“Five Tricks to Painless Public Speaking”

 Ever since I can remember “I’ve been a meeting waiting to happen”. Just the other day my wife said to me, “you always need an audience”. She was correct; I have never been hesitant to get up in front of a crowd and pontificate. So, naturally, it is difficult to understand someone’s fear of public speaking.

In November 2012, Glen Croston, PhD, wrote an article that appeared in Psychology Today entitled “Surveys done regarding fear commonly show fear of public speaking at the top of the list.”  I can’t tell you how many people I have encountered over the years that have said they would rather undergo the most painful procedures imaginable than to give a speech. Sorry, I just don’t get it. So let me save you the pain with “Five Tricks to Painless Public Speaking”.

 1. Quit telling yourself, and everyone around you, how nervous you are leading up to your talk. Professing your fear has no cleansing power, it only reinforces the problem. Instead, visualize yourself getting a standing ovation when you finish. Now, don’t say, “I can’t do that”. The one thing you and I can control is what we think, so think positive!

 2. Don’t try and be funny if your not. I always have people tell me you have to start a presentation with a joke. Well, in my experience, that’s true if you in fact can tell a joke. But believe me, not everyone can. Nothing can set a bad tone for you in a talk than having no one chuckle at your opening quip.

 3. Never, and I mean NEVER, solicit reactions from the audience unless you are sure you will get the response you are looking for. Questions like “doesn’t this make sense?” or “what do you think?” in a group can set you up for a very “awkward pause” if you don’t receive what you were expecting.

 4. Be prepared and make sure you know your stuff. I try to memorize every presentation I do. I don’t like reading to my audience. Every situation is different, and sometimes when a lot of data is involved you need to use notes, but I would try and mix up the presentation so some of it seems natural.

        THIS IS THE BIG ONE!

 5. Pick out one person and talk directly to that person. In a large audience no one can tell if you are looking at them or the person next to them. Most everyone can talk to someone one on one, so make your speech a conversation with a friend. This really works!

Just like everything in life, there is really no “magic bullet” to overcoming the things in life that challenge us. It take doing the things that are hard and making them easy or at least bearable. Hope this helps.

Good Selling

Bob