Presence Training

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Did you know that the average person finds natural disasters, theft, loneliness, ghosts and even the very thought of death less frightening than giving out a public speech? Strange as it may seem, more people are afraid to stand up in front of an audience and deliver a speech than they are of all of the aforementioned things. It has even become an official phobia – glossophobia.

Despite the fact you may feel dread at the very thought of public speaking, you must understand that it is an essential skill for advancing in your career, presenting ideas or closing a major business deal. To be successful, you can use the following tips for overcoming the fear of public speaking, all of which can help you overcome it:

Mindful breathing – when you are nervous, your breathing becomes shallow, and you may feel shortness of breath. Needless to say, this only makes the problem of nervousness worse and makes you appear bad. To overcome this sensation, you need better control of your breath. Taking deep breaths before your presentation can calm you down, as well as doing so during the speech. The time it takes you to take one full deep breath is enough to ease any nervousness you may be feeling. One more benefit is that deep breathing maintains your voice centred and eliminates the chance of uptalk, which can be detrimental to your credibility during a presentation.

Practice makes perfect – you know well enough that it takes a lot of practice to hone any skill. But when doing that, you really should try to emulate the same experience as speaking in front of an audience. There are few ways to do so. For starters, you can wear the same outfit to note if you are comfortable enough in it. Next, don’t just rehearse on your own. Call friends or family members to hear you out and ask them for feedback. You can also record your rehearsal or make a video to better correct any mistakes. All of this will have a massive impact on your readiness and help you feel less scared.

Change your views on public speaking – many people believe that public speaking is a talent and you either have it, or you don’t. However, this sort of thinking can hold you back and lead you to fear public speaking. You must think of it as a skill, which you can learn and perfect with sufficient training.

You need to be yourself – a large part of your stress may be coming from the fact that you think public speaking is a lot like acting. However, you really don’t need to be someone else or learn to pretend. In fact, the most effective way to reach your audience is to be yourself. Let your personality shine through, as that will leave a lasting impression.

Get off to a good start – how you open a public speech sets the tone for the rest of it. Remember to have a strong opening, perhaps a light joke to crack the ice. Needless to say, you should practice this whenever you get the chance since it makes such a big difference to the overall speech.

Do not overthink – if you are too concentrated on your speech, chances are you will feel quite nervous. According to experts, it is a thing that can trip you up, so you should tell yourself to be calm and keep your composure.

These are all fantastic ways to combat the fear of public speaking. Make sure you implement them all, and you will find out just how much better you will be able to speak in front of an audience. 

At Presence Training you can find more useful information on overcoming the fear of public speaking.

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