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Public speaking is often rated as the greatest fear that adults have. Yet speaking by itself is not threatening to most. It’s the public in public speaking that frightens people. Why is this?

Perhaps it’s the way that you learned to speak in public. Most of us started speaking when we were around 1 year old. Our first words were enthusiastically cultivated and celebrated by our parents. Out first public speaking was what we did on the phone to our grand-parents.

Those were the good old days. Every word and sound you made (other than crying) was met with smiles and attention from the adults.

Our next opportunity to experience public speaking was in the grocery store. You learned that our favorite cereal, candy or treat could be ours if we made enough of a public spectacle to embarrass our parent. Yes, this public speaking thing seemed like a good thing – until we got home. Perhaps we were sent to our room. This was sending us mixed messages about public speaking.

Then you went to school. For a budding public speaker this was a gift – a classroom full of an eager audience. Boy, were we wrong. It turned out that every other student wanted to speak at the same time. Why didn’t they realize that your thoughts and words were more important than theirs.

Your years at school brought more opportunities to speak in public. Yet they often seemed like walking through a mine field. You never knew when you might say something dumb or give the wrong answer. The teacher would give you that look and your audience might snicker. And that was just the day-to-day grind of school days. You learned that the public could be very fickle and unappreciative about your speaking.

Public speaking in class was either to ask the teacher a question or to answer the teacher’s questions. Ask a dumb question or give the wrong answer and you might be on the receiving end of the teacher’s ire. Even if you asked good questions and gave the right answers – you only pleased the teacher and raised the distain of your fellow students. This public speaking thing seemed to be a no win situation. Most days it seemed better to avoid it. Keep your hand down and avoid eye contact.

The boldest public speaker was the class clown who seemed to have a natural talent for making jokes, entertaining the audience and annoying the teacher. The teacher was the one who did the most public speaking in class and that was often boring. Neither was a good role model for a future public speaker.

There was the school play. Perhaps you volunteered or were volunteered and you had a few lines to deliver. You rehearsed the lines before and after breakfast and on the way to school. Maybe you were coached by your parents who didn’t have a clue about public speaking or the pressure that you felt. The day of the play you delivered your lines. Perhaps you hated the experience. “Ain’t gonna do that again” – you vowed

So why is there a mystery that so many adults fear public speaking?

Maybe it’s because they have been conditioned that way most of their lives. If you want to be a better public speaker you might need some serious reconditioning.

© George Torok, The Public Speaking Pro, is a Toronto based Public Speaking Trainer. He helps business speakers deliver million dollar presentations. Discover more free public speaking tips at http://www.Public-Speaking-Pro.biz Follow daily public speaking tips at http://twitter.com/presentationsgo For training or coaching call 905-335-1997
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I’m going to be honest with you: having a phobia of public speaking is debilitating. I know because I was once terrified of public speaking. A lot of the “pros” are what are known as “naturals”: people who are born without a fear of public speaking. A gifted minority. These are the people who design courses, who sell seminars and CD sets.

And guess what? They don’t really know what they’re talking about. I’m not saying that they aren’t talented public speakers–and with the right amount of time, I’m sure they can teach you to be an effective public speaker.

But it was only through spending years struggling to conquer my fear of public speaking that I learned to get up in front of strangers and speak my mind. I’ve got a few basic tips for you to keep in mind as you start to eliminate your fear (keep in mind that fear of public speaking is commonly listed as the most common fear in America).

1. Prepare Your Mind
This one is incredibly important. If you can visualize every aspect of your speech and your speaking environment, you will be able to conquer your fear. I know that it sounds daunting–and that’s because it is–but this method really works. This is your training wheels. Get comfortable with the every aspect of what you will do before you have to do it. My guide, Two Hour Public Speaking, outlines a tested method to completely visualizing and preparing your mind for speaking (because it can be as difficult as it seems)

2. Know your Audience
I bet you’ve heard the old saying “just imagine your audience in your underwear.” Now, that specific piece of advice doesn’t really work (since when have you been comfortable seeing strangers in their underwear?), but the concept is on track. Pretend that you know every aspect of your audience. I’m not saying that I want you to role-play, but if you can try to understand where they’re coming from, you’ll stop worrying about their reaction to your speech. At the end of the day, your audience is just a group of people. A group of people who want to listen to you speak.

3. Write Less, Say More
One of the biggest mistake novice speakers make is to write too much. This will become a debilitating crutch to your speaking. The best speeches I’ve seen from beginners are barely even speeches: they’re just outlines of important information, information that is designed to get a certain response from the right audience. If you know how to design this type of minimalist speech, you’ll have to do less work at the podium and you’ll ultimately be more comfortable up there. For more information about this writing method, take a look at my guide: Two Hour Public Speaking.

The pros will say that it takes weeks (or months!) and hundreds of dollars to master public speaking. Most people don’t have that kind of time or money. The reality is, you can learn to be comfortable speaking in front of people in a couple of hours. You won’t be the next MLK or FDR, but you’ll be able to deliver a coherent, entertaining, effective speech.

For more information, check out my guide to learning public speaking in two hours: 2HourPublicSpeaking.com. It’ll help you get from zero to standing ovation in the time it takes to watch a movie.

Brenda Fisher is the author of Two Hour Public Speaking, a guide to planning, writing, and delivering speeches for beginners. A former speaking-phobe herself, Brenda is devoted to teaching others the quick and dirty tricks to public speaking that she learned over years of training (which included everything from eBooks and CDs to private speech coaching).

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Nowadays, one of the most common phobias of a lot of people all over the world is the fear of public speaking.  Some people feel that they’re being criticized for no apparent reason at all  when speaking in front of the audience. But there are some easy ways on how to overcome fear of public speaking which includes but not limited to performing speaking exercises combined with these factors such as developing a positive attitude, self-confidence and some sort of preparations.

