Tips for Fearing Public Speaking Less Than Death

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  1

  kpierz

  01/22/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Tips for Fearing Public Speaking Less Than Death

  Don't forget PRACTICE. Knowing your subject matter is the best confidence booster there is; remember you were asked to speak because you are the expert.

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  2

  BizHacks Dave

  01/22/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Tips for Fearing Public Speaking Less Than Death

  That's true. I'll caveat that the best presentations are extemporaneus. You should know what you're going to say, but not have it memorized. You'll seem more authentic and less stiff that way, and your presentation isn't a house of cards that falls apart if you forget a particular turn of phrase or transition.

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  3

  DrBruin

  01/22/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Tips for Fearing Public Speaking Less Than Death

  Dave, I'm not a fan of starting your presentation with an intentional mistake, like dropping your notes or fumbling with the equipment. This is your chance to make a first impression and you'd be better off to start in a clean, professional way.
  
  I've coached many executives who had to give presentations to large audiences--and who were terrified to do so--and one technique that has helped almost all of them do their best is a simple mantra:
  
  1. I have a good message. (Assuming you've made an effort to collect your thoughts, assemble your facts, and practice, this is probably true. If you have doubts, seek advice from somebody who'll tell you the truth about the boring or confusing bits.)
  2. I am the right person to deliver this message. (Almost always true, since we seldom give presentations out of our zone of expertise.)
  3. These people want to hear my message. (Also usually true. If they weren't a little interested, they'd find some way to avoid being there.)
  
  These three statements help take away some of the fear, and make the environment seem less risky.
  
  It's also important to remind yourself that perfection is not the goal. Even Mr. Obama made a couple of slips during his inaugural address, and he's a darn good speaker. The goal, instead, is excellence and relevance. If you can offer good content that the audience finds relevant, they'll happily forgive any slips of the tongue, false starts, mispronunciations, etc.

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  BizHacksRick

  01/22/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Tips for Fearing Public Speaking Less Than Death

  In my experience, I find that when I'm self-deprecating, the audience laughs and immediately loosens up. Kinda like what Dave is suggesting, though I wouldn't intentionally trip over a podium or anything. Oh, also, if you're co-presenting with someone, make sure it's not Dave.

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  MotivationDoc

  01/22/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Tips for Fearing Public Speaking Less Than Death

  Is this some kind of a joke? I've only read four of these seven tips and I've never heard so much rubbish.
  Admit nervousness to yourself but certainly not to your audience. If you do, you'll make them nervous and they wont be able to concentrate on what your saying or give you any credibility.
  You don't want to take the audience's focus off you, just exactly the opposite. If they are staring at PowerPoint then they are not receiving the full message from you. Use PowerPoint but sparingly, you are the important factor in any presentation, not what's on the screen.
  'Make mistake intentionally.' Only if you want your audience to think you're a complete bumbling idiot and lose all credibility in what you are saying.
  If you speak to one person at a time, the rest of the audience think you are not speaking to them and they switch off. As you look round the audience, hold people's gaze for a few seconds but remember that you're speaking to everyone in the audience.
  I think Dave is having a laugh here or I think he's saying; this is what not to do if you fear Public Speaking

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  6

  HumZ2

  01/22/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Tips for Fearing Public Speaking Less Than Death

  I believe that practice, practice, and even more practice is the key to a winning presentation delivered with confidence.
  
  Ultimately it should provide some value to the audience, even if it's just comic relief. I tend to always insert a video clip or two in my PowerPoint deck to ease the tension and sense of anticipation but also to drive the key points of the subject. Humour is a great way to take a lot of pressure off both the presenter and the audience.
  
  Here's a couple of examples.
  
  Financial Crisis - why we're in this mess?
  http://www.funnyplace.org/stream.php?id=9893
  
  Ways to get out of debt.
  http://www.funnyplace.org/stream.php?id=9895
  
  Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point Intro.
  http://www.funnyplace.org/stream.php?id=9867
  
  Regards,
  
  Humzah Khaial, MBA

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  7

  keithbryce

  01/23/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Tips for Fearing Public Speaking Less Than Death

  Acting the part
  This is strange one to get your head around but once mastered works really well.
  Ever get really nervous when you???re going to stand up in front of an audience and make a presentation? Ever wondered just how actors and singers can perform in front of others without freezing or corpsing?
  It???s often because the persona that they use on stage isn???t them; it???s a rehearsed alter ego that has self confidence and self belief. They hide behind this other self to protect their personality from the crowd.
  If your going to present a business altering strategy, then consider who you know or who you have seen deliver a similar scheme successfully, whether it your last boss or Alan Sugar; what made them so good?
  I have delivered bad news acting as a clergyman, spread good news as a news reader, even spoken at the DTI to 500 guests as a dignitary. Each time I decided whom was most suited to deliver the message, then wrote it and acted it as that individual. I had no reason to be nervous, it wasn???t me!

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  jenyj89

  01/23/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Tips for Fearing Public Speaking Less Than Death

  I have been blessed with a very out-going personality and a voice that carries, so I generally don't have a problem in front of a crowd. But that doesn't make getting up and speaking in front of strangers any easier.
  
  I was asked a few months ago when I was getting new glasses (when the nosepiece on my old ones broke) why didn't I switch to contacts. I thought about it a long time and had to give them this answer. My glasses provide me a "shield" against the world. I have something between me and them and I feel safer this way. As keithbryce said about acting, my glasses act as that shield or persona for me when I have to get up and speak, that separation from me and the audience to make me feel safer and it works for me.
  
  I actually find I can get up and feel comfortable, joke, laugh, be serious, be stern and everything I need to be when I do my base training, my lectures at conferences and so on. It's wonderful!!

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  LWeller2

  01/23/09 | Report as spam

  Toastmasters for the Truly Paranoid

  I've always thought that a "Toastmasters for the Paranoid" would be very popular. It immediately admits the issue most people have and allows everyone to laugh about it while they get their feet wet. They could give awards for those who pass out most often.
  
  They would need a step-wise process, such as beginning with people simply stating their name to the crowd; then move to giving a small one-paragraph speech from ther seats (without standing up); etc., etc., in the same manner used to help people overcome their various fears.