More than half, approximately 75% of public speakers, experience what is known as glossophobia, which is the fear of public speech or speaking. This is a condition which could affect a person’s work or emotions. This fear is terrible for so many reasons. Whether it is for business or just passing across information, there is always a need for effective communication, and glossophobia hampers this.
Causes of Fear during Public Speaking
Some individuals are not great at Public Speaking because of their upbringing. As humans, we are a total of our experiences, education, environment, and exposure. Thousands of people grew up in homes filled with negative affirmations, while some were groomed in environments that shut them up even before they attempted to speak. Negative words such as what do you know, you are too small to have an opinion, and others filled their upbringing air.
Also, some people suffered as victims of domestic violence. Without knowing it, these factors have affected them and formed their base core over time. Fear was given a deposit base within such individuals, and their confidence level was dealt an Anthony Joshua blow from the onset, and it has robbed many of their public speaking skills.
Furthermore, generally, the negative causes apart, many people can not speak well because of Lack of Training and nothing more.
Importance of a Good Public Speaking Skill
Public speaking is a solemn business, and its importance cannot be overemphasized; some will be discussed below:
I. Leadership: Individuals of exceptional eloquence are usually called upon to take up positions of authority. They may not necessarily be the smartest in the room, but they are loud enough to be heard and recognized. Public Speakers do not knock on doors; instead, they build them.
II. It is lucrative: Research has shown that public speaking is one of the most lucrative skills to learn in 2021. Not only is it lucrative, but it is also among the skills that will not likely be extinct shortly. It will surprise you that an average YouTube video content creator makes as much as $5,000 monthly. Yes! That is what public speakers make on YouTube.
Aside from creating content for YouTube, public speaking is gradually becoming one of the most demanded skills in the world today. For example, general speaking skills are essential in schools, adverts, presentations, etc.
III. Influence: Public speaking brings influence as having a recognized voice makes a person noticeable in the room, and protocols could be broken for his or her sake. When it comes to people of eloquence, they understand the tools of power and navigate towards the heart of men and women of power and take a tenured seat there; they influence.
Public Speakers usually act as the power behind the throne; they stay as the people who raise the hearts and minds of leaders in their most vulnerable moments when they are not leading themselves. People break down, and when they do, a great public speaker will significantly help.
IV. Career Advancement: As you progress in life, you will understand, particularly in a structure, that public speaking skills will help significantly advance your career. It is not enough to do the work; it also pays to be seen doing it. It promotes knowing you did the job; if people do not know, make it loud!
This does not mean that a person should overhype his or her worth; the speech should not be beyond the value you bring to the table but speak still of the value you bring, of the teamwork spirit and, very importantly, make it a habit to praise leaders. Words, actions, or your work can do this.
V. Good relationships: Good public speakers are generally good at networking and connecting with people. Our Words create our World; public Speakers are technically never stranded in love circles. The fact is that they seek or they are sought, and thus, they get to build good relationships.
Public Speakers get loved by people they know and those they do not know; it just flows. But sometimes, they get a reasonable bundle of hate based on their public speaking prowess.
VI. Living happily: Most Public Speakers live happy lives; they mostly self-motivated and are not dependent on external validations. In today’s world, where people need external confirmation, it is of the most incredible comfort to be your own greatest fan. To know and actively remind yourself that you are more than enough, and such power only comes from the skill of public speaking.
It is essential to speak to yourself first before you talk to others and to ensure you are not speaking yourself into a fake life because the most extraordinary form of truth is self-truth. So ensure your public speaking words are filled with truth and valid hope for a future.
Here are a few ways to overcome fear during public speaking and eliminate stage fright altogether.
1. Find out who your audience is
To make an excellent and bold speech, you should be able to know the kind of audience you will be addressing. This is not something everyone knows. It is a trick I think will help you. There are three(3) things predicting your audience will help you do.
I. It will help you choose the right words for your speech.
II. It will help you to know how structured your speech should be.
III. And lastly, It will help you reduce anxiety.
2. Show your excitement
The main thing the public searches for in a speaker is energy. Consider every one of the exhausting introductions you’ve at any point been to; that is most likely the more significant part. Moderators frequently consider their introductions to be an objective, a hindrance to surviving.
3. Take a full breath
At the point when you are anxious, it is harder for you to inhale from the stomach, your breathing will be more shallow and you will have less air than you want. This prompts it’s accelerating on the grounds that your body is letting you know that it needs more oxygen to manage what is going on or it believes you’re in. If you take a breath, your pulse will dial back, and you can utilize the pressure for your potential benefit.
