According to national surveys, public speaking ranks among the top fears of Americans, surpassing fear of illness, fear of terrorism, and even fear of death. Jerry Seinfeld famously quipped that based on these statistics that would mean that people attending a funeral would rather be “in the casket than delivering the eulogy.”
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Archive for nervousness
Friday,
June
17th,
2011
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Categories : Fear of Public Speaking / Stage Fright
Monday,
May
30th,
2011
One of the most thrilling, challenging (and for many people) frightening opportunities is that of public speaking. Whether your job requires it, or you find yourself in a position where you have to give a public presentation, you may be overcome with nerves at the thought of standing in front of a group.
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Categories : Before You Speak, Connect with Your Audience, Misc Speaking Topics, Public Speaking Skills, Speech Coaching
Tags : eye contact, handouts, humor, Marc Adams, memorize, nervousness, opening a speech, pause, time
Saturday,
October
23rd,
2010
Do you remember your first days without the training wheels on your bike? Were you nervous? Were you even a little bit afraid? Did that fear make you hyper-focused? Was there someone holding on to your bike’s seat, guiding you and cheering you on?
When it comes to public speaking, Read More→
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Categories : Fear of Public Speaking / Stage Fright, Speech Coaching
Sunday,
February
14th,
2010
“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.)
GARY GENARD is an internationally known speech coach and corporate trainer. A former professional actor, he is the founder of Boston-based Public Speaking International, one of the world’s premiere presentation skills and media training companies. PSI offers communication skills improvement including public speaking training, executive speech coaching, speech improvement training, presentation skills and using PowerPoint, sales presentation training, and media appearance training. Public Speaking International can be found online at http://PublicSpeakingInternational.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Genard
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Categories : Fear of Public Speaking / Stage Fright, Public Speaking Skills
Friday,
January
1st,
2010
I love all the articles and advice on the internet today which deal with quelling nervousness, combating nervousness, eliminating nervousness and ending those nervous jitters. Unfortunately, most of them do not discuss the benefits of nervousness in public speaking and why it should be your best friend and not your worst nightmare!
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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Categories : Fear of Public Speaking / Stage Fright, Misc Speaking Topics
Sunday,
July
12th,
2009
This article is an excerpt from Chapter 3 of the new book, Speaker’s EDGE …enjoy!
You’re charged with energy and maybe a bit nervous. Too often, this can translate into talking too fast. It might even result in a rise in voice pitch until the best-intentioned speaker sounds like Minnie Mouse. Worse yet, it can affect how the audience responds to your message.
So how do you know if your pace is right? Pay attention to audience feedback. If one person reports a problem with understanding you, this may be an individual perception or opinion. If several do, it’s time to time yourself as you deliver your program.
Try this test: record a casual conversation with a friend. Then compare the number of words per minute to a recording of one of your recent speaking presentations. Do you always speak quickly or just when you’re giving a speech? Did you deliberately speed up your presentation to meet some time constraint? If so, were you trying to include too much material? That’s a sign that you should cut some information to make the rest more effective. Remember, the audience does not know exactly what you intended to say so they won’t know what you left out!
If you decide you need to slow down your delivery, start before you even hit the stage. When you are putting together your remarks, think about logical places to slow down. It’s okay to speak quickly as long as you leave yourself room for pauses and silence. This is when you think and the audience digests what they heard. After all, you want your audience to remember and be able to repeat your message.
The faster you talk, the longer your pauses should be. Give the audience time to digest what you’ve just said. If you say something really profound or suggest something like, “Consider the proposal in front of you,” you are asking the audience to think. Give them time to do so.
Finally, here’s an excellent slow-down exercise. Practice reading your speech aloud. Pause for one second at a comma, two seconds at the end of a sentence, and three seconds after a paragraph. (You can count the seconds the same way you did as a child, saying “one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi” silently to yourself.) Then breathe … and smile! Go speak like the champion you are or will soon be!
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The article above is an excerpt from Chapter 3 of the new book, Speaker’s EDGE by Patricia Fripp, Darren LaCroix, Ed Tate, Mark Brown, and Craig Valentine.
You can learn more about this fantastic new public speaking resource by visiting their World Champion Resources website.
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Categories : Connect with Your Audience, Public Speaking Skills
Friday,
May
8th,
2009
Does the very thought of giving a speech cause you stress and send shivers down your spine? Have you ever wondered why, when you give a speech, your words come out fast and furious? Or when you’re describing an accident, your words come quickly? So quick, in fact, that you have to repeat yourself because you’ve left words out — and sometimes even entire sentences! Stress causes the rhythm of your speech to speed up and the space between your words to shorten.
This is a sure sign of being anxious. If you’re experiencing anxiety, it’s likely to have a negative impact on your presentation. While you may realize that this negative effect will only make matters worse, you’re usually not in a position to alter your state of mind. The negative effect then becomes even stronger. It’s not until you find a way to break this negative cycle that you can gain control of your speech.
The results of this quick anxious speech pattern will find you making the very mistakes that you’re desperately trying to avoid. This anxiety is unnecessary but can’t be avoided when you obsess about looking and being perfect. The harder you try, the more unnatural and strained the presentation, and more mistakes you’ll make.
Six signs of stress before and during a speech:
1. Becoming confused and jumbled when giving a speech
2. Feel constant fear of forgetting what you prepared to say
3. Breathing faster just before starting your speech
4. When you make a mistake, finding it hard to concentrate
5. You feel your heart beat faster when presenting
6. Feeling so nervous while giving a speech that you forget what you know
So how do you remain calm? It may not be easy but it’s doable. Here are 7 calming tips.
1. Prepare thoroughly for your presentation and speech by knowing your material well
2. Eat properly don’t be excessively hungry or full
3. Short personal routine just before the speech, such as a short prayer, 1 minute of meditation and set your intention to be a conduit of information
4. Take deep breaths and smile just before you begin to speak.
5. If you get confused, catch up with your thoughts by taking a sip of water and smiling and saying something simple like “lets go on.” This is an easy way to relax and catch up with your thinking.
6. Focus for a moment on a friendly face
7. Let yourself off the hook. Remember people are rooting for you, and they know we are all human. So don’t beat yourself up for any mistakes. There are no mistakes — only learning experiences.
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Would you like more stress relief techniques that get results? Learn how to dramatically improve your stress relief results by claiming your FREE 5 Part customized home study course. Get instant access at => http://www.transitionyourlife.com
From Linda Hampton RN, MSN A Wellness and Stress Management Coach
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Hampton
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Categories : Before You Speak
Tags : fear, nervousness
Friday,
January
16th,
2009
So you’ve got to give a presentation. Whether you’re a longtime speaker or are preparing one for the first time, you’ve got some work ahead of you to make sure that your presentation is informative, engaging, and relevant to your audience. Read More→
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Friday,
January
16th,
2009
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.
Yvonne Perry has completed the requirements for Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). She uses her public speaking skills through Writers in the Sky podcast her weekly show about the craft and business of writing.
Be sure to subscribe to the RSS podcast feed and Yvonne’s free monthly newsletter about writing, networking, publishing and marketing when you visit writersinthesky.com for more information about Yvonne’s writing services, books, writing classes, newsletter, podcast and blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yvonne_Perry
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Categories : Before You Speak, Fear of Public Speaking / Stage Fright
Monday,
December
22nd,
2008
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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Categories : Fear of Public Speaking / Stage Fright, Public Speaking Skills
Tags : body language, nervousness
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Copyright © 2012 All Rights Reserved