It has been said that death is most people’s second greatest fear; the first is having to speak before an audience. So, now you know there are so many folks like you who are suffered from public speaking phobia.
The majority of us can engage a conversation with a group of people without much problem, but when ask to stand and speak in front of a group of people, they just froze with fear and cannot even squek a word.
Let’s look through this public speaking phobia and see how we can overcome this dreaded problem.
Another fact is most if not all seasoned or experienced speakers do suffer to a certain degree of public speaking phobia. It is just that they know how to handle and hide it well from the audience.
Normally, it is the beginning or the start of your speech which you will experience the worst attack of public speaking phobia. It is simply because you know you still have a ‘long’ way to finish your speech and also you tend to anticipate negative response from your audience.
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But once the speech progresses, then only you start to realize that it is not all that death-defying act, speaking in front of an audience. You probably make some mistakes along the way, without the audience’s knowledge or they couldn’t even bother with them. As it progresses, you feel more comfortable and may even starting to enjoy it.
Firstly it is because you are well-prepared. Secondly it is because of the strong opening. The opening of your speech or the introduction is very important indeed. With a well-planned powerful opening, you capture their attention and hold their interest right away. And once you know they are listening to you and sort of enjoying the opening part of the speech, that can boost your confidence right away.
The next thing you know your public speaking phobia seems to reduce tremendously. Then you realize now you are actually sharing your ideas or information with your audience. You may even feel like you are talking to a group of friends.
So, put extra effort on the opening part of your speech. It can be a startling statistic, a stunning magic trick, a humorous quote, bewildering question or even an eye-catching visual. Anything, but must be relevant to your topic or the main message of your speech. As the idiom goes: “Well begun is half done”.
The next important point is make sure you conclude the speech equally well as your opening. Make it a memorable and impactful ending too. One way of closing the speech is to plan it such a way that it closes similarly to the opening. Make it a complete and tidy package.
Another way is to summarize all the key points in a bite size. Or you can end up with a personal touch, by relating your own life experience related to the topic.
The most popular speech ending of all time is to get the listener to take some sort of desired action A call to action is a way is a safe and effective way to conclude the speech.
A well-prepared opening and closing of the speech is a way to overcome your public speaking phobia. Of course the body of the speech is important too. You need to have enough and interesting content and also relevant visual aids to support and enhance the whole speech to complete your whole speech.
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