50communicationtactics.com

Posts Tagged ‘Fear’

Do you have nightmares about addressing a crowd and getting humiliated? Does your mouth go dry and your hands shake and turn cold when you walk up the podium and see the audience? Do you freeze as your turn to speak in public finally comes? Then you’re suffering from what 65% of the population are also suffering from: fear of public speaking. Many people have tried to get rid of their fear of speaking in public but to no avail. The situation may seem hopeless to you but the truth is, overcoming your fear is not a fruitless task, especially with the advent of Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT. If you’re desperate to win the battle, EFT for public speaking might just be what you have been waiting for.

EFT has proven itself worthy in treating persons who have reservations or issues about public speaking. Created by Gary Craig during the 1990s, EFT is a method that continues to treat a variety of fears – even phobias – that affect the way a person lives his or her life. In essence, EFT is a kind of therapy that aims to address the mind through the body. If you want to get rid of your fear of public speaking, you could turn to an EFT practitioner, who will direct you to tap on several strategic areas of your body. Simultaneously, the EFT practitioner will help you target and focus on a specific situation that produces fear, in this case public speaking, until you experience low levels of anxiety when you imagine yourself speaking in public. EFT for public speaking has helped many people who have had the same fear you have now. As the procedure continues, the fearful situation will no longer generate any level of anxiety, allowing you to become part of the real world without the fear of public speaking anymore.

Studies of EFT for public speaking have shown the procedures involved to be effective and, in some cases, long- lasting. Anecdotal pieces of evidence gathered by other therapists and coaches who have used EFT in treating other fears suggest and recommend EFT to get rid not only of the fear of speaking in public, but also of the fear of performing in public and handling public attention and scrutiny. There are several websites that provide a list of EFT practitioners in different states. You can use search engines to help you locate an EFT practitioner in your area so you can start dealing with your fear right away.

Of course, EFT practitioners do not claim EFT for public speaking to work for everyone, no matter how effective it has proven out to be for many. There are two other methods you can try out, namely the Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP and The Lefkoe Method or TLM. Created by scientists Paul Grinder and Richard Bandler, NLP uses visual, aural, and kinesthetic procedures to alter reactions or feelings toward public speaking. On the other hand, TLM by Morty Lefkoe postulates that human behavior is governed by what an individual believes to be true, and works on this philosophy to find and stamp out negative beliefs about public speaking.

www.justbewell.com The fear of public speaking is said to be the most common phobia in the world. Whether this is true or not, it is certainly possible to overcome public speaking phobia with help from hypnotherapy (hypnosis) and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). Public speaking fears hold people back in meetings and they prevent people from being their best when doing presentations. It isnt just work life thats affected. Most people have to stand up and say a few words in front of other …

Public speaking presents such a challenge for many people.  In the Book of Lists, the fear of public speaking and making a presentation constitute the number one fear; the fear of dying is number two.  Like the old saying goes, “People would rather be in the grave than make a presentation.”  You see people sweat, shake, and quiver while they are speaking.  Sometimes, employees bypass promotions, and business owners bypass business opportunities rather than give a presentation.  I saw a manager who was on the corporate fast track quickly become derailed because she couldn’t complete her presentation in front of senior management.  

So what do great speakers do to prepare themselves to be great presenters?  They prepare their minds to give a great presentation.  That’s right; it all starts in your mind.  How can you develop a great speaker’s mindset, overcome your fear, and start giving outstanding presentations?  The following are five secrets for overcoming your fear of public speaking and giving outstanding presentations:

1. Believe It So That You Can Achieve It
I am approached by people who say, “I can’t speak in public,” “I am a bad speaker,” or “I could never speak in public.”  Without hearing them speak, I say, “You’re right.”  Because once you make those negative statements, they become self-fulfilling prophesies. When you say, “I am a bad speaker,” your subconscious mind is thinking, “Well, he or she said it, so it must be true; so I will act like a bad speaker.”  Positive speaking attitude (PSA) is one of the first things I work on during my presentation coachings.  Replace the negative speaking attitude with a PSA to master your self talk and improve your presentation skills.  Instead of saying, “I am a bad speaker,” say the following:

“I am improving my public speaking abilities everyday in everyway.” “Every opportunity to make a presentation is an opportunity for success.” “I am a good public speaker today; and, with continued practice, I will be a better public speaker tomorrow.” “I am mastering my presentation skills everyday!”

When you make these positive affirmations, your subconscious mind hears it and says, “Yeah, I am improving,” or “Let me speak because it is an opportunity for success,” or “I am mastering my speaking skills.”

Manage your self talk for a PSA.  You will feel a new confident attitude concerning public speaking.  

