The Lectern Speaks by Clarence Featherson

"Fake it till you make it!"

(Original Source Unknown)

Public speaking consistently rates as one of the top fears if not the #1 fear for most people. Just thinking about speaking in public (also called stage fright) causes panic attacks, sweaty palms, heart palpitations and knees that often get to shaking. The great news is that with practice, feedback positive expectations and a few tips, tricks and techniques most people can not only reduce or even eliminate the fear of public speaking but begin to see it as something fun and enjoyable! Below are some tips to make public speaking more fun and less scary. Try the techniques below and see if they make you feel more comfortable and confident. They may not at first but eventually they will. Until then use them often and if necessary......

"Fake it till you make it!"


15 Speak Easy Tips to Reduce the Fear of Public Speaking

1. Arrive early when speaking. Also confirm the date/time location and physically visit the location if you have not been there before.
2. Call before speaking to find out the dress code. Being dressed appropriately reduces stress.
3. Know your material inside and out before speaking.
4. A few minutes before speaking, close your eyes and see yourself enjoying talking to your audience.
5. Practice deep breathing to calm down and reduce tension.
6. Physically stretch before speaking and walk around the speaking area.
7. Avoid caffeinated drinks and dairy products before speaking.
8. Always have room temperature water available while speaking.
9. For cases of extremely dry mouth, apply petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to front teeth before speaking.
10. To eliminate sweaty forehead or palms, apply antiperspirant to those areas before speaking.
11. Do verbal warm ups like tongue twisters before speaking (Peter Piper patiently persevered at picking pretty purple petunias).
12. Look at friendly faces when talking.
13. Always prepare a back up low tech presentation in case your Power Point or other technical presentation equipment fails. Also prepare a condensed version of your speech in case you have less time than expected.
14. Focus on the information you want to share with your audience, not on how uncomfortable or nervous you feel.
15. If you make a mistake (everyone does) just do what the professionals do......"Fake it till you make it."

Doing all of the above helps you to be relaxed, confident and enjoy the experience of speaking to an audience.