly simple.
The conclusion of your speech is not synonymous with the fact you've stopped talking. Here it's your job to wrap up and sell your presentation with a conclusion like an archer who sends the arrow directly into the center of the target he or she is aiming at, that center being your audience's interests.I don't know who first said it but I'm sure my former college speech teacher read this somewhere before imparting its wisdom to his freshman public speaking class and the statement goes like this:Public speakers are known by their entrances and exits!
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