ALT-17 How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking
According to asurveyconducted by the Boston Globe back in 2009, public speaking is America’s number one fear. Make what you will out of this; regardless, public speaking remains a huge hurdle for many people to overcome- whether they are school kids, students, workers or even best men.
♦ Preparation: notes
Having notes to rely upon in a presentation is a sure fire way to make one feel more confident and prepared. It can also be a sure-fire way to do the opposite. Notes can come in the form of flashcards (playing-card sized titbits of information), PowerPoint notes pages or even a few sheets of A4 paper. In any format, they should be of the same use as a lighthouse: offer guidance, but letting the actual person do all the work. Over-reliance on notes does very little to improve a speaker’s confidence in front of a group. A great way to overcome the fear of public speaking is through understanding how – and when – to improvise. Reading directly off notes does not let anyone accomplish this.
♦ Preparation: knowing the subject
Seemingly pretty obvious if one thinks about it, never underestimate the importance of over-preparation. Whether your area of expertise is quantum physics or World War 2 fighter aircraft, always anticipate questions and it always helps to have too much too say. Nothing is worse in a presentation than being lost for words. Knowledge is the key and even if most of it is not used on the day, at least it is there, just in case.
♦ Preparation: knowing the audience
How big is the crowd? Are they children or adults? How much do they know about the subject? These are the questions which need to be asked and prepared for by the fearless public speaker. Adapting a presentation to suit different types of audience is a guaranteed way to overcome public speaking jitters as it reduces the risk of ‘talking to a brick wall’ or the audience being met with blank faces if jargon is used which no-one understands (anyone here fans of KPIs, TQM or LTO reports?!). Dealing with kids is particular nerve-wracking unless the speaker is adequately prepared; in such cases an abundance of visual aids and interaction is the way to go.
♦ Opening spice
A touch of first-minute fireworks is a great way to make a crowd feel more relaxed (especially if they don’t know each other) however it can also help the presenter feel more at ease too. Sometimes doing something to get the audience to laugh or simply just ‘buy in’ to the presentation is all that is needed for the speaker to feel that they have the crowd on their side- and that public speaking isn’t that bad after all.
♦ Be constructively critical of other speakers
Take time to attend other public speaking events and see what presenters do well- or not so well. If someone feels that they do not cope very well with public speaking then seeing someone do it who is absolutely terrible can be a real confidence boost- sounds horrible but it is true. Conversely, try to pick up some good tips off seasoned public speaking pros!
♦ And finally: practise, practise, practise
All of this aside, the best way for anyone to overcome public speaking anxiety is by simply... doing more public speaking. Never shy away from it- I used to fabricate sick days at school when I needed to present something in front of my classmates and it took me so much longer to feel comfy doing it.
Volunteer in debating teams and offer to be ‘the presenter’ if doing a project at work. Even practising in front of of family, friends or even a mirror will spur on a growth in confidence. Like riding a bike or learning to walk, public speaking only gets easier with time, and if that involves making a few mistakes or causing a few embarrassments along the way, then take it in your stride, pick up the mic and keep doing it.