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Developing a positive attitude is very important since it is the first consideration which entails a good mood towards your audience. Keep in mind that they are up to the information that you are going to deliver. You must have a good conditioning of yourself, thinking that the people around you are your friends and not your critics. Look at your audience for a moment, take a deep breath and calm yourself – these are good start ups.

Also, aside from various public speaking exercises, it is very vital to be self-assured that you have the guts of doing these things by telling yourself, “Yes, I can do this.” Believe on your self and maintain your poise. Remember that you are the person in charge.  All the people have the confidence on themselves, the main issue is on how they can boost it. There is no big difference of being in a large group of people compare to a few one. The most important thing is you can face you fear.

Moreover, one has to consider also the mastery of the subject matter to be delivered. You need not have to memorize the whole content of your speech though, instead, try to remember the general outline of your speech and rehearse on it. Little tensions is normal to all individuals and it can help prepare oneself to conquer stage fright.

There is no reason to be intimidated in speaking to the public as long as we believe in ourselves, we have a positive outlook of the situation, and we prepare things for good, doing several public speaking exercises will make all these a lot easier to achieve. These things will really help us on how to overcome our fear of public speaking.

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This author writes about Handling Fear in Public Speaking Review and How To Improve Public Speaking Skills
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For millions of people, public speaking is a fear that they cannot overcome. Some experts believe that it is because it is the fear of speaking to peers or people who the speaker perceives to know more about whatever subject they are speak about. This occurs even though to become a public speaker, one needs to be proficient in the subject.

Even the most seasoned public speaker will get butterflies in their stomach just before their appearance. No one is immune to this. It does not matter if you are speaking to a group of a thousand or a group of ten that little knot in your stomach is the fear that you will freeze at the podium or worse.

Studies have shown that the fear of public speaking is not an isolated event. One study showed that forty percent of people were so afraid to speak in public, that they could safely say that they would never consider a position where it was necessary.

There are many studies on this subject. One such study done was a study of fear. When the group in the study were asked question related to public speaking, seventy percent of them agreed that they would only speak in public in a panic situation.

In still another study, eighty percent of those asked responded that they would rather face eminent death before speaking in front of large crowds of people.

It takes a special kind of person to become a public speaker. It not only requires you to have knowledge on a specific subject, you also need to be strong and confident as well as skilled at the art of public speaking.

There are several things that you can do to perfect your public speaking skills if you choose to add this to your career. A good public speaker will create a lasting impression when they speak in front of a large crowd.

When you are a public speaker, you need to be confident enough to deliver a speech that is compelling and convincing whether the audience is large or small. A well-delivered speech does not only make the audience respond favorably, it also make the person delivering the speech feel like they are on top of the world.

Fear is a normal part of life. It is our defense mechanism that warns us upon impending danger. While in most cases of public speaking the danger does not apply, fear of looking foolish in front of great crowds is a normal reaction. Nobody is perfect, and a fear of making mistakes is what keeps millions of people from becoming public speakers.

No one who is a successful public speaker was born that way. Even the most seasoned speaker has had years of practice. There are many places where you can practice speaking; you can practice in front of a mirror, in your car on your way to work, or even in the shower. When you are ready to try your hand at speaking in front of people, use your family as the audience. Practice is the most powerful tool that can use to improve your public speaking skills.

In order to be a successful public speaker, you have to have confidence. This is something that is gained over time. When you practice, you are also building confidence. It is important that you overcome any fear of public speaking. If you give in to fear, it will take away any chance you have of becoming a public speaker. When you overcome your fear, you are effectively eliminating any limitations you may have.

Nobody in this world is perfect. The majority of people who have a fear of public speaking have that fear because they see flaws within themselves. They are afraid that they will fail; therefore they do not even try.

The power of the mind is an incredible thing. If you can convince yourself that you can succeed at public speaking, you are taking the necessary steps to improve your life. Having a positive attitude will only aid in your quest for a successful public speaking career.

Leon Edward helps people improve IQ, focus, memory, concentration, public speaking, time management and reducing stress. Download his IQ Mind Brain Memory Self-Help library at his website Be Smarter website… AND Visit his Self Improvement Articles at hisSelf Improvement Blog
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As a writer, teacher, attorney, and business owner, I can tell you that people will judge you by what you say and how you say it. When you are invited to present a speech at a professional convention or conference, you must take care to present yourself well in your speech. We can all improve our public speaking by learning a few simple techniques which can help prepare us to speak confidently in public. Surveys of Americans have shown that people are most afraid of public speaking; death ranks a mere number two. But you can rein in your fear and speak with confidence if you read on and do your homework.

This article shares with you the ten top ways that you can use today to improve your public speaking.

Top Tip #1: Plan your speech.

Planning plays an important role in all of your communications. In public speaking especially, you should follow the formal research and preparation which an outline requires. This process and its result will keep you organized and flowing in your presentation. This first tip is actually a bundle of tips.

Here’s how to get started and do the outline:

First, ask yourself: Who is my audience?

Assuming this will be your professional group, your colleagues will require a different style and approach than another group. A group of potential customers, for example, will probably need more information about what services your company provides and how you can help them fulfill their needs. On the other hand, your colleagues will want to know your particular expertise and how you go about satisfying customer needs.

Direct all of the ideas and examples toward the audience’s interests and needs.

Second, ask yourself: How do I narrow the topic?

For a presentation to your professional group, you will often be invited to speak in a general area which the coordinators feel is needed for the theme of the conference. Be sure to get the brochure and look at the advertisements so that you know what the theme is! Look at the other topics included in the brochure. How does your area fit in? Your topic should, if at all possible, be related to a “hot topic” in your field. You will know what those are from your professional
publications and  journals. If you don’t get them, go on-line and do your research.

Think of an interesting twist on a subject of high interest in the field. Everyone says, “Don’t reinvent the wheel,” but what if the right approach to a problem in your field is, “Reinvent your own wheel,” or, as Bruce Springsteen says, “Sometimes you just have to write your own narrative!” You may wind up with a highly creative wheel that spins faster than all the others.

