Minimizing Your Public Speaking Fear

Before you eliminate your fear of speaking in public, you must first understand it. Most people are afraid to speak in public; so if you suffer from the same fear, take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. However, do not use this fact as an excuse to shrink from public speaking. If anything, you must use this knowledge to spur yourself on to great efforts. Think of it this way: you are soon going to do something that few people have ever done. By getting over your public-speaking fears, you will set yourself apart from the crowd and seem to be destined for greatness.

Have you ever wondered why you are afraid to speak in public? The answer is simple: you are not accustomed to it. For most people, speaking in public is not an everyday occurrence - one rarely has to stand up in a platform and address hundreds, even thousands of people. In other words, public speaking is an unknown to many - and we are terrified of the unknown! Thus, if you wish to become an excellent speaker, you will seek out as many speaking engagements as you can, taking every opportunity to practice not only your skills, but also your confidence.

What You Can Do To Minimize Fear

As previously mentioned, the key to losing your public speaking fears is to speak in public frequently. There are certain corollaries to this suggestion; all of them are geared into making your talk an excellent one. Once you know that you have something excellent to offer to your audience, you are far less likely to become excessively nervous or fearful.

First, prepare assiduously. Prepare for all your talks. Preparing may require you to spend a lot of time and energy on what you are going to say, but it will definitely go a long way in bolstering your confidence when the appointed time comes. Think about the purpose of your talk and what you want to communicate with your audience, then tailor your words to fit the particular goal that you wish to achieve.

Second, never memorize a talk word for word. Talks that are memorized verbatim sound artificial, contrived, and mechanical. They come from your memory, not from your heart. Don't expect to make much emotional impact with them. Further, memorized talks are also very vulnerable to being forgotten at the most importune times - such as when you are actually supposed to give it.

Remember: be spontaneous. Talk with the words and gestures you usually use in everyday conversation, and your speech will flow naturally. When your speech appears natural, the audience will be more receptive to it, and to you as well.