Overcoming the Fear Factor in Public Speaking

By Bradlley Mckoy

You're asked to go to the front of the class to discuss the angst of Proust's literary work or to demonstrate how a pulley works. You're confident about the topic. It's the thought of speaking in front of the class that terrifies you, yet there's no escape. How to survive? Here is how.

You Can Do It

Learning public speaking is like an attempt to conquer Mt. Everest. It takes some spunk before you can speak to a crowd without quaking or freezing up. Well, it's a humbling experience to accept that you're no orator or charismatic speaker, and it takes courage to do something about it.

Eventually, after much effort at learning public speaking, you'll be ready to take on the world. You won't be lighting too many cigarettes with one of your Zippo lighters before a speaking engagement. Not anymore.

How to go about it? You have several options. Sign up with Toastmasters International, discreetly look around for speech tutors, or join a drama group. Or, you can purchase e-books on public speaking, which you can learn at home behind locked doors.

With persistence, you can beat the fear factor in public speaking. It may take a while, but people will soon notice that you're becoming a confident and lively speaker. This development will be good for your class presentations and your chances for future employment, so these should be enough motivation for you.

Speech Problems You Can Correct

Stuttering has caused millions of people to agonize over this speech disorder. People who stutter find it difficult to get the sounds out, and they end up repeating part of a word. 'Water' is 'wawawater', and they get all red when they catch knowing smiles. But with speech therapy and the support of your family, you can get past this problem.

Cluttering is the opposite of stuttering. Someone who clutters talks too fast in spurts, sounding jerky, or is simply unsure of what he or she wants to say because of the long pauses between words.

Mispronunciation - People laugh or feel awkward when they hear a public speaker mispronounce words. A structured session at the speech laboratory with a speech therapist can solve the problem.

Unnecessary fillers - If you count the number of times you say "uh" in your speech, you might be astounded at your propensity to dispense with speech fillers.

Regional accents - You shouldn't be ashamed of your regional accent, but sometimes the embarrassment caused is worse than the fear of catching a deadly virus.

Weak voice - Finding yourself repeating a word to be heard? Blame this on a small weak voice, but vocal exercises can strengthen your vocal muscles. Having a medical professional evaluate the condition can also detect serious respiratory or other ailments.

Nasal voice - You have a nasal voice if you are talking though your nose. Just pinch your nose and speak, if you have trouble releasing your voice, then you are nasal as they come.

Where to Go From Here

Get a book about public speaking and join organizations like Toastmasters and Speaking Circles. Joining a speaking group is more interesting than practicing before a mirror.

You'll meet more people and forge new friendships, learn from the experience of others, and get good advice. In the aftermath of all your struggles, you might start talking non-stop - but that is another disorder.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bradlley_Mckoy

Tips to Overcome Public Speaking Nervousness

By Trevor Johnson

Public speaking is not an easy thing to do, wherever it takes place and whoever the speaker or the audience may be. Teachers admit they feel a bit nervous when they address a group of students they have never spoken to before and so does the president, no matter how well-prepared he is or how interesting the speech he is going to make might sound.

However, there are speakers who have learned to control their emotions and no longer feel awkward when hundreds of eyes are watching them. They have managed to overcome the fear and anxiety that public speaking used to trigger. How could one do that? Has it got anything to do with genes? Were they born to be more 'in control' than the rest of us? Of course not; what they do is educate their mind, continually preparing it to face the challenges of speech-making. They are not specially-endowed representatives of our species, but confident and motivated people who have learnt a couple of stratagems that make things easier for them. Here are some useful tips to overcome public speaking nervousness:

The first thing you should do is give up the belief that the speaker has to be perfect and he or she is not allowed to make any mistakes. We all do, but we must be prepared to correct them and we can never do that if we are in a state of anxiety. Even stuttering is all right if it happens a few times in your speech; the audience might assume you think faster than you can speak.

A speaker is supposed to know the subject very well and also to put his or her heart into that speech. If the audience feels the speaker's passion for the subject, a great deal of the trouble has vanished. You cannot charm your audience if you are not totally committed to what you are doing. And here comes another tip: you must assume that the audience is friendly, they have come to listen to you because they are really interested in what you are going to say and no one is there to judge you. Remember the last time you were part of the audience and your own attitude to the speaker. An audience is not the speaker's enemy unless he or she has come to attack them.

Believe it or not, the speaker's appearance is very important and you should never neglect it. If you look your best and are wearing professional-looking clothing, you will definitely feel great and the audience will sense that. They will see that special glow on your face and your self-confidence will result in the positive attitude of your listeners to you.

One last thing: don't forget to put a smile on! A relaxed and confident public speaker, who believes the audience to be a group of friendly and knowledge-thirsty citizens, ought to show some appreciation to the people who have come to listen to the speech. Smiling at them from time to time will maintain the friendly atmosphere in the hall and keep you connected to your listeners. A smile is worth a million words!

Discover how to overcome your public speaking anxiety and quell your public speaking nerves.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson

Public Speaking Fears transformed into Energy, Passion and Authority in Only Five Minutes

By Jesai Jayhmes

Coming up to a big media event where you have to look and sound like you know what you are talking about? Are you feeling anxiety, terror, dread? Worried that you will black out? Go blank? Stutter? Say something stupid? all on national TV? Do you fear that your 15 Minutes of Fame might be the last breath you ever breathe?

You are not alone. Many, many people have huge fears around public speaking... and those fears are justified! History is strewn with the corpses of former "experts" who met an untimely demise at the hands of the masses.

What do you do to calm your nerves? Take a Valium? Don't think so. You might just fall off the chair and disappear under the podium. Imagine everyone naked? Doesn't work for me. I can't keep a straight face.

How do you rise above the jitters, and profoundly affect your listeners?

I am going to tell you the best secret I know. It has worked for me countless times, on screen and live. It is something that you practice in your sleep, something that you can not live without, and best of all it is absolutely *Free*. Are you taking this in? Can you guess? Are you still breathing?

YES, that's it! It's as simple as that! BREATHING! Every unconscious breath you take (about 26,000 times a day) either winds you up or calms you down. "Conscious" breathing, however, restores clarity, making challenging interviews seem like a breeze.

Take just 5 minutes prior to the event to sit quietly upright and breathe, whether in your parked car, a bathroom stall, or the green room in the studio. This will make a huge positive impact on your "star" power. You will inform, inspire and transform others when you are out there under the lights.

Turn your attention to your breath (this is what makes it conscious) and allow your inhale and exhale to become slow, deep and effortless without pushing or forcing. Allow each breath to be a little deeper. You are bringing more oxygen into your brain, which enables you to think clearly. Your lungs massage your heart allowing you to be open and genuine. Even your churning stomach is calmed by the slow movement of your breathing. You are able to respond to questions with passion, sincerity and authority, which create a captivating experience for your host, your audience and you. Five minutes may feel like a long time to do "nothing"... but it is the best five minutes you can invest.

Don't let your fears paralyze you. Pay attention to the very activity that gives you life...and remember the words of the philosopher, "I Breathe Therefore I Am."

Jesai Jayhmes
Author

Copyright © 2008 Jesai Jayhmes all rights reserved.

You may print this articles free and intact including copyright and contact info.

Jesai Jayhmes is a voice coach, public speaker, actor and director with 30 years international experience training top seminar presenters, actors, teachers, sales people and CEO's. His unique voice fitness program can be found at http://www.yourvoiceworkout.com/ and you can contact him at info@jesaijayhmes.com. You can find voice and public speaking podcast tips by Jesai by searching Jesai Jayhmes podcast.

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