Third, do the outline:

All presentations have big ideas and little ones, categories and details, main ideas and examples. Pick the style you like and go with that. The top communicators in all of history tell stories. Once you have the big ideas and categories outlined, tell stories for the examples and details—it is a great educator’s tool. Look back at what we have studied so far for a good example. The big idea: Plan your speech. The details of how to plan your speech: a)
know your audience b) narrow your topic c) do the outline of big ideas (the I, II, III’s) and the examples (A,B.C under each).

Here’s another good example. In my series of e-books about learning the principles of success by studying the biographies of successful people, I am currently planning the fourth book in the series. The working title is Success Stories IV: Second Winds and Success on the Rebound. The big idea is in the title and the stories will be the examples. I have begun to make the outline of
stories I will tell which exemplify the principles explained in the first book in the series and which show second starts and careers.

There are so many stories out there that give us tremendous hope for the future and for what we can do even late in life to improve the world we live in that the hardest part is selecting the best examples I can find for the principles to be learned. I have four selected so far. The most thrilling I have found (because I didn’t recall ever knowing the latter part of this story) is the story of Alexander Graham Bell. We all know him as the inventor of the telephone and how that invention changed our lives forever. But did you know that his true calling was to teach the deaf how to speak? Did you know that Helen Keller’s parents were referred to him by a medical specialist when they were looking for a teacher for Helen? Bell took the wealth earned by his hard scientific work and put it to good use to improve the lives of the deaf. And he recommended Anne Sullivan to Helen Keller’s parents, giving birth to “The Miracle Worker.” The invisible hands of providence were working there for sure.

A story about a real life person like that is so gripping that it teaches us a lot about possibilities and dreams and changing lives. It tells a lot about how you can get a second wind in life, a second chance to do the things that are really important to you and that you know in your heart and soul you are called to do.

Whatever your field is, you will have case studies and role models in your patients, customers, vendors, employees, colleagues, students, and assistants. Think about their stories and tell them in appropriate places in your outlined presentation.

Other benefits of using an outline are that you won’t be tempted to read it because it will just highlight the main ideas and also your speech will have a logical, well-organized flow.  Everyone has heard a speech where the speaker seems to be jumping back and forth,  skipping main transitions, and just generally not doing a very organized presentation of the material. It’s no fun for the audience to try to keep up and figure out where the speaker should be. Always plan your material so that the organization provides a framework for the ideas. Your speaking will be greatly enhanced and more readily received. And your audience will love you for it!

Top Tip # 2: Select your words carefully.

In this day and age, we are plagued by the imprecise use of language. I think it has to do with all the cyber world speed junkies all around us! Do your homework and you will soon discover that you are able to communicate your ideas far more effectively and easily than you may have thought. Remember that words have both a dictionary definition as well as a connotation—the feeling or implication of a word is key to its proper use. Don’t use the word “cry” when you really mean “howl;” don’t use “request” when you mean “plead;” don’t use “happy” when you really mean “ecstatic.” Pay attention to the words you use and where you use them. You can make your speech far more accurate and effective by selecting the correct words. Besides that, you can make your public speaking far more compelling by using active verbs and nouns and descriptions which really tell a story in a more fascinating way.

Say what you mean, and mean what you say!

Top Tip # 3: Avoid slang and jargon.

Avoiding slang and jargon is very important in making yourself clear to your listeners. Slang is almost useless outside the forums where the teenagers hang out. Unless you work at the mall selling t-shirts, drop the slang out of your speech habits. Slang has the hallmarks of imprecise speech. One kid will say it and then they will all pick up on it. If you are a parent, you will know that slang is basically coded speech. In other words, the kids don’t necessarily want you to know what they mean. If you feel it helps you in communicating with your
teenagers, by all means, that may be a context in which you may want to use their language. But be careful that slang does not infiltrate your every day speech at work.

Jargon is that particular set of words which has special meaning for a professional or business group. Lawyers are particular bad about using jargon—as a lawyer, I hear it every day. Many states have even passed “Plain Language” laws to require lawyers to speak and write clearly and plainly about what they mean. So much of the jargon that lawyers use relates to old formalities. I have noted that certain clients will want to impress us with their ability to sprinkle their communications with us with “whereas” and “hereinbefore”! I avoid that type of stilted speech as much as possible.

There may be legal documents which require the use of “terms of art” which have special legal meanings, but for everyday speech and communications, I have found that they can be avoided entirely! If you really understand a word and its usage, you can speak it plainly. Other professions also have problems with jargon. Think about the explosion of e-terms we have to live with today. It’s not a book, it’s an “ebook;” it’s not just commerce, it’s “e-commerce;” not just marketing, it’s “emarketing.” These words are everywhere now, and you probably get them every day in your e-mail box. They are so common these days that many of us are just dropping the hyphen and using the “e” as a full suffix! That saves time typing on the keyboard.  Send me an email. Write an ebook. You will see them both ways for a while, but then the hyphen will disappear. What you should do is try to cut down on the jargon as much as possible. For clarity’s sake, you should try to avoid jargon in your speech with people outside your field.

Top Tip # 4: Avoid verbal stalling mechanisms.

Ask someone who loves you whether you are using annoying stalling mechanisms when you speak. Go ahead. You need to know the truth. Maybe it’s only sometimes, like when you don’t jot down notes before making that phone call. But if you focus on this tip for a day, I promise you that you will discover the times and places and circumstances in which you are likely to falter in your speech.

“Ah…,” “Ummm…,” “Hm…” We’ve all heard them and we’ve all used them. These are verbal tics which we need to avoid as much as possible. If you have planned your speech, you will be able to overcome this obstacle. If you feel an “Um” coming on, that is the time to glance down out your cleverly devised outline and move on to the next idea or example. I always hold a pen up there at the podium. It is easy and effective to check off each point as you go.

