A great public speaking statistic was once made on national TV by Jerry Seinfeld, from the TV show Seinfeld, who found a poll that said that the number one fear for Americans was public speaking. Death was at number five. With this he joked that “…at a funeral, people are five times more likely to want to be in the casket than giving the eulogy.”

Now forgiving the statistical error Jerry made, public speaking is actually ranked at the top fear of many people, Americans included. From my own personal history, as well as some of the many tips I was able to find online, here are 10 tips for eliminating public speaking fears.

1. Practice right before you go to bed.

My best tip to myself by far. Trying to memorize and practice what I have to say right before I go to bed really helps. On a scientific level, your brain works at night and whatever you process last (right before bedtime) sub-consciously becomes more familiar to you the next day! This tip has helped me tremendously, especially for presentations.

2. Be prepared.

I envy people who can go up and stir the crowd up without any practice beforehand. But until I get there, knowing the material and speaking with authority on that particular subjects projects confidence, which in turn makes you less nervous while your up on center stage.

3. Use bullet points and do not memorize word for word.

If you try to memorize your entire speech or presentation, that will make you more nervous! Instead focusing on memorizing bullet points has helped me since I can be a little more spontaneous, but at the same time, give me direction whenever I feel lost. Trying to memorize what you have to say word for word just makes you think more about what you have to say, which puts more pressure on yourself.

4. As I saw on a shampoo commercial where a guy tells his nervous professor to just imagine him naked to take away his fear of speaking…

Realize this: whoever your audience is, they want you to succeed. Even if you are very nervous, if you just stand tall you will look 90% confident. The fast heart beat, butterflies, and sweaty palms can’t be seen by the audience. In fact, they want to hear a good presentation, and most times, they will like you no matter what.

5. Smile. Smiling makes you happier and makes you more confident.

Smile and try to gaze for familiar faces. This allows you to make a positive connection with your audience and takes your mind of of the “I can’t do this” thoughts.

6. Be enthusiastic.

Even if its a boring business meeting or a boring school presentation, saying your part with fake enthusiasm will rub off…to yourself! Its like smiling except it you can do it for the entire duration.

7. Eat a lot of yogurt and nuts.

Some natural chemical inside yogurts and nuts helps to calm you down. I find this works better than a glass of water, and just the fact of me eating it makes me psychologically more confident in myself.

8. Breathe. But don’t just breathe, breathe until your lungs are full.

Make sure to get enough oxygen inside of you just in case you run into the good old shortness of breath. Rapid breathing is one of my main problems when I am in a public speaking setting, so I always make sure to take a couple big breaths right before I start talking.

9. Project a success image into your head right before you begin talking.

I usually like to project myself confidently presenting to my audience, and when the time comes for me to begin, I will follow my projections to a T.

10. As the famous A.I. once said, “Practice? Practice? You wanna talk about Practice?”

Yes, practice by yourself talking into an imaginary audience, practice to your roommates, your parents, siblings, friends, or even your dog. Practice puts the motion inside your brain, and when the actual time for your speech comes, your brain will already know what to say.

Of course, the best way to overcome your fear of public speaking is through public speaking classes. It is pretty much practice, just in a real setting. There are also many different self-help programs that aim to give you confidence and help you develop techniques to overcome anxiety and panic.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Carllson

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We’ve all heard that eye contact is essential for successful public speaking. Sometimes, however, looking audience members in the eye isn’t easy, especially when nervousness and self-consciousness hijack our thinking.

Recently, I coached a client who had a severe case of eye-avoidedness. It was the first issue he brought up. And of course, I saw it in action immediately. Even though we sat in armchairs no more than 4 feet apart, I’d estimate that he avoided looking at me about 80% of the time.

He knew this was a problem both in presentations and interpersonal communication, but he had no idea how to overcome his shyness. And that, in fact, turned out to be an important clue for me. He mentioned that he was an introvert. One speaking trait introverts sometimes have is a desire to “go away” in their own mind and fashion a carefully structured and gift-wrapped statement or response. In the rough-and-tumble of conversations and Q & A, however, we seldom have the luxury of doing this.

Before we tried an exercise I had in mind, I gave him the two reasons why I believe strong eye contact is critical to successful speaking situations:

1. You will never exert influence on people you don’t look in the eye! When was the last time you were persuaded by someone who wouldn’t look at you while he or she was talking?

