Transcript: The Phobia of Public Speaking.
Fred Miller, “NO SWEAT Public Speaking!”
The premise of all these videos, and my mantra, is: “Speaking Opportunities are Business, Career, and Leadership Opportunities!”
People who take and make Speaking Opportunities: grow their Businesses, Advance their Careers, and Increase their Leadership Roles. No one has ever challenged that!
Why would they!
This is the second in a series of videos about the Phobia Public Speaking!
Survey after survey lists The Phobia of Public Speaking at the top of the ‘Fear List’ most people have. Some say they would rather die than stand in front of an audience and deliver a speech. This is unfortunate because it holds many back from reaching their potential.
Up to seventy-five percent of the population, to one degree, or another, has this dread.
There’s even a word for it – Glossophobia. Glosso from the Greek, meaning tongue, and Phobus, fear. Important to note here, is glossophobia is a w-o-r-d, not a disease, and it can be lessened!
It is a fear worth confronting and overcoming.
You might be the world’s leading authority on a subject, but if you can’t present that expertise to others in a manner that educates, entertains, and explains it well, you won’t achieve the goals that should be yours!
Sometimes this Fear is Situational.
Size of Audience.
Speaking one-on-one is something we do all the time. What about speaking with five people? Ten people? What number in the audience makes someone nervous.
A good analogy is a Fear of Heights.
Standing on a step stool is not a big deal. A step ladder is okay. Climbing a twenty-four foot extension ladder to clean out my gutters – not me!
Specific People in the Audience.
Maybe speaking with audiences is easy until – your boss, coworkers, or spouse is seated in the front row. – “Yikes!”
If a Request is to be made.
Presenting might usually produce little angst unless the attendees will be asked to do something the speaker is uncomfortable asking. This could be appealing for a donation, asking to sign a petition, or inviting people to pledge something.
I hear it continually from my coaching clients, and I’m sure we agree, not having that fear, and taking Speaking Opportunities, is a worthy goal.
Before we talk about how to lessen the fear it’s important to understand Why? so many people dread giving a presentation.
My first response is, “Why not!”
Think about it. Most of our conversations are one-on-one. Many of those are on a phone where we don’t see the person we’re communicating with. Increasingly, we converse by texting or emailing people. Those mediums eliminate seeing and hearing the other person.
It stands to reason that standing in front of, and speaking with twenty, forty, or one hundred sets of eyeballs, is ‘out of our comfort zone.’ That’s a big reason we’re uncomfortable giving a presentation. (Relevant to Public Speaking, and other activities we avoid: “When we get out of our Comfort Zone we make it larger!”)
That uncomfortableness will, if presenting regularly, eventually lessen.
There are several very real reasons to have a Fear of Public Speaking.
If you don’t know what you’re speaking about!
Don’t get in front of an audience and talk about something you have little or no knowledge of. That activity, rightfully so, will give you anxiety.
Study the subject and know enough to have confidence in your competence on your topic.
If you don’t know the structure of a presentation.
Just as the recipe for a delicious cake dictates specific ingredients are added in specific amounts at specific times; there is a proven structure to a great presentation.
You can learn this.
If you haven’t practiced before the event.
Practicing is not optional!
Then there are the “What Ifs?”
What if the audience doesn’t like me?
What if the speaker they had last month was really, really, good and compared to them I stink!
What if I forget something? I must be perfect!
Then there is, perhaps, the biggest What if?
What if I’ve got nothing to talk about? What could I ever present to an audience that anyone would have an interest in hearing? (I often hear in the public speaking classes I teach.)
Make next presentation – NO SWEAT! ———————————————————————————————————————————————————
About the Author Fred E. Miller is a speaker, an international coach, and the author of the books, “NO SWEAT Public Speaking!” and “NO SWEAT Elevator Speech!”
Businesses, Individuals, and Organizations hire him because they want to improve their Networking, Public Speaking, andPresentation Skills.
They do this because they know:"Speaking Opportunities are Business, Career, and Leadership Opportunities."
They also know:We perceive really great speakers to be Experts. We like to work with Experts.
He shows them how to: Develop, Practice, and Deliver Fantastic Presentations! with – NO SWEAT!
Services:
Keynote Speaker
Workshop Facilitator
Breakout Sessions
Personal and Group Public Speaking and Presentation Coaching
Crafting Your Elevator Speech, Floor by Floor with – NO SWEAT!
Speaking Opportunities are Business, Career, and Leadership Opportunities.
We are All Self-Employed!
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If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions about this post or other posts please contact me: Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com.
Thank you for your continued support. It is greatly appreciated!
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