At times it is appropriate to insert a dramatic pause, or take a sip of the discreetly placed glass of water, or have handy a verbal cue to yourself— “Does anyone have any questions before I go on to the next point?” or make a short announcement to the audience: “Remember if you have questions please write them down on the question card distributed with your materials (or outline) and
someone will come around to pick them up.” This type of transition works every time.

Top Tip # 5: Practice your speech. Out loud.

Trial lawyers, orators and teachers will all tell you that practice, practice, practice is the best method to achieve success with the spoken word. Listen, the spoken word has been every bit as powerful as the written word in the history of the world from the very beginning. God said, “Let there be light,” and it was so. For people, practice is key. From the beginning of this country, the spoken word has held great power:

John Adams said, “Let me have a country—a free country!” and it was so. Well, after convincing the other colonies that independence was right and just and necessary, and after a major war in which a ragtag army took down a king and the most powerful empire in the world at that time, then it was so. Now, John Adams knew well the power of practice in public speaking and the human need of it. He would write out his closing arguments and arguments to Congress, and let his wife Abigail read them and give her criticisms, many of which he took to heart. After those planning stages, he would practice and practice the speech out loud.

Henry Clay, who later became the great orator and politician of Kentucky, would practice speeches in the barn and in the woods as a young farm boy. They called Clay the “American Demosthenes.” Demosthenes was the great Greek orator of ancient times, who stuttered as a child. He overcame his stuttering by practicing speeches out loud in private every day. The spoken words of these speakers have changed their countries and the world forever in these instances.  We may be surprised at the many opportunities we ourselves have to change the world around us and help other people, if we practice our speech to make it more effective.

What causes do you care about in the world? You can make a difference with your speech. You can inspire colleagues, salesmen, volunteers and workers. You can get people to do the best job they can, or to make more sales, or to give the best services available in your field, or to donate money and goods to a worthy cause. You can help where no one else has. Whenever you have those opportunities, use them well. Remember the importance of your presentation. And practice beforehand.

Top Tip # 6: Relate to your audience.

This tip is really something that brings together many of the other principles in improving your public speaking. As you plan the speech, the needs of the audience play an important role in what you say. You want to gauge the level of your audience’s understanding, interests, education, and attitude at the beginning of planning your speech.

But this relating to your audience is the hard part–when you stand up to speak to an audience. Walk to the podium. Take a deep breath. Look at the people. Maintain your eye contact. Smile. Perhaps you have had an introduction of some sort. The first words out of your mouth should be to your host and to your audience. “Thank you for that kind introduction. And thanks to all of you for coming here today. I am very pleased to be here to speak to you about…(your topic).” Take another deep breath, and then start into your outline. By the time you get into your speech or presentation, the material takes over. If you have prepared the material well, your speech will go well.

Remember, too, that in almost every case, your audience is routing for you. They came to hear you speak. They came to get information, facts, tips, whatever your experience and expertise can help them with. They are rarely thinking directly about you. They are thinking about the next client or
customer or contract. They are wondering if you will deliver to them something helpful to them in their field or business. That is where you can relate to them best. Deliver what they came to get.

During your speech, respond to your audience. When you look at their faces, do they look confused or do they occasionally nod their heads and appear to be right with you? Even if you have a strict time limit, it may be appropriate to say, “I’ll come back to that at the end,” or “Remember if you have questions…,” or “Let me explain that a little more.” You cannot say everything you need to about a subject because in most cases, the subject is too broad, so that some follow up communication may be necessary.

Top Tip # 7: Relax and be yourself.

People get nervous about public speaking because most of us do not do it every day. Unless you have had the experience of being a teacher or a trial lawyer, or a judge, public speaking is probably not part of your daily or even weekly or monthly routine. That makes it hard for most people to speak in their normal way or use their normal gestures. You can get past this type of nervousness by remembering you were invited to speak and most of the
people in the room came to hear you speak. You! Not some fancy professor at an ivy league school, or some Academy Award-winning actor, or some celebrity. When you think about it, you can only be you, and that is the best thing you can be! Don’t put on last minute airs that don’t suit you.

Top Tip # 8: Remember: They are watching you!

I know you are asking yourself, “Well, how can I relax and be myself if I have to remember they are watching me?!” Good point, but you want to be your best public self while you are up there in the front of the room. When you are called upon to give a professional presentation to your colleagues or a marketing proposal to potential customers or referral sources, your best public self should be ready to perform.

Here are the details, some “do’s” and “don’ts”:

Stand tall with good posture.

Say a prayer.

Don’t scratch your nose unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Try not to fidget or shuffle papers.

If your knees shake, try squeezing your toes in your shoes.

Find a friendly, receptive face in the audience.

Try not to fuss with your hair (brush it back beforehand)

Stay focused on your topic.

Respond to cues from the audience.

Top Tip # 9: Use Humor Wisely.

Humor is good, but not everyone can pull it off. If you are good with telling a joke or have a quick wit, and humor fits in with your style and the topic of your speech, by all means, entertain. There are only extremely rare occasions when wit is completely not appropriate, and those should be obvious to you. However, there are also topics and types of humor that must be avoided always: nothing mean-spirited or that mocks or that causes discomfort or embarrassment
should ever be considered humor. Ask for someone’s opinion before putting humorous comments or stories in your public speaking. (As a substitute, find inspiring quotations to include.)

Top Tip # 10: Have Confidence.

Public speaking is really all about confidence—in yourself, in your purpose, and in your preparation. Very often, confidence grows with practice and with preparation. But even great orators and speakers who have been giving speeches for many years admit to feeling nervous before a speech.

You should have confidence in this fact: When you love the work that you do or the cause that you support or the mission that you have been called to do, that is your confidence. That is your true foundation. You should always remember that those invisible hands of fate have placed you in a particular room, on a particular day, with a particular audience for a particular reason.

