The fear of public speaking is considered to be higher than death. A lot of people of are suffering from nervousness in public speaking. For most of them, avoiding to speak in front of the public is the best thing that can provide relief to their problem. However, being afraid, uncomfortable, or nervous to speak in the public prompts individuals to miss lots of opportunities.
This also prevents them from efficiently expressing their feelings, ideas, and opinions on certain issues or topics. You have to understand that most speakers, regardless of how seasoned or experienced they are, also suffer from public speaking nervousness. There will always be some particular topic or audience that will give a queasy stomach or sleepless nights. But what makes them stand out among other competitors is that they strive to determine some strategies on overcoming nervousness in public speaking. These strategies give them the confidence and professionalism to get into the stage and deliver a polished and excellent speech.
Ways to Overcome Fear and Nervousness in Public Speaking
Admit That You Are Nervous: The best thing that you can do to manage your nervousness is to admit to your audience that you really are nervous. This way, they will be more forgiving on the faults that you make as a result of your nervousness. This will also allow you to feel more relaxed knowing that your audience is not expecting a world-class presentation to you. Successful speakers know how they can turn their nervousness into engagement and enthusiasm.
Have Script But Don’t Memorize or Write it Down: Speaking greatly differs from reading. The former aims to create an impact to the audience using your personality and content while the latter is about disseminating information. Memorizing or reading your script word for word can decrease your chances of not just delivering a powerful presentation but having upward advancement as well. You can memorize the first 3 lines of your speech to so that your eyes connect with your audience. You should also limit the information presented in each slide to about 2 lines and just elaborate on those that need further explanation or clarification.
Understand and Know Your Audience: One of the most common mistakes that speakers commit is to ignore their audience. However, part of overcoming nervousness in public speaking is to know and connect with your audience. Changing how you see your audience such as perceiving them as a long lost friend will enable you to talk to them in a more relaxed and comfortable way.
Find Time to Practice: Practicing is probably one of the most effective ways on overcoming nervousness in public speaking. Having a formal practice before your schedules speech can help you be more confident about what you are going to say and how you will deliver it. Learning to breathe deeply and slowly can also help you feel relaxed before and during your speech. Moreover, warming your body up before speaking is also an effective way to help you concentrate and relieve your tension.
With these tips on overcoming nervousness in public speaking, you can surely impress your audience on your next speaking engagement.