How to overcome your fear of public speaking.

Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking.

The words "public speaking" cause fear and anxiety in the minds of otherwise competent and confident people. Does the thought of speaking in front of a group evoke fear, make you sweat, and get your heart pounding? It's likely you have glossophobia - the fear of public speaking.

Glossophobia is one of the most common fears. There are many ways to increase business exposure so why bother to overcome your speaking jitters? Stepping up to the podium not only positions you as an expert in your area of business but also provides effortless referrals and improved sales opportunities.

It needs practice, and you need to start small. Overcoming the fear of public speaking is easy if you know what to do. It is all about how you present yourself in front of hundreds and thousands of people. 

​Here are 9 Ways To Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking that you can start to implement right away.

1. Try Shorter Speeches First, As with anything else, overcoming your fear of public speaking is a process. As part of the process, it's a good idea to begin small. If you were learning math for the first time, you wouldn't jump immediately to the most advanced class.

Instead, you'd begin with an introductory course that started you out with the basics. Then, you'd be given some short, simpler exercises to practice with.

Well, public speaking is no different. If you're not used to speaking publicly, your first public speech shouldn't be a long one. Instead, try a shorter speech that'll get you used to speak in public. A one to three-minute speech is a great length for beginners.

Try an introductory speech, for examples, such as one where you are introducing another speaker, a performance, a movie, or something else. You won't be expected to talk for long—and you won't be the main attraction. 2. Know Your Topic, The better you understand what you're talking about and the more you care about the topic the less likely you'll make a mistake or get off track.

And if you do get lost, you'll be able to recover quickly. Take some time to consider what questions the audience may ask and have your responses ready. 3. Practice, Practice, and Practice, There is a very sage truth to the phrase “practice makes perfect.” Leverage this fact. One of the related best public speaking tips is to practice your speech in front of a mirror or in front of your friends, family, or better yet, experienced speakers or a speaking coach. Speaking in front of another person will not only help you relax but also get you the feedback you need to improve, whether you’re a professional keynote speaker or you’re giving a one-off talk at an industry conference.

Get this feedback and most importantly, act on it. While watching yourself in the mirror, pay attention to:

How welcoming you appear.

Your gestures and body movements.

Your facial expressions.

Your energy level.

Your speech patterns and use of pauses

Your beginning and close, the two most judged parts of your speech.

Alternatively, videotape yourself. Listen to it and watch it with wonderful critical judgment. Take notes on what you can do better. Raise the bar and practice more. Record yourself again. Practice more. 4. Get to Know Your Audience Members Before Speaking, If it's the idea of getting up and talking in front of a bunch of strangers that are making you nervous about giving a public presentation, try this tip on how to get over your fear of public speaking.

Arrive at the speaking venue early and mingle with members of your audience by striking up casual conversations. As you get to know a few members of your audience, they cease to be strangers.

In particular, take note of those people who seem friendly. Keep those people in mind as you give your speech. 5. Pause and Take Deep Breaths, This simple advice cannot be emphasized enough. When you're nervous, you breathe rapidly and shallowly. This is telling the audience that you're not confident. Slow and measured breathing is a sign that you're in control.

Before you go to the front of the room, concentrate on taking a few slow breaths. Repeat this several times. When you start to speak, remember to pause and breathe after you make a point.

It’s important to remember that there is nothing wrong with a bit of silence during a speech. It can actually be a good thing and bring emphasis to what you’ve just said.

Be aware that on stage, pausing for just a few seconds can seem like a very long time – resist the urge to break the silence for at least 3 seconds.

6. Involve the Audience, After 10 minutes of speaking the audience's attention starts to drop. The longer your presentation, the more you should involve the audience. Ask something in the audience, even if it is only a rhetorical question to refocus their attention on you.

Additionally, the feedback from the audience will help you feel more comfortable. 7. Exercise Before Speaking, Exercise is a well-established method of reducing stress and anxiety. So, if you've got a fear of speaking in public don't skip your daily workout on the day of your speech if you can help it.

The exercise will help calm your nerves and get you in the right mind-set for your speech. Aerobic exercise is thought to provide some of the best stress relief, so even something as simple as taking a brisk walk can help. 8. Use Positive Self-Talk, If you tend to be hard on yourself, you could be adding to your own public speaking anxiety by thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong during your speech. If this is you, make a conscious effort to change your thought patterns.

One way to start attack negative thinking is by realizing that most of the bad things that you're imagining are unlikely to happen. Next, realize that even if something does go wrong it's likely to be something minor that no one will notice.

Finally, picture yourself having completed your speech successfully. You can even imagine your colleagues, friends, or family members congratulating you.

If you find yourself slipping back into negative self-talk, tell yourself firmly "I’ll do well with this speech." Repeat this phrase as often as needed. 9. Focus on The Beginning And Ending, Your opening sets the tone for your speech and your closing is what you will leave your audience with. You’ll have a few seconds when you start to capture the attention of the audience and prevent them from returning to their mobiles.

So you need to make it good. Try starting with an attention-grabbing statement, statistic, or interesting quote.

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