THIS IS FOR ALL THOSE SUFFERING FROM FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

I don't want to throw cold water on your experiment, but I'd like to point out a couple things I've learned after years of public speaking.

The first is that no one ever gets completely over the anxiety of speaking before others. It is a natural fear of vulnerability. The second, and this is good news, is that fear doesn't have to be resisted so much as it has to be channeled.

Believe it or not, a truly unafraid speaker will appear boring. Think of a theatre actor with no animation and energy. It's the same thing when you're in front of others. You're giving a performance. Utilize your nervous energy to your advantage.

The best way to control fear is by preparation (as opposed to just trying to talk your way out of fear.) Create a simple two or three point version of your speech and do it in front of a video camera. Then watch yourself. Pay attention to what both looks and sounds good, figure out how it can be made better, then try again. This kind of feedback is invaluable. If you can, do the speech in front of friends or family and then ask them what worked and what didn't. Often what we think looks or sounds a certain way is far different from the perspective of an audience member.

Prepare your notes using just key or "trigger" words. *Never write a speech out word for word or try to memorize it. Rather, use the key words to remind you of what to say and then just speak from your heart. Your audience does not know your speech and won't know you made a mistake unless you tell them. And back your points with stories. They're easy to retell and audiences love stories--gives you instant credibility.

Use your voice. Speak loudly but without shouting. Speak louder than you would one on one. This gives you authority and confidence. Don't rush--don't be afraid to pause and collect your next thought. Pausing actually make you look very confident.

Use your eyes. Don't stare at the ceiling or the floor, and don't try to imagine everyone in their underwear--that doesn't work. Instead, look people in the eye randomly for 3 to 5 seconds. This can take practice. Again, use your family and friends. This technique alone will make you look like a professional speaker.

Right beforehand, stretch your mouth and tongue. Warm up your voice by humming from your lowest to your highest a few times. Drink lots of water, but no dairy or sugar. Then breath deep, hold your chin high, and walk to the mic with confidence. When you get there, don't apologize and don't say "I'm scared." Just smile and jump right into it.

If you do all these things, you will feel confident and in control of the fear rather than giving in and letting the fear control you.

Google: "Divine Knowledge Transfer"

I do agree with what you're saying, but this time I choose to trial a different approach.

The tips you have outlined are what most people on ths forum know. They can all be put to practice and they all do work (depending on the person). However, I wish that people could channel their fear using their own mind to eradicate the fear. Its a very simple process, that requires very little effort.

Thanks for posting such great info here. I was just seeking for some information on this topic.

MstDave wrote:Thanks for posting such great info here. I was just seeking for some information on this topic.

No problem. We are always here to help. Please try out the exercise above and let us know what happens

Hi Guys,

How you lot doing. Is ther anyone who is testing this out?

Hi Guys,

Has anyone yet tried this and benefited??

I have been doing a lot of research on public speaking over the past 6 months or so on the net looking for new ways and approaches that can get rid of this fear. As you can probably imagine, there are loads of tips, tricks, methods etc. that are flying all over the internet.

I have some recommended ones below:

- http://www.stresscure.com/jobstress/speak.html
This is really good for those who are after general tips to help with public speaking fear and generally with stress

- http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/fear-of-public-speaking/
This is also a very good website that offers alot of professional help, but you could end up paying a bit.

However, there is one website that I found particularly well. It offers a complimenatary report on public speaking. There are loads of tips that come in this report, plus you get updated with new information every couple of weeks...and best of- its all free!

Its called: http://www.publicspeakingformula.com/

Check these out and let me know what you guys think!

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I do remember one engagement in front of a room full of really anxious doctors in which I had to speak about not being anxious! Lol, they were anxious, I was nervous and anxious about the topic of discussion and I was equally nervous about speaking, period, to a full room of people. When I first started talking, I could feel my body pulsating with nervousness, and I felt and heard my voice shaking. Just as I finished what I thought was the worst speech ever, my business partner walked over to me (following the applause from the audience) and told me that she could not believe how eloquently I spoke! So, I will have to admit that the nervousness and anxiety became beneficial in me carrying my points with some level of conviction, even when the conviction was really just me being scared. Also, it helps to remember that anyone who has ever spoken or performed in public has gone through and still goes through these same feelings.

Thank You very much for this info. I Can see it takes practice to Become a fluent public speaker without the nervousness.