Picture your success in your mind and you will have confidence. See yourself confidently presenting your speech. Hear the applause. Think positively about the outcome. Your dream of successful public speaking, with the proper preparation, will come true.

Celia Ann Rooney is a writer, teacher and attorney in Philadelphia and is co-founder and chief financial officer of A New Success, LLC. She is the author of a series of e-books devoted to self improvement and learning the principles of success through study of the life stories of famous people, including Success StoriesSuccess Stories II: Early Risers and Late BloomersSuccess Stories III:Success in Hard Times. Her books and articles are available on the website:www.anewsuccess.com. You may contact her at:crooney@anewsuccess.com: the Art and Science of Success.
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How do you speak naturally while all those people are watching you?

This document covers hints and tips on public speaking and presentation skills, dealing with public speaking nerves and anxiety, public speaking skills and public speaking techniques, public speaking training.

Common Fears of Public Speaking

What happens when you have to speak in public?

Did you know that public speaking tops the list of phobias for most people? Not spiders or heights – public speaking – speech in public!

Well, if you didn’t know that, we bet your body does. It will do all kinds of unpleasant things to you when you have to stand up and face a sea of faces with the hope of getting your message across in a compelling and interesting way.

Your hands may sweat and your mouth goes dry. Your knees may shake and a quaver affects your voice. Your heart may race and those well known butterflies invade your stomach.

When all that happens most people don’t think of getting their message across in a compelling and interesting way; they just think of getting off the ‘stage’ as quickly as possible!

Have we frightened you sufficiently yet?

It’s normal

We don’t really mean to frighten you, just remind you that your body reacts ‘in extremis’ when put under pressure, and for most people, public speaking is just about the worst pressure they can be put under.

It’s normal to be nervous and have a lot of anxiety when speaking in public. In a way, it’s less normal not to have nerves or anxiety; in fact, to feel you have a phobia about public speaking.

Why do we get Public Speaking anxiety?

Fight or flight

Our bodies are geared to fight or flight from ancient time – fight that mastodon or get the hell out of the way. We don’t have too many mastodons around these days, but the body still reacts as though we do. So, if we have to get up and speak in public, all that adrenalin and noradrenalin goes coursing through our bodies – way more than we need.

We can’t run away (well, we could, but we’d be out of job pretty quick if we did it too often), so our only option is to fight. But in terms of speaking in public, it can be hard to define just what we’re fighting.

Why does public speaking do this to us?

Good question. You’d think that for most people, being given the opportunity to impress their audience would be a fantastic one. There you are in front of a group of people, the spotlight is on you and for the length of time you’ve been give, the world is yours.

Or is it?

The very fact that the spotlight is yours is enough to trigger every fear, anxiety and phobia you’ve ever had about public speaking.

Here’s why

You may be judged by all those people, and judged badly
You may feel like a fool
You might make mistakes and loose your way
You’ll be completely humiliated
You’ll never be as good as _________ (fill in the blank)
‘They’ won’t like you
‘They’ won’t ‘get’ what you’re trying to say

How to overcome the fear of Public Speaking
What good are Nerves

Public speaking may not be comfortable, but take our word for it, nerves are good. Being ‘center stage’ is not a good place to feel too comfortable.

Nerves will keep you awake and ensure you don’t get too complacent. Hard to feel complacent when your heart is beating so hard you’re sure everyone watching you can hear it.

If channeled well, nerves can make the difference between giving a humdrum presentation and giving one that keeps people listening.

Get your attention off yourself

It’s very tempting to keep focused on how you’re feeling, especially if you’re feeling really uncomfortable. You’ll start to notice every bead of sweat.

To make your nerves work for you, you need to focus on just about anything other than yourself. You can distract yourself by paying attention to the environment in which you’re speaking and seeing how you can make it work for you.

Once you’re actually in front of your audience, pay attention to them. If you can, notice how people are dressed, who’s wearing glasses, who has on bright colors. There will be dozens and dozens of things you can pay attention too to help you trick your mind into not noticing what’s going on with you.

Anything will do and you will find that the less you concentrate on how you are feeling and the more you concentrate on other things, the more confident you will feel.

How to build confidence in Public Speaking

Your audience can be your friend

Unless you know you’re absolutely facing a hostile group of people, human nature is such that your audience wants you to succeed. They’re on your side!

Therefore, rather than assuming they don’t like you, give them the benefit of the doubt that they do.

They aren’t an anonymous sea of faces, but real people. So to help you gain more confidence when speaking in public, think of ways to engage your audience. Remember, even if they aren’t speaking, you can still have a two-way conversation.

When you make an important point pay attention to the people who are nodding in agreement and the ones who are frowning in disagreement. As long as you are creating a reaction in your audience you are in charge.

Keep them awake

The one thing you don’t want is for them to fall asleep! But make no mistake public speaking arenas are designed to do just that: dim lights, cushy chairs, not having to open their mouths – a perfect invitation to catch up on those zzzzs.

Ways to keep them away include

Ask rhetorical questions
Maintain eye contact for a second or two with as many people as possible
Be provocative
Be challenging
Change the pace of your delivery
Change the volume of your voice

Public Speaking Training

Get a coach

Whatever the presentation public speaking is tough, so get help.

Since there are about a zillion companies out there all ready to offer you public speaking training and courses, here are some things to look for when deciding the training that’s right for you.

Focus on positives not negatives

Any training you do to become more effective at public speaking should always focus on the positive aspects of what you already do well.

Nothing can undermine confidence more than telling someone what they aren’t doing well.

You already do lots of things well, good public speaking training should develop those instead of telling you what you shouldn’t do.

Turn your back on too many rules

If you find a public speaking course that looks as though it’s going to give you lots of dos and don’ts, walk away! Your brain is going to be so full of whatever it is you’re going to be talking about that to try to cram it full of a whole bunch of rules will just be counterproductive.

As far as we’re concerned, aside from physical violence or inappropriately taking off your clothes, there are no hard and fast rules about public speaking.