4. Train yourself
It is important for any public speaker who wants to attain proficiency in public speech to make it a duty to get further training on public speaking by going to various workshops and seminars on public speaking. And even while we attend the training it is important to keep speaking.
5. Prepare ahead of time
What is necessary is practice. As a public speaker, when you have gotten your speech written, it is necessary to go over it severally and to repeatedly read it out to yourself or anyone who can listen to you and, very importantly, to try to look for loopholes in the paper and look for possible questions that the audience may throw at you and pre-answer them.
6. Don’t fear a moment of silence
One important point to always have in mind when speaking in public is the fact that it is not a crime to have a moment of silence. Usually, many people are afraid of doing this, and it has caused them to get disorganized in their speech.
If you feel, at any point during your speech, that you are getting distracted or disorganized, don’t force yourself to keep talking because that will cause even more problems. At this point, the best thing to do is to put yourself together again (even if it requires you to have a moment of silence). This killer tip will help you deal with fear during public speaking.
The truth is that, while you’re thinking that your audience may find you awkward, they aren’t going to do that. Those paying close attention will take it that you are either distracted or don’t want to give them the wrong information or something. Trust me, there is no crime to have some moment of silence.
7. Stay focused
It helps to reduce the fear of public speaking if the speaker can focus on the topic of the presentation and deliver it instead of dwelling majorly on the reaction of the audience or his fear of public speech.
8. Be comfortable with the topic
The more you comprehend the subject you will discuss, and the more you are keen on that theme, the less prone you are to commit errors or lose track of the thread. Also, assuming you get lost, you can recuperate rapidly. Find an opportunity to consider the inquiries from the crowd and set up your responses.
9. Speak out and do not rush
It is imperative to boost your public speaking skills and overcome fear when you realize that your audience is not bored but is listening to you, and you can successfully get your audience to listen to you by being articulated and holding onto their attention.
This may be done by speaking eloquently in a loud enough voice, speaking out, and steadily going through the discourse instead of rushing and losing your audience.
10. Utilize visual assets
Having a decent PowerPoint show and, in any event, giving material to the crowd will remove a portion of the strain from you, as the crowd’s eyes won’t generally be on you, and you’ll have something to return to assuming you stall out mentally.
Keep in mind, nonetheless, that the slides shouldn’t have a great deal of text since all things considered, nobody will hear what you say. In the event that you spend the whole show perusing from a piece of paper or from the slides, you will show an absence of uncertainty and information in what you say. It is suggested that you utilize visual assets as additional help.
11. Write down your speech if necessary
Whether or not you are giving your speech off-hand, you should write it down on paper. However, this is not what you must do (for those already good at public speaking). But it will significantly help those who are very callow and timid in speaking to the public.
The advantages of this to newbie speakers cannot be overruled. Writing down your work should replace cramming your work. This is so because writing down your work helps you prepare a very coordinated work and keep it in your memory without cramming it.
12. Note your key points
Now that your work has been penned down, the next step is to get the critical points. Make sure you have the key points of your speech in your head.
It is as opposed to cramming the whole work, which is capable of destroying your speech presentation. Noting your key points will also facilitate a cohesive speech presentation and make it impossible for you to be short of words.
13. Make a recording for learning
By recording your speech, you would achieve the same goal of overcoming your public speaking phobia. Set up a video camera or your phone to capture your speech.
You should capture the entire presentation on tape. Keep recording even if you fumble with your speech, forget something, or make a mistake. Making notes as you watch or listen to it will help you improve. Getting acclimated to your tone and speaking style is crucial because some people find it unpleasant to hear their voices on video.
14. Try Smiling
Smiling, even a forced one, is the simplest method to defuse a situation. Your body releases endorphins when you smile, which improves your mood. To feel better quickly, smile unintentionally or come up with a joke.
Consider a scene from one of your favorite comedies. Another choice is to tell a joke you like. When you’re scared or nervous, smiling is a terrific strategy to use. You’ll feel more secure if you make this facial expression. Additionally, it conveys eagerness and assurance to others, enhancing the audience’s understanding of your message.
Before we conclude on this topic, we encourage you to watch the video below if you need more inspiring tips that will help you to start speaking ideally in public.
In conclusion, as a public speaker, it is very important to remember that you are not alone in the fear of public speaking and that this fear is straightforward to overcome if the above-given solutions can be followed intentionally, strictly, and consistently.
