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Fear of Public Speaking? This article is very helpful!
www.speakandtrain.com
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Glossophobia or the fear of speaking in public is common to many people. Many people have not
had much or any experience of speaking in front of an audience. Some people have had some
experience, but they have never managed to shake off their public speaking fears. This article is
particularly aimed at those with little experience speaking in front of an audience and offers 3
simple tips that you need to follow to get yourself on the right track.
1. Find a Club that Teaches you How to Develop Skills and Confidence Speaking to a Public
Audience, or a Beginner's Course at a Local College
One of the best ways to get started is to find a club or course where other people are also wishing
to overcome their fear of speaking in public and become a confident speaker. One of the most
popular clubs to help you overcome your speaking anxiety is a Toastmasters club. With a
presence in over 90 countries, you may be able to find one nearby. If choosing a college course,
try to ensure it has a good number of practical exercises, preferably enabling you to develop at
least one 4-6 minute speech in front of your fellow students or a public audience.
An interesting alternative that you may also find suitable is an improvisational acting course -
particularly if your public speaking fears are based specifically on nervousness appearing in front
of an audience or a fear of impromptu speaking, rather than concerns about delivering a prepared
speech.
The above suggestions are all great ways to get yourself in front of a neutral and supportive
audience where you can safely learn to overcome your fear of speaking in public, become
comfortable speaking in front of an audience, and improve your speaking skills.
You may also like to buy books, audios or videos on the topic to help you support, and build upon
these skills faster.
Before reading this article, you may have seen advertisements for expensive courses designed to
help you overcome your anxiety. These are recommended if doing any of the above is too fearful
for you or if you are short on time to do them.
2. Techniques to Reduce Your Public Speaking Fears
You can use a number of techniques to help you. Exercise is often recommended as a way of
reducing anxiety. You can visit the area where you will be speaking from beforehand so you can
become familiar and comfortable with the environment in which you will be speaking from. You
could try breathing exercises, meditation, or hypnosis audio material. These are too detailed to go
into here, but there are many good books, CDs and audios that you can buy to help you with the
above.
You can also aid your efforts to overcome glossophobia by recording your speech, either audio
only or preferably use video recording equipment so you can both see and hear your performance.
If you can see as well as hear your performance then this will help you learn quicker. However, to
avoid overwhelming yourself you may want to concentrate only on your speaking initially. It can be
overwhelming to worry about using body language when you're just starting out or are a nervous
speaker. You may want to only concentrate on learning to say what you want to say and becoming
comfortable saying it before you worry about improving technique and incorporating body
language into your speeches.
3. Book Your Next Speeches
Public speaking fears can be overcome if you are determined and continue to push through those
fears. One of the best things you can do after the above two steps is to book your next speeches -
at least 2. Getting more experience as soon as possible is essential to help you overcome your
fear of speaking in public.
The saying to "Strike while the iron is hot" applies here. Don't allow your anxiety to build up by
leaving yourself hanging high and dry with no upcoming speech assignments. Once you have got
through your first speech, you have proved to yourself that you can do it. Even if it felt really
difficult doing that first speech, the fact that you got through it makes it a personal success. You
should immediately set about building on that success by booking your next two speeches!
You can and will learn to overcome glossophobia - if you are determined to do so. Remember
most people did not start off as great public speakers, they simply got started and became great.
So get started and if you keep working at it, you too can become great!
Overcome Glossophobia today at Carl J's site.
http://www.makespeakingfun.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_J
==== ====
Fear of Public Speaking? This article is very helpful!
www.speakandtrain.com
==== ====