You are an individual not a clone

Most importantly, good public speaking training should treat you as a unique individual, with your own quirks and idiosyncrasies. You aren’t like anybody else and your training course should help you bring out your individuality, not try to turn you into someone you’re not.

Hints and Tips for Effective Public Speaking

Here are just a few hints, public speaking tips and techniques to help you develop your skills and become far more effective as a public speaker.

Mistakes

Mistakes are all right.

Recovering from mistakes makes you appear more human.
Good recovery puts your audience at ease – they identify with you more.

Humor

Tell jokes if you’re good at telling jokes.
If you aren’t good, best to leave the jokes behind.
There’s nothing worse than a punch line that has no punch.
Gentle humor is good in place of jokes.
Self-deprecation is good, but try not to lay it on too thick.

Tell stories

Stories make you a real person not just a deliverer of information.
Use personal experiences to bring your material to life.
No matter how dry your material is, you can always find a way to humanize it.

How to use the public speaking environment

Try not to get stuck in one place.
Use all the space that’s available to you.
Move around.
One way to do this is to leave your notes in one place and move to another.
If your space is confined (say a meeting room or even presenting at a table) use stronger body language to convey your message.

Technology

Speak to your audience not your slides.
Your slides are there to support you not the other way around.
Ideally, slides should be graphics and not words (people read faster than they hear and will be impatient for you to get to the next point).
If all the technology on offer fails, it’s still you they’ve come to hear.

You can learn to enjoy public speaking and become far more effective at standing in front of a group of people and delivering a potent message.

When it comes to improving your public speaking skills we have three words:

practice, practice, practice!

Jo Ellen and Robin run Impact Factory and have trained thousands of people in the art of Public Speaking for events from Wedding Speeches through to Key Note Conference Speeches.
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Public speaking presents such a challenge for many people.  In the Book of Lists, the fear of public speaking and making a presentation constitute the number one fear; the fear of dying is number two.  Like the old saying goes, “People would rather be in the grave than make a presentation.”  You see people sweat, shake, and quiver while they are speaking.  Sometimes, employees bypass promotions, and business owners bypass business opportunities rather than give a presentation.  I saw a manager who was on the corporate fast track quickly become derailed because she couldn’t complete her presentation in front of senior management.

So what do great speakers do to prepare themselves to be great presenters?  They prepare their minds to give a great presentation.  That’s right; it all starts in your mind.  How can you develop a great speaker’s mindset, overcome your fear, and start giving outstanding presentations?  The following are five secrets for overcoming your fear of public speaking and giving outstanding presentations:

1. Believe It So That You Can Achieve It
I am approached by people who say, “I can’t speak in public,” “I am a bad speaker,” or “I could never speak in public.”  Without hearing them speak, I say, “You’re right.”  Because once you make those negative statements, they become self-fulfilling prophesies. When you say, “I am a bad speaker,” your subconscious mind is thinking, “Well, he or she said it, so it must be true; so I will act like a bad speaker.”  Positive speaking attitude (PSA) is one of the first things I work on during my presentation coaching.  Replace the negative speaking attitude with a PSA to master your self talk and improve your presentation skills.  Instead of saying, “I am a bad speaker,” say the following:

“I am improving my public speaking abilities everyday in every way.” “Every opportunity to make a presentation is an opportunity for success.” “I am a good public speaker today; and, with continued practice, I will be a better public speaker tomorrow.” “I am mastering my presentation skills everyday!”

When you make these positive affirmations, your subconscious mind hears it and says, “Yeah, I am improving,” or “Let me speak because it is an opportunity for success,” or “I am mastering my speaking skills.”

Manage your self talk for a PSA.  You will feel a new confident attitude concerning public speaking.

2. Think About What You Want to Accomplish
I will ask the question, “What do you want to accomplish with your presentation?”  Many times I will be on the receiving end of a blank stare or the student might say, “I just want them to listen to me.”

Take time to think about what you want to accomplish by giving your presentation.  Is it that you want to entertain the audience, do you want to persuade them on an important issue, or maybe you want the audience to take action after hearing your presentation.  Going into your presentation knowing what you want to accomplish creates focus and is a big confidence builder.

3. Visualize Success
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at an association conference with over five thousand people in the audience.  Joy, my wife, was sitting in the audience with our friend Jim who came to hear me speak for the first time.  As I was about to speak, Jim leaned over and asked Joy if I was nervous speaking in front of such a large group of people.  Without blinking an eye, Joy said, “He was born for this day.  He saw this day coming when he first started speaking.”

I visualized that day long before it happened.  Whenever I give a presentation, I take time to visualize a successful presentation and positive outcome.  The more details I include in my visualizations, the more vivid and real it becomes for me.  The night before the presentation I will find a quiet place at home or, if I am on the road, a hotel room, and meditate to start the visualization process.  I will visualize my drive to the event, greeting the host and audience, and how my powerful presentation will sound and look on that day.  I will also visualize the audience’s positive response to the presentation.

Take time to visualize the details of giving a great presentation.  Like the old saying goes, “Fake it ‘til you make it.”  If you visualize you are a great speaker, you will take the steps and create opportunities for yourself to become a great speaker.

Visualize that the audience wants to hear your message and they want you to do well.  Remember, it’s their time also and they want to receive value out of your speech.

4. Own the Room
Whenever I speak, I “own the room.”  I mentally tell myself that for the next thirty minutes, hour, etc., I own the room.  The corporation, association, or government may own the building or venue I am speaking in, but during the time I am speaking, I am the owner of the room and the audience will be my guests, my friends.  That way I am always in control to give an outstanding presentation.

Think of your speaking area as your house, your home, your castle.  When you invite friends into your home, aren’t you in control and want to provide a safe, entertaining environment for your guests?  The same is true for your speaking audience; you want to provide a safe, entertaining, and enriching experience for them.

