Imagine, you are standing there, as you raise your head, you look into a sea of faces. The bright lights blazing all around you are blinding and the music is so loud as you stand in front of the microphone. The tiers of seats beyond the stage rise up into the air and the soft plush velvet is lost in the darkness. You notice your heart beating in your chest, your breathing becoming more rapid, that hot sweaty feeling in your palms as the audience applauds you and then it’s time for you to speak… I wonder what thoughts would be passing through your mind right at that moment? Would you be as cool as a cucumber?
Fear of public speaking is real!
The fear of public speaking is a very real thing, also known as glossophobia. There are plenty of statistics on the web, some mention that 75% of people have a deep fear of it.
According to Brandon Gaille of all the phobias out there, public speaking is considered the highest. It accounts for 19% and the largest majority of those suffering from some form of phobia out there. Apparently people would rather die than present or speak in public.
Is a fear of presenting ruining your promotion?
A fear of presenting or public speaking can cause problems, especially in the workplace. Most job roles will include some form of presentation in one way or another, a board presentation, group meetings or pitches to clients, all of these require a level of confidence and ability to speak in front people. Without this skill you could be risking your position and possible promotion.
It’s not just the workplace where people have to present. It may be in school, university or even as the best man or woman at a wedding. The fear of presenting or public speaking does not discriminate.
The fear can present itself in a manner of ways, the dry mouth, thumping chest, sweaty palms to name a few.
The good news is, it is possible to overcome the fear and learn how to present confidently.
Want to fix that fear? Here’s the solution…
In the NLP world we know that if you understand how you think and act, then you stand a good chance of controlling your emotions and reactions. The NLP communication model is a great place to start in understanding your mind and how it works (learn more here: NLP Communication model – what are you missing out on?). In the simplest form you need to recognise that we take in information through our senses, we create an internal representation, which can then affect our emotional state, physiology and behaviour. By learning how to manage these points we can then be in control of them and ourselves.
In the training room we can help you reduce your fear of presenting or public speaking. For instance our fast phobia model which is taught on our practitioner training is a simple technique that can remove the fear in as little as 20 minutes!! You could learn this technique, remove your phobia and then help others!
3 top tips for presenting which you can use right now!
- Your physiology plays a huge role in how you feel. When presenting make sure you stand with your feet hips width apart, giving you a solid foundation, we would call this trainers stance. Back straight, shoulders relaxed and eyes forward.
- Remember to breathe. Deep slow breaths help to calm you and give you a chance to calm your thoughts.
- Use peripheral vision. Focus on one main spot, then keep looking at that spot and slowly relax your field of vision so you can take in more and more either side of you until you are nearly looking behind you. When in peripheral vision (this softer field of vision)it dampens down any negative feelings of fear or stress….give it a go.
Want to learn more about presenting like a pro?
Have you got a presentation coming up? Feel like you need some help with public speaking? Looking for a way to stop that thumping heart? What if I told you that for less than a meal for two you can go online and INSTANTLY ACCESS our online training course Presenting with impact. You can watch the training in the comfort of your own home as many times as you like! The training is packed with great techniques and tips to help you over come that presentation fear. Curious? Take a look at this short video to learn more:
Surely it would be far better to get rid of the fear and phobia of speaking then have an early funeral? I know which I’d prefer!!
