How do I overcome my fear of public speaking?

Question

I have a presentation this week and just thinking about it makes me want to faint! I stutter, I go red, and I can't present without reading off cue-cards no matter how much I have memorized it. I am usually not a quiet or introverted person, but I am presenting in front of a group of intellectuals who will slam me if I can't answer one question. Help!

Should I say straight off the bat in the beginning of the presentation that I am dead nervous? Or not show my weaknesses?

Answer 1

The number one fear of most people is Public Speaking. I have done a good deal of public speaking in the past and remember my fear the first time I stood up there. The one thing I remember is when my name was called and how nervous I was!!! Once I stood up there and started speaking, I relaxed and it got easier as I went on speaking on the subject matter.

Keep in mind that people are generally pulling for you to do well when you are standing up there. They don't want you to fail. Think about when you are sitting in a room or crowd and speaker is not doing well and there nervous. You are quietly supporting them and hoping they can get themselves out of it. It's the same for you. You'll do just fine. The following are some tips that I found helped me when I first started speaking:

1. If you are standing in front of a Podium, place each of your hands on the left and right side of it. Do not move your hands (unless you are flipping the cue cards) and stand with both feet together. Stand straight up.
***Many people will have one hand in their pants pocket jiggling change or something as they speak. These are nervous clicks that annoy people and take away from what you speaking about.

2. When you first begin to speak, you don't need to look at everyone in the eye; look just above the heads of the people in the back of the room. Sweep from left to right (above their heads) as you speak. It will appear that you are looking at the crowd when you really aren't...
*** As you get more comfortable in your speech, you momentarily look into the eyes of people around the room... but keep looking and sweeping slowly around the room so the crowd feels that you are speaking to all of them. Many make the mistake of staring at one person during a speech.

3. You command the room when you stand up there. Do not tell them you are nervous. Just walk up there and smile! Then begin speaking.

4. SILENCE between thoughts is very powerful!!! Do not use sounds like "Ummm", "Annnnnnddd", "mmmmmm" between sentences in the speech. Just move from one sentence, thought, or whatever and remain silent. It will captivate the crowd.
*** Pay attention to this... it's a common mistake for speakers. The crowd starts getting hooked on how many times you say "Ummmm" during the speech and stop listening to you. Silence is key baby!!! :)

5. Practice the speech in your room. Read it quietly over and over first. Then stand up and pretend you're in front of the class and speak out loud. Do it several times. Then get someone you know to sit in front of you and listen to your speech. Have them give you constructive criticism on how you did. Ask them to point out the positives first then ask for what improvements you could make on your style. Don't be offended by what they say. Remember they are trying to help you. Talk it out and practice what they said to do.

6. Use Cue Cards with very little written on them. Just the main points you want to talk about. Hit each subject and elaborate freely on it then move onto the next. You want to look at the Cue Cards as LITTLE as Possible.
*** When you practice the speech, you can write down what you want to say on a separate sheet of paper. Read it many many times to yourself and highlight the main points on that paper as well. Once you stand up in front of the class, you will see the first thing you need to discuss and you can look up at the crowd and speak freely. Reading from Cue Cards only and rarely looking up will land you a bad grade.

Just remain poised the whole time. The crowd is pulling for you! Look around the room as you speak. Remember to breath. Stay Calm. You will do great!!!

Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

Previous answers are correct in saying - don't say anything about being nervous as your audience could care less about that.

They want to hear about your topic.

As others have mentioned, you need to have a passion and intimacy about your topic.

Practice, practice, practice.....

Get the content of your speach done early and then call a couple of friends to come over and give the speach. Then call more friends over and give it again.....keep repeating these steps until you have given the speach so many times that you are the resident expert on the topic.

Then go wow your real audience with your new found abilities.

Its been my experience that I nail the presentation when I either know the subject matter OR I have rehearsed the presentation so many times that I am comfortable with my speech.

Some other hints.....