I always say, “Giving presentations is not about me, it’s about you (the audience).”  What I mean is that if I am constantly thinking about how I sound, look, and feel while I speak, I am not thinking about what I can share with my audience.  Concentrate on the value you will give to your audience members and you will never go wrong.

5. Eat the Elephant
Many times I hear the following:

“I could never speak in front of a group of people, but one-on-one I am fine.”

Well, I ask, “How do you eat the elephant?”  Break the elephant into smaller pieces.  It is the same when you “digest” the audience.  Don’t think of the audience as a whole, think of the audience as individuals ready to hear your message.  Concentrate on thinking of your audience as individuals, and your message will come across that way to the individual audience members.

Follow these five secrets for overcoming your fear of public speaking and creating a positive mindset for confident public speaking.  Overcoming your fear of public speaking will improve your presentation skills and create new business, career, and life opportunities for you.

Ed Sykes is a highly sought after expert, author, professional speaker, and success coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building. You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032. Go to his web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com , and sign up for the newsletter, On Point, and receive the free special motivational report, “Jump Start Your Success.”
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Communication skills training, presentation skills courses and speaking training for public speakers are waiting for you on the internet.

Do you have a fear of public speaking?
Can you prepare a speech?
Do you want to improve your communication skills?
Are presentation skills training and communication training options for me?

The fear of speaking in public is one of the most common of human conditions.  In most people public speaking opportunities makes them feel scared, if not, at the very least, nervous.  All too often people pay no attention to speaking skills considering them inconsequential or they believe that they will never be called on to speak in public.  At some time in everyone’s life they will be called upon to make a speech, give a presentation or just say a few words of congratulations, thanks, etc.  There are ways to make confident and wining speeches in front of large and small crowds of people.

People often get tongue tied and panic when faced with the possibility of being asked to present a topic in public, even if they know this matter inside out.  Nothing will change if you do not act.  The best way to help you overcome that fear of public speaking is to acknowledge the communication problem and then deciding on strategies, including communication training and courses, which you will then put into practice.

Good public speaking skills are not only used in situations where you have to address a large group of people, they are also a sign of good communication skills which are essential for any relationship, career and/or just being alive and involved in your local community.  Quality communication and public speaking skills are inter-related, hence, if you improve your speaking in public, you also invariably improve your interpersonal communication with your peers and family.

So, how can you become a confident public speaker?

Work out why it is you are afraid and/or what skills you need and undertake some training
Stop worrying – relax
Know your subject.  Do not feel you have to memorize it word for word
Structure your presentation – Simply put it is beginning (introduction), middle (presentation of main points- free hint, stay with 3 main points) and end (summary of what has been said)
Be passionate in presenting your speech
Inject some humor where appropriate
Practice – start with a small presentation in a mirror, moving up to small groups and graduating to larger groups
Look for opportunities and offer free public speaking, choosing anything you know or like
Finally, enjoy what you are doing.  If you enjoy speaking in public you will feel more comfortable and confident in your presentation.

The art of public speaking is not as difficult as you may believe.  When you are in any sort of situation that requires you to deliver a public address, be it an audience, in the office, at school or at a family or public event, just have a go.  Public speaking is a skill and the more you exercise and practice speaking in public, the better communicator you will become.

Do you have the courage and strength to advance in your own personal development, improve your public speaking and communication skills, or even if you are a new beginner, the resources, public speaker tools provide real solutions for real life speaking situations.  Watch internet sites for their free public speaking tips, classes, advice and further opportunities to further your speech making skills in leaps and bounds.

Good luck and never be stuck for words again.

As a highly skilled communicator, I have made many professional presentations across a number of subjects to audiences ranging from adults to children and business people to community organizations.  I am qualified in workplace training and assessment, a motivational speaker, teacher/lecturer, group facilitator, marketing strategist and personal coach assisting people to embrace and conquer their everyday fears and issues. In my work I have found upgrading and maintaining my public speaking, communication and presentation skills has proven beneficial and profitable in the execution of my work.  I hope that this article has assisted you in your decision to improve your public speaking skills.  You will find more answers at Public Speaker. Please feel free to copy any or all of this ‘The Art of Public Speaking’ article.  When doing so please acknowledge the source and the www.publicspeakertools.com website. Thank you.Karinya Monnie
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If the thought of public speaking makes you start to shake and sweat. You are not alone. The fear of public speaking and presenting to groups is regularly voted the number one fear when surveys are carried out to determine people’s number one fear.

The fear of public speaking is a learned response because we are not born with it. Because it has been learned, it can be unlearned and many people overcome the fear of public speaking and go on to become effective speakers. There are a number of reasons why people face their fear and overcome the shakes:-

- Their job demands it

- To promote their business

- To develop self confidence in themselves

- They like a challenge

- Confident speaking is a great way to get noticed at work

- Speakers are leaders

- Successful executives use the same skills as those used in public speaking

- To promote a cause or club they believe in

To overcome the fear of public speaking apply the following 5 “P’s”

1. Preparation

Prepare thoroughly for your speaking engagement. Firstly understand your audience and what they expect. Who are they, their age etc? This will help when choosing your subject. Meet some of them beforehand it is easier to deliver a speech to people beforehand.

Choose a subject that will interest your audience and will be worthwhile to them. Research your topic thoroughly. Your primary source should be your own personal experience and after that read up on topic. Thorough research will make writing and preparing your speech easier. When you are starting out it is easier to write the speech out word for word. If you are going to read your speech, ensure it is written in spoken English.

The more thoroughly you are prepared the more self-confident you will feel. .

2. Passion

Choose a topic that you are interested in and will interest your audience. Your enthusiasm for the subject you are presenting will make it easier for you to speak on the topic and that enthusiasm is contagious. Also, you will have talked about this topic before and when you are presenting you will merely be extending the conversation.

3. Positive

Envision a positive outcome. Create a vivid picture in your mind of a successful speech and keep focussed on it. Just before you go on stage to present take several deep breaths to calm the nerves and really go overboard on your positive self-talk. Tell yourself how great you are. Your audience will respond well to your positive demeanour as you approach the stage and begin to speak.