2. Think About What You Want to Accomplish
I will ask the question, “What do you want to accomplish with your presentation?”  Many times I will be on the receiving end of a blank stare or the student might say, “I just want them to listen to me.”  

Take time to think about what you want to accomplish by giving your presentation.  Is it that you want to entertain the audience, do you want to persuade them on an important issue, or maybe you want the audience to take action after hearing your presentation.  Going into your presentation knowing what you want to accomplish creates focus and is a big confidence builder.

3. Visualize Success
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at an association conference with over five thousand people in the audience.  Joy, my wife, was sitting in the audience with our friend Jim who came to hear me speak for the first time.  As I was about to speak, Jim leaned over and asked Joy if I was nervous speaking in front of such a large group of people.  Without blinking an eye, Joy said, “He was born for this day.  He saw this day coming when he first started speaking.”

I visualized that day long before it happened.  Whenever I give a presentation, I take time to visualize a successful presentation and positive outcome.  The more details I include in my visualizations, the more vivid and real it becomes for me.  The night before the presentation I will find a quiet place at home or, if I am on the road, a hotel room, and meditate to start the visualization process.  I will visualize my drive to the event, greeting the host and audience, and how my powerful presentation will sound and look on that day.  I will also visualize the audience’s positive response to the presentation.

Take time to visualize the details of giving a great presentation.  Like the old saying goes, “Fake it ‘til you make it.”  If you visualize you are a great speaker, you will take the steps and create opportunities for yourself to become a great speaker.

Visualize that the audience wants to hear your message and they want you to do well.  Remember, it’s their time also and they want to receive value out of your speech.

4. Own the Room
Whenever I speak, I “own the room.”  I mentally tell myself that for the next thirty minutes, hour, etc., I own the room.  The corporation, association, or government may own the building or venue I am speaking in, but during the time I am speaking, I am the owner of the room and the audience will be my guests, my friends.  That way I am always in control to give an outstanding presentation.  

Think of your speaking area as your house, your home, your castle.  When you invite friends into your home, aren’t you in control and want to provide a safe, entertaining environment for your guests?  The same is true for your speaking audience; you want to provide a safe, entertaining, and enriching experience for them.  

I always say, “Giving presentations is not about me, it’s about you (the audience).”  What I mean is that if I am constantly thinking about how I sound, look, and feel while I speak, I am not thinking about what I can share with my audience.  Concentrate on the value you will give to your audience members and you will never go wrong.

5. Eat the Elephant
Many times I hear the following:

“I could never speak in front of a group of people, but one-on-one I am fine.”

Well, I ask, “How do you eat the elephant?”  Break the elephant into smaller pieces.  It is the same when you “digest” the audience.  Don’t think of the audience as a whole, think of the audience as individuals ready to hear your message.  Concentrate on thinking of your audience as individuals, and your message will come across that way to the individual audience members.

Follow these five secrets for overcoming your fear of public speaking and creating a positive mindset for confident public speaking.  Overcoming your fearr of public speaking will improve your presentation skills and create new business, career, and life opportunities for you.

To be a leader, it is necessary to speak in public today. It is a very natural thing to be scared to address a group of people, even if you know them very well. In today’s world it is difficult to avoid public speaking, because the trend is to accomplish tasks in teams and groups. Public speaking need not be stressful for you at all. There are certain key principles which one can use, and this could enable you to make public speaking a satisfying and enjoyable experience.

Preparation Helps to Ease Public Speaking Fears
Knowledge about your topic and preparation helps greatly in easing a person’s public speaking fears. In Toastmasters, your first speech (known as the Icebreaker) is always about yourself, a topic that hopefully – you know a lot about. This helps people new to public speaking relax and get used to standing and presenting in front of an audience. Once you get your first speech under your belt, you begin to choose more difficult topics where you may have to do some research and preparation. It helps to practice your speech in front of family or friends or even in front of the mirror.

Use Humor in Public Speaking to Relate to Your Audience
If you’re comfortable, you can use humor to relate better to your audience and draw them into your speech. It will make you feel more relaxed as well. Another technique for successful public speaking is the use of anecdotes or stories to get your point across. Anecdotes and stories are also easier to remember when delivering your speech and will help you to relate to your audience.

Speak to Your Audience the Way You Would To One Person
In public speaking, you need not be overly formal. If you deliver your speech as if you are talking to just one person, it will help to calm your public speaking nerves. Imagine that you are talking to a trusted and loving friend. Confident public speaking takes practice and a great way to get that practice is to join a local Toastmasters group.