1) Trim down your presentation to a minimum to deliver your point.
2) Ask involving questions of your audience during the presentation - get them involved so it becomes more of a discussion that you are leading instead of a speech that you are giving.

Also, never fear not being able to answer questions - just go with the flow and talk to the best of your ability.

Answer 3

The topic one would speak about is one that one has a passion for. You stated you're not a quiet or introverted person, what do you talk about? What is the topic for the presentation for? If it's something you don't have a passion for then that fear of public speaking will creep in. The fear also creeps in because we feel that others will critize, they're glad you're the one and not them doing it. The answering questions part do your research on potential questions. Part of making your speech/presentation is to invoke questions that an audience may ask and answer them in your presentation. No, as most procedures for putting a speech/presentation together is NOT to overload the audience with TOO MUCH INFORMATION is excellent advice. Stay on the topic, unlike how I'm answering this question.

Since I don't know what the topic's about let's say for example you like baseball but the topic is about creating a budget. Take baseball terms and connect/arrange budget terminology to baseball talk. Sort of see where I'm going?

Also if you are going to be doing this more in the future join TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL. Check your local phone book or online for a location convenient for you. www.toastmasters.org

Answer 4

Ive been there a million times and I still get nervous. I have probably made over 200 public speeches and my hands still get sweaty. Here are just a few tips: Try to not talk to the group. Never do that. Instead pick out just one person, just one and talk to them, one on one, for a few sentences. Then move to someone else. Just look at that one person that is looking at you and make it a personal interest in them. You can almost have a conversation with them due to their facial expressions. Also (if this is possible) have the lighting in the auditorium low and primarily on you. It will make it seem as though you are only talking to just the first few rows instead of a huge looming crowd. Other than this I can also recommend drinking one beer or taking a single shot. This may seem weird but its enough to lighten you up back to your regular personable self, but not enough to mess up your train of thought so that you still have enough mental clarity to make it through the speech professionally. Just a few tips from someone that's been there before. Hope they help.

Answer 5

I used to be a math teacher and have given presentations to groups of programmers when I worked for AT&T. I treated every presentation as a game to be enjoyed. One presentation lasted for 1 1/2 days in front of about 200 people from all the major phone companies in the USA.

Look at the opportunity as a chance to show how well prepared you are. Know your subject inside and out, and you will never have to be concerned about 'questions'.

In fact, when one group of programers kept asking questions, I told them I was an ex-teacher and gave them an "A" for class participation.

Answer 6

I have three tips for you and I sincerely hope they'll help, as I go through the same thing whenever I speak in front of a bunch of people.

1. Take deep breaths before you deliver your speech. Breathe in for 10 seconds. Breathe out for 10 seconds. Do that at least 5 times.

2. Practice in front of friends. Or take a coupla random people aside and ask them to do you a favor by listening to your speech. (Offer to do them a favor in future as well, because no one will want to listen to it without getting anything back in return. Let's face it, we all have better things to do lol no offense)

3. When you're about to deliver your speech, take a minute and imagine everyone in front of you wearing nothing but diapers. Then, imagine you're standing in front of a bunch of little babies and reading them a goodnight story.

I hope this will be somewhat helpful to you!

Good luck and relax!

Answer 7

Why don't you practice your speech with a few friends. As someone else said, it just takes practice. Try it a few times with friends and you'll be ready for a bigger crowd.

And don't mention you are nervous. It will stick in your mind and you'll really be nervous. Dismiss that thought and just enjoy what you are telling them. They want to hear what you have to say, so think of yourself as informing them. Knowing the subject is very important too.

Answer 8

You just have to keep doing it until it feels natural. It comes with experience. Think of the audience as a group of your Friends. Just prove to them you can do it!!! Remember the more nervous that you look the more their going to slam you just relax and do the best you can do.

Answer 9

ok first of all you have to calm down before you do the speech and then just pick a spot on the wall and and look at that not the people before you make the speech take a couple of deep breaths

Answer 10

I am sorry. The only way I have found to become more comfortable is to speak in public. Once you do something with no major problems, it becomes easier the next time.