How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking
There are many situations that will require public speaking. For many people, these situations can be intimidating and stressful, not to mention disastrous when a job or opportunity is on the line. If public speaking is one of your weaknesses, never fear! Learning how to overcome your fear and even feeling confident speaking to a large group is very possible for anyone.
Work With a Coach
One of the best ways to work through something hard is to have someone help you. A public speaking coach is just the person you need. With a specialized mentor to guide you, not only will you learn how to work through your fear of public speaking, you will gain tools and methods you can use to improve your overall presentation. Work with a public speaking coach no matter your level, and don’t think you have to fail on your own enough times to deserve one. This kind of coach can help you prepare to give a quality speech and generally improve your confidence.
The feedback I received from folks I coached during the Tedx Provincetown’s 2019 show, illustrated how important it was to have someone work alongside you when developing your pitch and your confidence. As a presenter myself in 2018, I personally found a huge benefit to working with a coach
Identify Your Weaknesses
In order to overcome your fear of public speaking, you should first identify what your fears and weaknesses are. When you understand your personal weaknesses, you can find more specific ways to work through them. For example, if you struggle with pronunciation, then you might want to seek help so this is no longer an obstacle for you. Speech therapy can correct pronunciation issues which commonly afflict people of all ages. If you are worried about your connection to the audience and their engagement with your speech/presentation, then you can find some techniques to help you learn how to engage more with your audience.
Focus on the Material
To help you feel more confident while giving a speech, you should also focus more on the material you are preparing. Often people’s true insecurities stem from a lack of knowledge on the subject they’re explaining, so knowing your material really well will ease your nerves. As you start off, have a clear plan and structure for your speech. It can be extremely helpful if you take plenty of time to practice. This will allow you to be comfortable with your content and it can help you to stay on track while giving the speech. Additionally, you can give yourself cues, such as notes on notecards, that you can reference while practicing your speech. Being confident in your material can help you overcome the fear of public speaking. In the end – know what 3-5 points you want your audience to leave with and bring them home at the end
It’s perfectly natural to be intimidated by public speaking. Many people feel vulnerable when all eyes are on them, much less when all ears are too. There are many methods to help you overcome the fear, however, so be intentional and don’t give up!
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