4. Practice

Practice is of prime importance in building confidence. Practice as often as you can in front of a mirror and in front of your family and friends. Re-write your speech to make it easier to read and to make it more conversational. If you are going to be reading your speech, practice the tone and pace of your speaking. Lift your eyes up from the page. Practice until you are comfortable with the speech.

If possible have a dry run in the room you are going to deliver your speech. This will help your nerves because when you start speaking it will be in familiar surroundings. It will also have given you chance to address any issues with the facilities and the room.

5. Persistence

After you have taken your first step, the best way to overcome public speaking fear is to keep on doing it. George Bernard Shaw used this method to overcome his public speaking fear. To improve on his method, develop a short speech and deliver it frequently.

There are groups and organizations that meet every week that are ideal places to practice, e.g PTA meetings.

The advantages of public speaking to organizations and to the individual make it worthwhile making the plunge to overcome the fear of public speaking. The skills and techniques learnt are the same as those needed to be a successful executive.

In summary the fear of public speaking is a normal fear, but it has been learned and can be overcome by using the 5 “P”s. The rewards are there to be claimed by you in taking the steps to benefit your audience

Put confidence into your public speaking and conversation with “The Art of Great Conversation.” To claim your free preview visit http://www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com
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Some people are born speakers. Most are not. Hence, you are not alone when you say that you do not enjoy making speeches and speaking in front of a large audience. Stage fright is inevitable. Actors are always nervous to a certain degree before every play.

Perhaps you think your career does not entail public speaking. Well, this is where you’re wrong because no matter what your job is, public speaking ultimately will come into the picture in some ways. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the significance of public speaking in our daily lives and on some specifics of the communication process.

Four General Types of Public Speakers

CATEGORY

CHARACTERISTICS

The Avoider

Does everything possible to avoid facing an audience. In some cases, avoiders seek careers that do not involve making presentations.

The Resister

Becomes fearful when asked to speak. This fear may be strong. Resisters may not love to speak in public, but they have no choice. When they speak, they do so with great reluctance.

The Acceptor

Can do presentations but is not that enthusiastic to do them. Acceptors occasionally give presentations and feel good about them. Occasionally the presentations can be quite persuasive, and satisfying.

The Seeker

Always looks for opportunities to speak. Seekers understand that anxiety can be a stimulant that fuels enthusiasm during presentation. Seekers work hard at building their professional communication skills and self-confidence by speaking often.

What Roles Can Public Speaking Play in Your Life?

Success in public speaking can open a whole world of opportunities for you. It can help you conquer new frontiers. It can broaden your horizons through personal development, influence, and advances in your profession.

1. Public Speaking Improves Your Personal Development

In Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs, realizing mans self-worth ranks the highest. Giving speeches helps the speaker realize self-worth through the personal satisfaction he experiences whenever a good speech is given. The speaker becomes more confident especially when the audience responds positively. It also reduces anxiety when asked by an authority to speak in front of some people.

There was once a student who dropped a course five times because he hated speaking in front of the class. But after a self-study on building up confidence, he decided to give public speaking a try and was successful. In fact, he came to enjoy the experience and even volunteered to give more speeches.

Through public speaking tools like research, conceptualization, and organization, you have a systematic and effective way of presenting your ideas; and thus, you will be able to express yourself better. You will also become more open to other people. Furthermore, speaking skills put you in a more significant role as you talk with people of high standing. Lastly, public speaking satisfies your sense of achievement when the audience accepts you warmly. This reflects your level of communication skills and acumen. All these contribute to your self-esteem.

2. Public Speaking Influences Your Society

It is not only you who can benefit from the art of communication but society as well. Most governments heed the voice of their citizens; with proper communication skills, you can represent the public in voicing out your rights and opinions.

An example of this would be a community discussion. Usually when a neighborhood holds regular meetings, it discusses certain issues or courses of action. In the discussion, various opinions are expressed and there you have a clear interplay of public speaking.

People from all walks of life need to speak in public, whether formally or otherwise. From kids reciting in school, to folks in a town meeting, to citizens voicing out national issues; from a plain market vendor, to a president of a company. There is really no way you can avoid public speaking.

3. Public Speaking Advances Your Profession

Public speaking can help in your career, and eventually, your finances. Usually, success is gauged by answers to questions like, How long have you been in your job or Do you hold an MBA degree or something similar However, researchers have proven that the best indicator of success in any profession is whether the person is often asked to give speeches. Those who give more speeches tend to have higher salaries than those who give less or no speeches.

Take this average engineer. She enrolls in a public speaking seminar that teaches two hours a week for six weeks. After two months, she is promoted to senior engineer! Her boss has been noticing her superb presentations.

The longer you work for an organization and the higher you climb the organizational ladder, the more your boss will ask you to preside over meetings and to give talks to the staff and subordinates or the clients. The higher your position, the more your responsibilities in leading people under you; and the more you must speak effectively. A manager once said, From the chairman of the board to the assistant manager of the most obscure department, nearly everyone in business speaks in public or makes a speech at some time or the other.

Aside from big organizations like IBM and General Motors, small organizations and businesses in the country also need workers who are good public speakers. Take the high school coach, for example. If he is not persuasive enough to tell the school board that new gym equipment is needed, the school athletes might have to bear with the old gym equipment.

In the same way, if parents are not convincing enough when they complain about a school dress code, their children may end up still wearing uniforms in school. If salespeople cannot explain their products with a convincing sales pitch, then fewer people would buy their products. This is also true for nurses, doctors, firemen, police personnel and other professions. Even employees of General Motors meet regularly to make group decisions that they will present formally to management.

The bottom line is this: Whichever road you take, you will encounter instances that require you to speak in public.

Six minutes can change your life. Find out how.http://www.store.sixminutestosuccess.com/?aid=599487
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