Tag Archive for: presentations

Overcoming the fear of public speaking (2)

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“Hi Sarah, I  just wanted to let you know that my presentation went really well. I didn’t get that anxious feeling, which was great!”   Marketing Executive

 

 I love receiving feedback from my clients and hearing how well they have done, and are doing, in achieving their personal communication goals. One of these goals can be to actually begin to enjoy standing up (or sitting down) and sharing our thoughts, knowledge and ideas with others, in person or online.

What is it about speaking publicly that can make even the most robust of us tremble at the knees; and why does this very necessary part of our working lives continue to be cited as one of the greatest fears people have to face, second only to the fear of death?

Is it the knowledge of all eyes being solely on us? Is it the acute awareness of the responsibility to ‘deliver’? Is it a mistrust in ourselves not to do something that would make us look foolish?

There are certainly proven strategies and techniques for handling nerves that do not include drinking loads of alcohol prior to speaking, or taking beta blockers!

 

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”  Eleanor Roosevelt

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Fear of Public Speaking

“Training with Sarah has demystified the art of public speaking. I always thought it was something some people were just naturally good at – and I wasn’t one of them!  With Sarah’s help I realised there are some very real skills I could learn to turn me into one of those ‘naturally good speakers’.  Thank you Sarah, I feel so much more confident and now I do well with my presentations and speeches.”  HR Professional

 

It is so easy to look at the strengths of others and feel intimidated or ‘lesser than’ in a particular aspect of our lives.  However, as with any area of training and personal development, a little bit of knowledge goes a long way.

A helpful question is “How do you eat an elephant?” and the old adage responds, “One bite at a time!”

If we look at an accomplished public speaker when even the very thought of getting up and speaking in front of people makes us feel sick, it can make the whole process seem even more overwhelming.  So let’s instead break it down into bite-size pieces and identify what that person was doing well and why they appear so relaxed and confident?  Being willing to learn new things sets us on a course to conquer the fear and limitations around our own lives.

Some adrenalin and nerves are a positive as we stand up to speak, and whether entirely “fear-less” public speaking is a possibility for every person isn’t really the issue … it is more about having some very tangible strategies and competencies to practice and become familiar with so we are growing in skill – we tend to enjoy the things that we feel we do well at!  I have testimony after testimony from clients who are actually now enjoying the whole experience of presenting and speaking in front of colleagues, bosses and stakeholders. There is nothing more rewarding for me than to hear that what was so terrifying for clients is now something they are excelling in.

 

“I never thought I could do so well” … “I did soooo well!” … “I felt so confident and in control!”

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