Hi Everyone,
Before, I go too far, realize that you are a successful public speaker. Let's make a quick distiction. We are all public speakers. We all speak outside our homes in mixed company. So yes, you are a public speaker and probably do not fear it much now, do you?
So, what you may fear, like many others, is speaking in front of large groups about a specific topic. Personally, I really enjoy speaking to large groups. Maybe it's ego, vanity, or just knowing that I have the attention of so many people for a short time. Ok, it's probably ego.
At the same time, I always speak on topics near and dear to me and understand them backward and forward.
So it always puzzles me why so many people are afraid to get up and speak in front of others.
I recently came across 11 common causes of public speaking stress - and they seem dead on from what people are always telling me...
- They believe public speaking is simply inherently stressful. (It's actually quite relaxing, even fun, when you get the hang of it.)
- Worried they need to be brilliant or perfect to succeed. (I haven't met anyone I would ever deem brilliant and certainly not perfect!)
- Trying to impart too much information or cover too many points in a short presentation. (Presentations should only cover a few points at the most, or you lose people.)
- They may have the wrong purpose in mind. (You always need to be clear about what you're speaking about and what you plan to get out of it.)
- They try to please everyone. (This will never happen. Just make sure you're audience even wants to here what you have to say or you may as well go home.)
- Some try to emulate other speakers rather than simply being themselves. (Being unique is a key to individual speaking success.)
- Some believe they are failing to be personally revealing and humble. (A few personal stories is good if it supports your topic. This adds more credibility to what your speaking about.)
- Many people are fearful of potential negative outcomes. (Most people will not give you enough attention for anything bad to happen. It's important to know your audience's hot buttons/issues and work with them. Remember, "This too shall come to pass.")
- Some try to control the behavior of their audience. (Some audiences will be better than others. At the end of the day you cannot control anything in this world!)
- Some spend too much time overpreparing instead of developing confidence and trust in their natural ability to influence. (If you know what you're talking about, this should not be an issue!)
- A lot of people think the audience will be overly critical of their performance. (Believe me, most people won't notice your minor slip ups and of those who do...few will care. We're all human right?)
Good points huh? Did you notice most are fear-based? Never let fear cloud a performance. Have fun and practice. And most of all...know your topic and know your audience! In time, you will come to love speaking in front of large groups!
Until next time...
Peter
http://www.peterwink.com/
PS...I've already taped my first video blog and its available here.
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