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Overcoming
Speaking Anxiety in Meetings & Presentations
Do
your knees feel like Gumby's when you have to get up and speak
in front of a group?
Do
you feel like the next words out of your mouth are going to
be the dumbest words ever uttered by a human?
If you said
yes to either of the questions above, be advised, you have a
full-blown case of stage fright, says Lenny Laskowski, a professional
speaker and President of LJL Seminars.
According to
the book of lists, the fear of speaking in public is the #1 fear
of all fears. The fear of dying is #7! Over 41% of people have
some fear or anxiety dealing with speaking in front of groups.
People who have this fear can experience all kinds of symptoms:
Sweaty palms, accelerated heart rate, memory loss and even difficulty
in breathing.
Some of the
world's most famous presenters have freely admitted to nervousness
and stage fright. Mark Twain said it best, "There are two
types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are
liars".
Everyone, even
experienced speakers, has some anxiety when speaking in front
of a group of people. This is perfectly normal. The best way
to deal with this anxiety is to first acknowledge that this fear
is perfectly normal and you are not alone. To reduce your fear,
you need to make sure you properly and thoroughly prepare yourself
before you speak. Proper preparation and rehearsal can help to
reduce this fear by about 75%. Proper breathing techniques can
further reduce this fear by another 15%. Your mental state accounts
for the remaining 10%.
Below are just
a few suggestions you should use to overcome your speaking anxiety.
The first and most important of all is preparation. I like to
think of it as the 9 P's:
Prior
Proper Preparation
Prevents
Poor Performance
of
the
Person
Putting on the Presentation.
Nothing will
relax you more than to know your are properly prepared. Below
are 10 steps you can take to reduce your speech anxiety.
- Know
the room - become familiar with the place in which
you will speak. Arrive early and walk around the room including
the speaking area. Stand at the lectern, speak into the
microphone. Walk around where the audience will be seated.
Walk from where you will be seated to the place where you
will be speaking.
- Know
the Audience - If possible, greet some of the
audience as they arrive and chat with them. It is easier
to speak to a group of friends than to a group of strangers.
- Know
Your Material - If you are not familiar with your
material or are uncomfortable with it, your nervousness
will increase. Practice your speech or presentation and
revise it until you can present it with ease.
- Learn
How to Relax - You can ease tension by doing exercises.
Sit comfortable with your back straight. Breathe in slowly,
hold your breath for 4 to 5 seconds, then slowly exhale.
To relax your facial muscles, open your mouth and eyes
wide, then close them tightly.
- Visualize
Yourself Speaking - Imagine yourself walking confidently
to the lectern as the audience applauds. Imagine yourself
speaking, your voice loud, clear and assured. When you
visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful.
- Realize
People Want You To Succeed - All audiences want
speakers to be interesting, stimulating, informative and
entertaining. They want you to succeed - not fail.
- Don't
apologize For Being Nervous - Most of the time
your nervousness does not show at all. If you don't say
anything about it, nobody will notice. If you mention your
nervousness or apologize for any problems you think you
have with your speech, you'll only be calling attention
to it. Had you remained silent, your listeners may not
have noticed at all.
- Concentrate
on Your Message - not the medium - Your nervous
feelings will dissipate if you focus your attention away
from your anxieties and concentrate on your message and
your audience, not yourself.
- Turn
Nervousness into Positive Energy - the same nervous
energy that causes stage fright can be an asset to you.
Harness it, and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm.
- Gain
Experience - Experience builds confidence, which
is the key to effective speaking. Most beginning speakers
find their anxieties decrease after each speech they give.
If the fear
of public speaking causes you to prepare more, then the fear
of speaking serves as it's own best antidote.
Remember, "He
who fails to prepare is preparing for failure - so Prepare,
Prepare, Prepare"
Lenny Laskowski
is an international professional speaker and the author of the
book, No Sweat Presentations - The Painless Way to Successful
Speaking and several other publications. Visit
the website at http://www.ljlseminars.com to
learn more about obtaining Lenny's products, or hiring him to
speak.
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