News interview with Mike Aguilera talking about how to conquer the fear of public speaking. Additional information and tips at: www.MikeAguilera.com and seminar at: www.MikeAguilera.com Get your copy of The Instant Zone Technique CD at: www.mikeaguilera.com www.MikeAguilera.com

For millions of people, public speaking is a fear that they cannot overcome. Some experts believe that it is because it is the fear of speaking to peers or people who the speaker perceives to know more about whatever subject they are speak about. This occurs even though to become a public speaker, one needs to be proficient in the subject.

Even the most seasoned public speaker will get butterflies in their stomach just before their appearance. No one is immune to this. It does not matter if you are speaking to a group of a thousand or a group of ten that little knot in your stomach is the fear that you will freeze at the podium or worse.

Studies have shown that the fear of public speaking is not an isolated event. One study showed that forty percent of people were so afraid to speak in public, that they could safely say that they would never consider a position where it was necessary.

There are many studies on this subject. One such study done was a study of fear. When the group in the study were asked question related to public speaking, seventy percent of them agreed that they would only speak in public in a panic situation.

In still another study, eighty percent of those asked responded that they would rather face eminent death before speaking in front of large crowds of people.

It takes a special kind of person to become a public speaker. It not only requires you to have knowledge on a specific subject, you also need to be strong and confident as well as skilled at the art of public speaking.

There are several things that you can do to perfect your public speaking skills if you choose to add this to your career. A good public speaker will create a lasting impression when they speak in front of a large crowd.

When you are a public speaker, you need to be confident enough to deliver a speech that is compelling and convincing whether the audience is large or small. A well-delivered speech does not only make the audience respond favorably, it also make the person delivering the speech feel like they are on top of the world.

Fear is a normal part of life. It is our defense mechanism that warns us upon impending danger. While in most cases of public speaking the danger does not apply, fear of looking foolish in front of great crowds is a normal reaction. Nobody is perfect, and a fear of making mistakes is what keeps millions of people from becoming public speakers.

No one who is a successful public speaker was born that way. Even the most seasoned speaker has had years of practice. There are many places where you can practice speaking; you can practice in front of a mirror, in your car on your way to work, or even in the shower. When you are ready to try your hand at speaking in front of people, use your family as the audience. Practice is the most powerful tool that can use to improve your public speaking skills.

In order to be a successful public speaker, you have to have confidence. This is something that is gained over time. When you practice, you are also building confidence. It is important that you overcome any fear of public speaking. If you give in to fear, it will take away any chance you have of becoming a public speaker. When you overcome your fear, you are effectively eliminating any limitations you may have.

Nobody in this world is perfect. The majority of people who have a fear of public speaking have that fear because they see flaws within themselves. They are afraid that they will fail; therefore they do not even try.

The power of the mind is an incredible thing. If you can convince yourself that you can succeed at public speaking, you are taking the necessary steps to improve your life. Having a positive attitude will only aid in your quest for a successful public speaking career.

You might be surprised but the fear of public speaking is one of the greatest causes of panic attacks. It’s almost ridiculous to think that basically some people would rather be in a coffin than reading a eulogy. For people who suffer fear of public speaking, the anticipation of the event can lead to panic attacks weeks or months before.

Such fear of public speaking may be as basic as a meeting with the office- not necessarily on a podium giving a speech. The fear of public speaking and panic attacks in this case is based on having an attack in the middle of the talk. The person imagines being stuck for words, and being forced to flee the office, much to the amazement of fellow workers.

There is a difference between having a fear of public speaking because of suffering panic attacks, and just a general shyness of speaking in public.

The question is how does someone tackle fear of public speaking?

Firstly you need to accept your fear of public speaking and panic attacks will not disappear over night. Essentially what you need to do is build your confidence back up. You may be surprised to know that the best public speaker’s have great anxiety, but use it in a positive fashion to drive them through their public speaking. You need to understand that you can experience a panic attack and anxiety during public speaking and the audience will never know. You will be able to finish your talk and everything will be fine. No matter how uncomfortable you may feel, you will be able to finish.

The real breakthrough in terms of fear of public speaking and panic attacks is the knowledge that you will not be in danger, and will be able to finish your talk without issue.

It is all based on fear. Once you no longer fear the fear of public speaking and panic attacks, you will no longer have a problem

Self doubt is another major issue. The minute you think – I will not be able to cope of finish, is the minute you allow the panic attack to take over. Your self doubt triggers adrenaline which allows the panic attack to take over like a giant wave over your body. The minute you feel this wave of adrenaline, you need to condition your mind and oppose this sensation to give into the panic attack.

Your natural response to the feeling of the panic attack coming on might be:

I am about to have a panic attack, and I really can’t afford that to happen in the middle of this speech.

Normally the person suffering from fear of public speaking and panic attacks would confirm the question and give in and let the panic attack take control. What you should do however, is say something like the following to yourself:

“There you are- I have been waiting for you to arrive, I am prepared and you do not pose any danger for me anymore”.