2. People are easier to get a response from than the back wall. I often hear from my trainees, “But if I look anyone right in the eye, I’ll forget what I’m saying!” At this point I usually respond: “Which do you think is going to give you something back, the ceiling or the person you’re talking to?”

Our listeners should give us energy–not suck it out of us like an audience of vampires! Speaking to “the window of the soul” (the eyes) as you say something important to people, and observing their response, should be a delightful activity rather than a painful one. People want you to look at them when you talk. If you do, they’ll trust you more.

As it turned out, the exercise we practiced next turned out to be even more helpful for this client than I anticipated. Here it is:

I had prepared around 20 impromptu speech topics, which I folded and placed in an envelope. My client had to reach in, choose a slip and read the topic, then look up at me and start talking about it. Understand: I gave him no time to prepare. (No nicely wrapped speech package possible here!)

The topics were intentionally ones that he would have no expertise in; and in fact, each topic had no right or wrong answer. For instance, they included, “What do you like about the United Nations, and why?” And: “What do you think was the most interesting ancient civilization?,” and so on.

For a minute or two each time, my client spoke on each of four items he’d selected. And I’d say that 90% of his responses were delivered looking directly at me, with rock-solid eye contact!

You see, he couldn’t “go away” and marshal his thoughts and relevant data on the subject, for his professional experience hadn’t given him any special knowledge. The exercise was simple and clear: he had to look his listeners in the eye even if he wasn’t sure what he was about to say. His job was to reach his listener with what he was saying, not fashion the perfect answer.

The exercise is a sure-fire confidence builder, and I’ve used it many times for that purpose. But it was nice to know that it works well as a tool for strengthening eye contact, too.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Genard

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“Easy does it.”

“Take it easy.”

“Easy as pie.”

In America, we admire people who not only do things expertly, but who make them seem easy.

I believe one of the reasons we feel this way, is that when things are going smoothly — when we’re hitting on all cylinders — we’re functioning at peak efficiency. That just feels right. And to an audience, it looks and sounds right.

Some people call this level of performance “flow,” or nowadays, being in The Zone. Whatever name you attach it to it, it’s a feeling of effortlessness-an intense pleasure that comes from focusing completely on a task rather than the obstacles in one’s way.

The first rule of successful presentations is to bring oneself to such a state of natural relaxation. Once we do that, we can place our focus where it needs to be. And that’s on our message and our listeners, rather than on the things that make us self-conscious and anxious.

But given today’s hectic professional and personal schedules, we also need a way to help us relax quickly. So here’s a wonderful way to achieve a productive level of relaxation (not an oxymoron!) if you only have 5 minutes to spare:

1. Find a quiet and solitary place.

(Your room at a conference hotel, a toilet stall, or even your car parked outside your speaking venue will do.) Sit comfortably, with your feet flat on the floor.

2. Close your eyes.

3. “Listen” to your breath for the first minute.

That is, pay attention to what happens when you breathe in slowly and calmly. Experience these sensations with your body, not your mind; recognize how breathing nourishes and sustains you. Feel the breath flow down your throat, fill your lungs, and then bring life-giving oxygen to every cell in your body.

4. Now, focus your awareness on
a visual image you “see” in your mind.

Make it a neutral color and shape: a green circle, a yellow square, a blue triangle. Any object that doesn’t have emotional overtones for you is fine. (Avoid red as a color.)

5. See that object in as close to
crystal clarity as you can manage.

This will take concentration and a bit of practice at first. As you do, adopt a passive attitude toward any other mental activity. Thoughts, imagery, and feelings will emerge in your consciousness. Simply notice them then let them go on their way. Keep a gentle yet firm focus on your image. Do nothing; just let your awareness be.

6. Your breathing will become slower and deeper.

This is what you are aiming for. You’re now in a calmer and more relaxed state. When you’re ready, open your eyes and slowly stand. If you feel any lightheadedness, sit down again, for your body may not be used to taking in this level of oxygen. Once you have it, try to maintain this level of calmness and relaxed breathing as you go about your daily tasks. Without question, bring it into your speaking situation.

This simple, brief exercise allows you to calm yourself and focus your attention-two critical attributes of a good speech or presentation. Practice it until you can do it easily at a moment’s notice (as in, “Would you say a few words?”), because that’s when you will need it most!

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(This article originally appeared in Dr. Gary Genard’s book HOW TO GIVE A SPEECH, available at http://www.publicspeakinginternational.com/how-to-give-a-speech.html.)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Genard

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And, it’s free.

