I’ve conducted a small research on professional speaker’s perception of ‘Why we think the general public fear public speaking.’
The data captured has been used as an analysis for my new book titled; ‘Build Your Confidence on Stage: Transform Your Aspiration for Public Speaking into a Lifestyle Profession.
The book will be launched on the 17th December 2020.
I’ve decided to share feedback from three of the professional speakers on some of the questions asked which I believe you’ll find helpful.
Why are people scared of public speaking?
It is fundamentally the fear of failure. You’re in the spotlight and people become hyper aware of their looks/clothes/movement/shoes/perceived lack of expertise/accent/haircut etc – Lee Jackson, UK
Anxiety, Fear of getting wrong or being judged, Compare themselves to others – David Mcqueen, UK
They worry about ‘what the audience thinks of them’ more than how they can be of value to the audience. – Simon Bucknall, UK
What are the best practices to overcome the fear of public speaking?
We need a better pre-talk routine. Anxiety is basically believing perceived reality i.e. “I know nothing” “They all hate me”. “I’ll freeze and fail” If we believe bad stuff and then have a bad routine that makes us worse, we are in trouble. I teach people to get a better routine both in their heads and in the real world. – Lee Jackson, UK
Get coached by someone who does it and then practice. – David Mcqueen, UK
Join a public speaking club; focus on your value to the audience; remember to breathe properly. – Simon Bucknall, UK
What advice would you give to someone with low self-esteem who wants to become a public speaker?
Get Good. The more times you do it the better you will become. Get a critical friend/coach who can help you. When you first rode a bike as a kid you weren’t very good but after a few tries you did ok and if you want you can go further and become a BMX-er or Mountain Biker! – Lee Jackson, UK
Firstly, learn tools and strategies to build your self-esteem and then use those lessons in confidence-building as part of your toolkit when speaking – David Mcqueen, UK
Draw on personal stories in order to bring forward life lessons that might be of value to others. Use your own vulnerability as an asset. Others will relate! – Simon Bucknall, UK