The key factor in controlling your fear of public speaking and panic attacks is that instead of suppressing the emotional energy down into your stomach, you are moving out through it. Your body will be in a naturally excited sate- and you can now use that to your advantage. Push out this nervous energy rather than internalizing it. Your presentation will become more lively and energetic.

You should want more from the anxiety as it is feeding your presentation now rather than holding it back.

This might seem like a lot to think about while you are concentrating on your presentation, however you would be surprised how much your mind can deal with simultaneously. By conditioning yourself you will be amazed by the positive effect it will have on your fear of public speaking and panic attacks,

If your fear of public speaking is related to being trapped, then seeking feedback from your audience will provide a great release, and will take you out of the moment. Before your speech plan intervals where you can ask questions of your audience to alleviate those feelings of being trapped and threatened by the potential of an anxiety attack.

Conclusion

Fear of public speaking and panic attacks is extremely common. You have the potential to be great at public speaking – believe in your self. It will take time and practice but you will be amazed how you can use the nervous energy and anxiety to fully overcome your fear of public speaking and anxiety attacks.

Some people are stressed just with the thought of standing up and speaking in public. They avoid public speaking like a plague. It’s hard for them to have all eyes on them. Whether they work alone or with large numbers of people, they would have to speak in public if they want to accomplish certain tasks. Also, one cannot be a leader and achieve meaningful accomplishments if they themselves are afraid to speak in public.

One of the main things to remember in order to figure out a way on how to overcome fear of public speaking is that it does not have to be stressful. Understand what the cause of the stress is and where it is coming from. You would also have to remember the key principles. This will give you the confidence that you need when speaking in public.

So many aspects in life are stressful as they already are. Public speaking does not have to be stressful. If you can’t help but feel stressed with just the idea of speaking in public, then deal with the stress in the same way that you would deal with any of the stress in your life.

So many people have already learned the tips when it comes to speaking in front of people and they managed not to be stressed at all. Voices tremble and knees would shake – these are the most common signs of fear of public speaking.

If these are already happening to you, and you want to overcome your fear, the first thing you should do is to stop these from happening. It’s your body, clearly you can control it.

It does not make you abnormal if you are afraid to speak in public. A way for you on how to overcome fear of public speaking is to have the right plan of action, right understanding, and right guiding principles. It is not hard, in fact, you can do this overnight. You just have to set your approach on the right path when it comes to speaking in public.

Another thing one must remember as a way on how to overcome fear of public speaking is that he does not have to be brilliant nor perfect in order to succeed. The people who are afraid to speak in public watch the people who could and think that they should be as entertaining, smart, witty, polished, and calm as them.

That shouldn’t be the case. First of all, they should stop bringing themselves down. The main key is to just believe in themselves and to just do it.

A number of years ago there was a list taken from the book of lists that stated that Presentation skills and speaking to a large audience was the number 1 fear people had.

In fact 41% of people rated it as their biggest fear.

The strange thing about the list was that only 19% of people said death was their biggest fear. It is amazing to think that standing up and delivering a presentation to a group of people rated a higher fear than death.

The good news is that through presentation skills training you can alleviate that fear. Of course it’s true to say that you may still be anxious and get butterflies in your stomach before the presentation, but through good presentation skills training at least you will be able to make the butterflies fly in the same formation.

So how can presentation skills training help you? Well obviously every good presentation skills training programme will have a section dedicated to anxiety and nerves and offer specific techniques to help you deal with this. But there is more to it than that, the more confidence you have in your presentation style, notes, visual aids, structure of the presentation, knowledge of the audience, knowledge of the topic and knowledge of what you are trying to achieve, the more at ease you will feel.

Most presentation skills training programmes also allow time to deliver the presentations in a safe environment and receive feedback from a qualified instructor, this allows you to work on areas that need to be worked on, and many presentation skills training programmes allow time for the instructor to work through these areas with you. The more confidence you have in the presentation and your own presentation skills and delivery the less fear you will have.

There is no substitute for practice and I am always reminded of the famous golfer (I believe it was Gary Player) who had just chipped in the ball from the edge of the green.

I believe he was interviewed after the game and the commentator said ‘You must have been thrilled with the luck you had on that final shot’ the golfer replied ‘yes I was, but it’s funny the more I practice that shot, the luckier I get with it’

I believe there is a lesson for us all to learn whether you are playing golf or using your presentation skills to address an audience, the more you practice the luckier you will get and the luckier you get the less anxious you will be

We can not help the 19% of people who have a fear of death, but through presentation skills training carried out by an instructor who is a master in the art of presentation skills you can definitely overcome the fear of making presentations.