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Author:
Liam Warrillow

A series of studies confirms the fact that public speaking is feared more than death. Think about that for a moment and just how ludicrous it is. More people are afraid of delivering a simple presentation than they are of life’s end. Clearly, that is irrational. No logical person would trade their life away in order to avoid ten minutes in front of co-workers discussing recent company trends.

So, we know that speech anxiety is common. We know that it can lead to all sorts of discomfort and nastiness for people forced to confront it. We also know that many people are so afraid of speaking that they consider it a fate worse than death. All of that points to one conclusion: speech anxiety is a very powerful force.

The fear of public speaking, although more intensely felt than some other fears, still holds a lot in common with other sources of nervousness. Assuming a fear is misplaced to at least some extent, the original source of the worry tends to stem from some level of personal insecurity and/or a lack of information. Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance creates fear, and that fear is intensified even more when we know we are ignorant. That is the case with public speaking.

We do not feel comfortable giving a speech and we know it. We feel unprepared, disorganized and unsure of our ability to make a point without humiliating ourselves in front of others. We feel inadequate and we know it long before we open our mouths to give an introduction. Had we found the information necessary to approach speech construction and delivery and learned it, we would feel better about the situation.

If everyone knew some simple ways to come up with a great presentation and some simple tricks regarding delivery, they could approach public speaking with a greater level of assuredness. If they knew even more about public speaking--perhaps even some details and perspective on speech anxiety--their fear would be even further mitigated.

There are few people in the world who can hop up in front of others and being speaking without hesitation or fear. They are the exceptions. Most of us, all things being otherwise equal, would choose to avoid giving a public presentation. That preference may be a reflection of our personality, but it is also a reflection of our good sense.

You see we do not want to give a speech because we know we are inadequately prepared to do a good job. Our fears may be inappropriately large, but they are rooted in some honest self-assessment. We fear what we do not know. We fear that even more when we know just how much we do not know!

If you were called upon to deliver a public speech today, how would you react? If you said you would be glad to do so and were ready to go that means one of two things: either you have a great deal of confidence based on having developed good public speaking skills or you are one of those few people who have no qualms about presenting (even if they don’t have the talent or technique to do it well). In other words, those who have no fear of public speaking are either skilled or ignorant without realizing it.

The fear of public speaking is rational. Many people, however, carry that rational fear to an irrational extreme.

How can we combat this? The answer is simple: information. If once is willing to seek out information and guidance regarding the development of public speaking, anxiety can be calmed. Information also leads to the development of skills, which will further abate any speech anxiety. There is even available information that deals directly with the issue of speech anxiety, making it that much easier to conquer. Fear breeds in ignorance, and eradicating that ignorance with a solid guide to public speaking is a sensible solution to the problem. see http://www.sblmarketing.info to overcome all your Public Speaking Fears.

| Article Keywords: Professional Speaker

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Professional Speaker... Public Speaking Training There’s no magic pill to overcome stage fright. Confidence is gained and skills are honed over a period of time. Public speaking training courses range from self-help booklets to one-day seminars and workshops to extensive training sessions. Make sure that the course meets all your specific requirements. Choosing the wrong course can scare you away from public speaking for good. However, always remember that there is a possibility of success, and that if you fail, later success is still possible. Each course is designed for a particular target group. If you are extremely shy and not use to public speaking, you should join a one-to-one course, where the trainer will give you complete attention. From there, you can move on to group sessions, sophisticated programs that teach presentation and question handling skills. Some courses even teach how to handle press conferences. Take some routine check programs and decide whether you agree with their methods of public speaking coaching. Any course that gives you lots of literature and a huge list of ‘dos and don’ts’ will only add to your confusion. You might find yourself memorizing the rules instead of actually testing out your skills. Yes, the best way to go is with hands-on coaching. The best trainers think on-the-spot, not on paper. Choose a program that has practical orientation and is highly interactive. It should teach you poise, voice modulation and build confidence to make not only rehearsed but also impromptu speeches. It should teach you how to handle tricky questions from the audience without getting agitated. Public Speaking provides detailed information on Public Speaking, Fear Of Public Speaking, Public Speaking Tips, Public Speaking Training and more. Public Speaking is affiliated with Topical...