Cool, eh?

Go here: http://www.52speakingtips.com
– (and, tell him we sent you!)

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Years ago, opera singer Maureen Forrester was asked if she ever wished she had been a stay-at-home mom and she replied, “Every time I walk onto the stage!” All great speakers, performers, and athletes are nervous. If you think they are not, then you are wrong. The difference, however, is that they use their nervousness to their benefit.

Nervousness is wonderful. That rush of adrenaline can take your presentation, your performance, or your game to unknown heights if you allow it to work for you and not against you.

I love nervousness. Without it, I wouldn’t want to speak because my nervousness gives me an edge that I don’t experience if I am overly confident which has happened only once during my long career as a professionally speaker. Many years ago, I was invited to speak at a women’s insurance meeting and during the meal, I had a glass of wine. That was my first mistake.

As one who drinks very little, I lost my edge during the presentation. Not only was I not nervous but I was also too confident, both characteristics which I attribute to that one glass of wine. Never again have I had a drink before speaking even when I gave a presentation later at Labatt’s in London, Ontario. Not only did they invite me to have a beer, they expected me to drink during my presentation! I declined because I knew I would not sound as professional.

Years ago, world-famous contralto, Maureen Forrester, was asked if she ever wished she had been a stay-at-home mom and she replied, “Every time I walk onto the stage!”

I want my clients – I want all public speakers – nervous. Public speaking is a live venue. As well prepared as you may be and as good as your delivery skills may be, what happens during your presentation is always an unknown. If you are communicating with your audience, you can never predict your outcome. That is one of the blessings of dynamic public speaking. And, that, in itself, is a reason to be nervous.

Expect to be nervous. Learn how to control it, however, and allow it to take your speech or presentation to a level you never knew possible.

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The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. To see how voice training can improve your life, both professionally and personally, Click Here. Visit The Voice Lady’s blog and watch a brief video as she describes Dynamic Public Speaking.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Daniels

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Moaning, groaning, and sorrowing sobs could be heard all the way down the corridor of the Office Building. People rushed to the cubicle where several employees had gathered and found Valerie lying in the floor curled into the fetal position.

“What happened?” one employee asked seriously.

“Valerie was asked to give a presentation at a corporate meeting and she freaked out.”

That was before she became a Toastmaster.

Stage fright is common to all speakers who are concerned about their performance, yet for some it controls decisions, creates limitations and causes drastic responses in the body. You may not think you need any training in public speaking because you never do any public speaking. Regardless of whether you ever speak in front of an audience, you are a public speaker, every time you open your mouth.

Whatever you verbalize in public even one on one is public speaking and it is a reflection on who you are! Some of you are required to make presentations and I’m sure you want to do your best to make your point as clear and as effective as possible. How do you get past the fear of speaking in front of a panel of managers at a job interview? Here are some useful tips to help you control nervousness and appear calm and knowledgeable when you suddenly asked to speak.

1. Practice Yogic breathing for a few minutes before you take the stage. Yogic breathing means bringing air all the way to and from your abdomen. It calms the nerves and delivers a better flow of oxygen to the brain.

2. Practice impromptu speaking. While you are alone, think of a topic and pretend someone has asked you to speak about it. Begin organizing your thoughts. Think of an opening reply to the question or topic, the give your opinion and to close, summarize what you just said. Try to do this in less than two minutes. You’ll be surprised how much this will help you think on your feet when someone puts you on the spot.

3. Get involved with Toastmasters. There you will find a non-threatening environment in which to learn and practice the essential communication and leadership skills. The cost is less than $100 per year and includes your materials. Find a club near you by putting your zip code into the search box at toastmasters.org/find/default.asp. Now that you are aware of some things to do to cure stage fright, I’m sure you will not be the one huddled under your desk when it’s time to make your presentation.

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All across the world people laugh when they are happy, cry when they are sad and shiver when they are cold. Much of human body language is universal. Research into how we communicate with one another suggests that less than 10% of our message is contained in the words we use. Much is contained in our tone of voice, but more than half of what we communicate is transmitted through our bodies.

Now if you also accept the finding that 24 – 48 hours after a presentation an audience only remembers 5% of what was actually said, our body language suddenly becomes even more important. Therefore, our body language is crucial. People may quickly forget what you said, but they will remember how you looked and how you made them feel.

