Tuesday, May 28, 2013

7 Tips to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking

The words public speaking strikes fear and anxiety in the minds of otherwise competent and confident people. Does the thought of speaking in front of a group evoke fear, make you sweat, starts your heart pounding? It's likely you have glossophobia - the fear of public speaking.

Glossophobia is the most common of fears. There are many ways to increase business exposure so why bother to overcome your speaking jitters? Stepping up to the podium not only positions you as an expert in your area of business but provides effortless referrals and improved sales opportunities.

Presenting a non-sales informative speech warms up your target market and builds trust. Unlike endless cold calls the people you present to and follow up with are more receptive to listening to your offering of products and services.

Overcome your fear of public speaking and boost your business with these 7 tips:

7 Tips to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking

Start Small: If you're new to the world of speaking, start small. Find a few friends and family to practice on. Begin by speaking to smaller groups and build up from there.

In my business speaking career, I speak to groups of 30 to 3,000. One discovery I made is the size of the audience makes no difference. If you know your topic, you're pre-speaking fear will quickly evaporate.

Prepare: Nothing helps ease the fear of public speaking than knowing your material. The ability to connect with your audience comes from having the confidence you won't get lost during your delivery. Rehearse several times before the big talk. Time your presentation and always have back up material in case time is left over.

Don't Memorize: Mastering the art of public speaking comes not from memorizing word for word your entire speech. The real pros know their material by remembering key points and prompts on sub topics and examples to cover.