Fear of Public Speaking
Written by matt eventoff
Fear Public Speaking? No More!
Man, I wish it was that easy. I speak publicly often, and I still get nervous prior to every speech or presentation. Every single one.
That being said, I’m in pretty good company — it has been noted that Sir Winston Churchill and President Lincoln also got quite anxious prior to speaking publicly.
Unfortunately, no matter how many books, courses, DVDs, websites or snake oil salesmen promise to “cure” you of your fear of public speaking, it is never that simple, or that easy. That being said, there are a number of techniques, strategies and tactics to use to alleviate the fear and anxiety that come calling prior to speaking publicly.
Tips and Tactics, Pt.I :
1.Prepare. Prepare. Prepare - Simply put, the more you prepare and the better handle you have on the material you are presenting, the better it will go.
2.Practice. Practice. Practice – Once you have prepared, you MUST practice, early and often. Rumor has it that Churchill practiced for one hour per one minute of speech content he was delivering. 5 minute presentation = 5 hours practice. How long are you practicing?
3.Check out/Read the room before – Familiarity breeds comfort; surprise the day of a presentation are no fun and ratchet up anxiety tenfold.
4.Remember – the audience is on your side- 9 times out of 10, the audience is rooting for you to succeed, not waiting for you to fall flat.
5.Breathing - My three favorite breathing techniques – 3 Deep Belly Breathes, Ujaia breathing, and the Alte
ate Nostril technique – more on each in a later post
6.Listen to Music – Watch a boxing or MMA competition; watch Kobe or LeBron prior to getting on the court – always listening to music, getting in the zone, eliminating outside distraction and chasing away anxiety and negative thoughts — it works prior to public speaking as well (I do this each and every time)
7.Remember – You are always more nervous than you look – ALWAYS!
Stay tuned for Pt. II…
Article author
About the Author
For over 15 years, Matt Eventoff has served as a communication and messaging strategist for C-level executives in organizations ranging in size from startups to Fortune 100 firms, political leaders, nationally- recognized litigators, public figures and leaders from myriad other industries. He has trained clients throughout the United States, as well as Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Central America and Asia.
Matt’s specialties include communication training, message development and training, communication strategy and media training. He is regarded as an expert in determining an individual’s communication intangibles – verbal, non-verbal and messaging strengths and weaknesses – and creating an effective customized communication system that works in any situation.
Matt has successfully prepared clients to appear before almost every audience and in multiple venues, including: the United States Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, State and Federal courts, corporate settings ranging in size from small board meetings to interviews on the floor of the NYSE and on nearly every network and major cable news program, including 60 Minutes, 20/20, Nightline, Dateline, Frontline, Hardball, and Good Morning America. He is regularly retained by prominent litigators for his ability to identify key messages that have led to multi-million dollar settlements.
He is a frequent lecturer on crisis communications, public speaking and interacting with the media at colleges and universities — including MBA programs at Wharton, Rutgers University and Notre Dame, as well as undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Maryland, Rutgers University, University of Pennsylvania, Notre Dame and Academy of Science in Ukraine. Matt also teaches “Legal Crises: Preparing & Dealing with the Unexpected” accredited by the Supreme Court of New Jersey’s Board of Continuing Legal Education (CLE 2 credits).
Matt is frequently cited by leading publications and news outlets on issues related to communication, including U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, Bloomberg, The Associated Press, BBC, Newsweek, The (U.K.) Guardian, E! Online, The Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, NY Daily News and The Washington Post, among others.
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