All the more reason to look and sound confident, because 2 days later you hope people will be saying; ‘I cannot quite remember what was said, but they certainly gave an impression of being on top of their subject’.

However it goes deeper than that. Much of what we transmit through our bodies is unconscious and equally much of what a listener picks up is also unconscious. Therefore if our posture and attitude do not match our words, members of the audience may appreciate and agree with the words being said yet ‘on some level’, feel uneasy about the whole message.

It goes even deeper than that! Body language is a universal language, but it does not have a very wide vocabulary. Body language experts will emphasise the need to take body language signs in clusters and in context. A person standing with arms and legs folded, may be displaying a closed defensive attitude. On the other hand they may be cold or need to go to the toilet!

The problem we have in public speaking is that often the body language we display because we are nervous; hands in pockets or behind the back; arms folded; poor eye contact; shifting around or hands over our mouths (never ideal for public speaking) are the same signs that you would see from someone who was being evasive or even dishonest.

So! Two days after your best, however slightly nervous presentation on what you or your business can offer the assembled potential clients, your audience has already forgotten 95% of what you actually said, but the subliminal messages they picked up and retained from your body language suggest to them that on ‘mature consideration’ maybe taking advantage of your products or services may not be such a good idea after all!

What is my point? Simply this. The message you deliver in how you deliver your message is often more important than the message itself.

Article courtesy of College of Public Speaking & Presentation Skills – London

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For many people confronted with the dreaded prospect of delivering a presentation all that is going through their mind is getting up on stage delivering the presentation with all good speed and getting off the stage.

As long as the message has been delivered and reinforced (usually by distracting and overloaded PowerPoint slides) that’s the job done. Thinking about how to win over the audience is the last thing on people’s mind but it is absolutely crucial.

Failing to win people over will result in 90% of the audience switching off from your presentation within the first 5 minutes; that should be regarded as a catastrophe, but regrettably it is alarmingly common.

In recent years I have made a point of asking people what they thought about a presentation that we have all sat through and it is truly horrifying how many people very quickly went off into their own dream world, so dull was the presenter.

It is not uncommon for 100 people to sit through an hour’s presentation and only 10 to be still listening after a few minutes – imagine all that lost working time.

What are the steps to winning over an audience and banishing the fear of public speaking?

Firstly – know them (if you can) and as early as possible get in a statement that you know they can identify with.

Imagine a politician addressing an audience of business people all of whom are running small independent operations and that politician’s opening remarks being ‘Red tape is strangling this country and impeding the ability of our entrepreneurs to thrive. We will reduce this burden at a stroke by taking the following actions …’.

As long as the actions made sense to the audience they will have been won over completely and utterly. The rest of the speech will now be so much easier to deliver and the fear of public speaking is lost.

Compare this to a speaker with an audience comprised solely of people working within finance departments being greeted with the remarks ‘this initiative will allow us to reduce those working in finance areas by 50%’. No great surprise to hear that this initiative was resisted with all the gusto of a sprinter trying to win Gold at the Olympics!

Secondly – when you deliver this audience winning statement look them straight in the eye as you say it and see how the audience rapport builds as they look back at you. Feel the bond forging between the two of you as they do.

Thirdly – when you have finished delivering that winning statement pause briefly to allow the audience to absorb the statement and quite possibly shake their head in agreement.

Fourthly – during the rest of the speech engage with the audience by asking them rhetorical questions knowing that their answers are going to be in the affirmative.

Finally – and this particularly applies to a speech over ten minutes in length; use humour to lighten the mood. This will ensure that the attention of the audience never drifts off.

Knowing that you have won an audience over is one of the best feelings in the speaking world.

Article courtesy of College of Public Speaking & Presentation Skills – London

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Jesai Jayhmes helps you be at your best when the stakes are the highest. Whether you are speaking to a crowd to inspire them, to your sales team to provide focus, with your spouse to create deeper intimacy, or with your patients to encourage healing you will surely benefit from Jesai’s coaching. He is a master communicator, listener and teacher who has worked with diverse groups and individuals for 30 years. His clients are some of the top seminar presenters, entrepreneurs, teachers in North America. Jesai has also taught at Yale University Theater Studies and the Banff Centre for the Arts. He has given workshops for the faculty at top Universities. His program You Voice Workout has received rave reviews from users and distinguished Jesai as a communications master.

Check him out on the web http://www.yourvoiceworkout.com, and http://www.jesaijayhmes.com email him at info@jesaijayhmes.com

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