How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking
According to a YouGov survey, fear of public speaking – also known as Glossophobia – is the third biggest fear amongst UK residents. There are many reasons as to why someone might have to stand up in front of a large crowd and give a speech of some kind, be it a work event, a wedding or even a graduation.
In some cases, a person’s phobia of speaking in front of others can be so bad there is no overcoming it and in that case using agencies such as NMP to hire speakers to do the job for you is a great option. However, with a bit of help and encouragement, a lot of people have the ability to overcome their fear. In this article we hope to help you on your way to fear-free speaking with our top tips.
Prepare and Practice
Preparation is the key to many things – public speaking included. If you find yourself in line to speak at an event then make sure you prepare every aspect of your speech from what you’re going to say, how you are going to say it and how you will involve your audience. When you know your material, your confidence will come naturally and you’ll breeze right through it.
Another way to prepare is to practice, say it out loud on your own, in the mirror and to friends and family. Build up the number of people you practice in front of slowly to get used to speaking in front of an audience.
Talk About Something You Are Passionate About
If you are able to, center your speech around something you love or a story you are familiar with. Speaking about something you know or are passionate about will be much easier and your words will flow more naturally. It is also a really great way to get your audience interested in what you are saying as your enthusiasm for the subject will be apparent and catch their attention.
Give Yourself Time
It is really important to take your time when you are preparing your speech to ensure that you are familiar with your material and that you fully understand what it is you are speaking about – the better you understand it, the better you will be able to speak about it.
When the day comes and you find yourself in front of a crowd ready to make your speech, remember to take your time. Rushing through a speech can lead to stumbling over words or losing your place, so taking your time to work through the material is key to avoiding these hiccups and potentially making the fear worse than it was before.
Believe in Yourself
We are often much more capable than we think we are and our doubts can get the better of us – this is often the case when it comes to public speaking. Sometimes, breaking a fear is just a matter of believing in yourself a little bit more and telling yourself that you are more than capable of doing the thing you are scared of. Before your speech comes, take some time to sit and tell yourself that you are capable and that you can do this. Build yourself up and be your own cheerleader!
We hope you enjoyed this promoted post as much as we did!
Pictured: Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman
