How to Conquer Fear of Public Speaking

There was a time when I was quite literally petrified of public speaking. I say "petrified" because when I would get in front of a group,my speech anxiety would become so intense that I would freeze like a deer in the headlights - I would forget what I had to say and blush like a tomato as a lump grew in my throat that would physically prevent me from talking.

If your fear of public speaking is anywhere on the spectrum between mild anxiety and complete terror, then you are actually well within the normal range. Studies show that many people rate their fear of public speaking as more severe than fear of death. In other words, fear of public speaking is normal! The only real problem arises when fears become so intense that they interfere with your quality of life, your ability to be an effective person, or your ability to actually speak when you need to. I remember spending most of my high school years worried about being called upon in class, and actually put off going to college for several years primarily because I did not want to deal with anymore anxiety about giving presentations.

If fear of public speaking is having any kind of adverse impact on your social life, education, or career advancement, then the technique described on these pages should help. Having used this technique to get through college, many interviews, and numerous sales calls, I can honestly say that it works. I hope that you find it useful as well. There is no fee associated with learning or using the technique - you do not have to buy anything. I simply feel this is something worthwhile to share - something that can really help some people out.

The Secret to Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

Here it is: The real secret to overcoming fear of public speaking is to NOT overcome it - but to instead embrace it. Just about everyone experiences some nervousness when speaking in front of a group - even professional speakers. And professional speakers will be the first to tell you that a little nervousness is a good thing because that energy can be channeled into alertness and enthusiasm that enlivens the presentation. The problem that many of us make is that we try to suppress our nervousness. But like many emotions, nervousness and fear do not work that way. Trying to suppress nervousness just makes it grow, which which then makes you more nervous! As this cause and effect relationship spirals out of control, we quickly enter a state of complete panic that causes our minds to freeze and forget words, our faces to blush, our voices to tremble, and so on.

So to suggest that you not suppress your fear is easy to say, right? The real question is: How do we embrace rather than suppress our fear of public speaking? Before launching into my "technique", I'd like to quickly mention the usual suggestions that many public speaking courses mention, just in case they help you:

• Be prepared. Write out your speech, memorize it if you think that will help reduce your fear, and create an outline to follow while you're speaking. No technique is going to help you be a more effective public speaker if you have not thought about and prepared what you want to say. Also, go to the restroom and look at yourself in the mirror right before giving your speech. The last thing you want to worry about up there is whether you have a piece of food stuck in your teeth.
   
• Treat the speech as a conversation. Remember that you are talking to real people - not judgment machines - they're human beings that make mistakes and feel fears just like you do. As you're speaking, move your eyes around the room and speak to the individuals that make up the group. Speaking to one person at a time is often less intimidating than seeing the mass of people.
   
• Let yourself forget some of what you intend to say. No matter how many times you practice your speech, it is very likely that you'll forget some points. When this happens, just move onto the next thing you remember. Anything you forget is probably not as important as you think, the omission will probably not be noticed by the audience, and you might very well remember and mention it later on during your speech. Permitting yourself to forget enables you to be less rigid, and appear more relaxed, conversational, and natural while speaking.
   

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