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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: Give Me a Brake ... a mental brake that is. Here are some mind tricks when you speak too fast. * Imagine that your audience is comprised of 5 year olds and you have to explain some difficult concept to them. You must obviously go slowly so they can understand you. * Force yourself to use difficult word combinations which will force you to slow down so that you don*t stutter over them. * Do specific practice sessions concentrating on varying the speed of your delivery so that you get a better control over this aspect of your talks. Also, varying the speed makes you more interesting automatically. You must do these practice sessions out loud. To save time, they can be done in the car, or while doing your hair or jogging, etc. * Cut out some of your material so that you do not feel rushed to get it all in. Going faster is usually futile because the retention level drops so low that you may as well have omitted the material in the first place. Copyright © 1998 - 2005 Advanced Public Speaking Institute Tom Antion provides entertaining speeches and educational seminars. He is the ultimate entrepreneur, having owned many businesses BEFORE graduating college. Tom is the author of the best selling presentation skills book "Wake 'em Up Business Presentations" and "Click: The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing." It is important to Tom that his knowledge be not only absorbed, but enjoyed. This is why he delivers his speeches laced with great humor and hysterical jokes. Tom has addressed more than 87 different industries and is thoroughly committed to his clients' needs. http://www.antion.com Advanced Public Speaking Institute 3105 Sergin Ct. Virginia Beach, VA 23452 (757) 431-1366 Fax (757) 431-2050 Contact: cmckinney@public-speaking.org ...