Archive for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
Be ‘The Man in the Arena’!
TR’s Famous Speech – A Great Lesson!
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Be In the Arena – Not in the Crowd!
So you give your speech and stumble – BIG DEAL!
Remember what TR said . . .
It’s been a bit over 100 years since President Teddy Roosevelt gave his ‘Arena Speech’, but the message rings as true today as it did then.
The essence of that quote, from the longer talk Roosevelt gave that day (one of my favorites and placed at the end of this blog post), is that it is
far better to have tried and failed, then to have not tried at all.
The ‘crowd in the arena’ watches the battle, but doesn’t benefit as much as the individual actually in the arena – or at the lectern!
Those words are still a great reminder for anyone who needs to remember that life is full of Read More→
I Get Ideas for My Presentations,
But Forget Them!
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Use a Digital Recorder to
Capture those thoughts ‘In the Moment!’
None of us have the great memories we wish we had.
We’re exercising, walking, driving or maybe just sitting at a coffee shop and an idea for a speech, or a story to make a point in one, comes to us. We don’t have a pen or paper handy, but we mentally promise ourselves to start working on it when we have the opportunity. Many times that doesn’t happen because we forget that great idea – Bummer!
Yoga teaches to be ‘Always present and In the Moment’. This makes great sense for speakers because what’s happening NOW might be potential material for a new presentation or a delivery technique to add to a speech already in your ‘portfolio’.
Great speakers always update their material and consider all the speeches and techniques they ‘own’ to be works in progress.
Too many ideas have gone unused because they haven’t been ‘recorded’ for future use. Read More→
Name Tags
Insist on Them For EVERYONE!
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Do YOU always remember people’s names?
I don’t, and bet you don’t either!
All of us have had this experience:
You’re at a networking event, business show or merely shopping in the grocery store and spot someone you ‘know’. You ‘know’ them, but at that moment, have a brain cramp, and can’t recall their name. Then, like I’ve done, you start to panic because they are headed in your direction. It’s even worse if you, or they, are with someone. You know you’ll be expected to introduce everyone to each other – YIKES!
This wouldn’t be a problem if you, and ‘the person you know’ were: in the military, a first responder, hospital employee or a number of other occupations. This is because they all wear NAME TAGS. If you’ve ever attended a Trade Show, you’ve worn a Name Tag, and know the benefits they offer. Read More→
OK. They asked me to Speak.
What do I talk about?
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Start with Passion and Knowledge . . .
You first choice is to have the opportunitiy to talk about a subject you are passionate about. Ideally, it’s also a subject about which you possess a high degree of knowledge .
It might be work, family, or health related. The topic could be a personal hobby, charitable cause, or lifetime goal.
If it’s something you’re enthusiastic about, it’s much easier to prepare, practice and deliver that talk. You already ‘know the stuff’, so getting the latest information (you always have up-to-date material, don’t you?) isn’t a great challenge. You know how, when and where to look.
Injecting emotion into the talk won’t be an effort, either, because Read More→
You’re Scheduled to Speak at 10:00
Arrive at 8:00!
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Seriously,
there are Lots of reasons to arrive that early!
We all know that ‘Stuff’ happens.
Arriving early, some may say very early, is not an option for the speaker who is on top of his/her game.
It’s your presentation, and your responsibility to yourself and those who will be attending, to do the best you can to make sure Where you are speaking is ready for You and the Audience!
Here is a list of things that need to be checked on, plus a few other reasons to arrive early, that will go a long way towards a delivering a better, less stressful presentation. Read More→
Presentation Tip # 2
Use a Mind Map
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Ever looked at your notes when giving a presentation
and everything is a BIG BLUR?
Not much fun when this happens, is it?
Nervous or not, reading notes at the lectern is often a tough thing to do.
Click for link to Master Mind Mapper
Reading black text on a white background doesn’t stimulate our minds as quickly as looking at images do. This is one reason a Mind Map is the perfect tool to use for delivering your presentation. (It’s also great for developing and practicing that speech!)
Mind Maps can be customized to meet your specific needs. They generally use pictures, symbols and colors that trigger associations in our brain so we can ‘tell’ our speech vs ‘read’ it. This invariably makes for a better, and more natural presentation.
Rather then having either a stack of index cards (if you do this, be certain they are numbered) or several sheets of paper to look at, you can have one Mind Map. Read More→
The Fear of Public Speaking
How to Lessen It
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First of all, You are not alone …
There is comfort in numbers.
Public Speaking, in survey after survey, has been shown to be most people’s greatest fear. Some fear it more than dying!
It’s a natural fear to have. You are standing, alone, in front of people who are fixated on you!
YIKES!
Who wouldn’t be a bit uneasy in a situation like this? So, it’s normal to have anxiety. There’s nothing wrong with you.
Here are things that can be done to ease this fear. Read More→
The Best Speakers Don’t Work Harder than You . . .
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They Work Much, Much, Much Harder!
Have you read Malcomb Gladwell’s book , Outliers, The Story of Success? If not, I strongly suggest you buy and devour it! Hard work is not the only thing that can lead to success in life, but it is one of the things you can control and do something about.
Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert.
The first person I thought about when I read that was Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimming champion, who won 14 Olympic gold medals. He truly can be considered the best of the best.
It didn’t come without an extraordinary amount of effort, dedication and personal sacrifice. 10,000 hours to become and expert. That is an amazing amount of time, and I’ve got to assume Read More→
Non-Verbal Communication Element #2 –
Facial Expressions
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What does your Face Say?
We’ve heard expressions like; “I can read his face”, or, “The expression on her face told the whole story.”
Those expressions are correct! The ways our face expresses emotion are varied, but the interpretations are pretty much universal.
The first, and most important Facial expression is – a Smile!
A Smile definitely is universal. It makes people feel liked and gives the impression you care about them.
A Smile can instantly put people, including your audience, at ease.
It conveys warmth. It’s a powerful expression that communicates friendliness no matter what language Read More→
But, I Don’t Speak in Front of Groups.
So Why Should I Care about Public Speaking?
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My response:
“Do you ever speak to an Audience of ONE?”
I’m sometimes asked a question like this when approaching a group about being a guest speaker.
It happened recently when the meeting planner told me, “We have a group of people who are sole proprietors in their businesses. Quite a few work from home. They have no staff and rarely, if ever, speak in front of groups. Honestly, most of them would quickly pass on an invitation like that anyway.
The only ‘Speaking’ they do is one-on-one sales presentations to prospects, and follow-up conversations with clients.
What, if anything, would your ‘No Sweat Public Speaking!’ talk have to offer them?” Read More→
