{"id":80355,"date":"2022-10-05T09:19:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-05T13:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=80355"},"modified":"2022-10-06T09:21:01","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T13:21:01","slug":"confidence-in-public-speaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/confidence-in-public-speaking\/","title":{"rendered":"Confidence in Public Speaking: Beat Anxiety & Speak Boldly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why is public speaking so scary<\/a>? What could you accomplish if you overcame that fear?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public speaking anxiety<\/a> is legendary. But, public speaking is extraordinarily powerful\u2014both for the audience and the speaker. The audience gains knowledge and gets inspired. The speaker gets their message across, spreads their influence, and develops skills for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about the power of public speaking and several misconceptions and truths that surround it. We\u2019ll also share practical tips on how to gain confidence in public speaking<\/a> by attacking the speech and attacking your fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Power of Public Speaking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dale Carnegie, founder of the Dale Carnegie Institute and author of best-selling books that include How to Win Friends and Influence People<\/em><\/a>, was born the son of a poor Missouri farmer. In 1902, Carnegie was impressed by a traveling lecturer who had transformed himself by learning public speaking. In college, Carnegie, who didn\u2019t initially have confidence in public speaking, entered speaking contests and eventually became such a successful speaker that others began asking him for lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After college, Carnegie offered a public speaking class in New York City, which was an overnight success. Thereafter, in books and seminars, he touted public speaking and developing a winning personality as essential skills for succeeding in the competitive business world. Carnegie\u2019s books and training continue to be popular, as are organizations such as Toastmasters, which was established in 1924 to give people opportunities to gain confidence in public speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1984, TED Talks have come alongside these other public speaking institutions. TED Conference curator Chris Anderson explains in his book TED Talks<\/em><\/a> that, by learning to speak effectively, you\u2019ll experience greater confidence and success\u2014particularly in your professional life. Great public speaking has the power to influence. With the right presentation, your ideas can spread like wildfire and inspire positive change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, when you share your expertise and unique way of thinking, Anderson says new opportunities will find their way to you. The ability to influence others<\/a> combined with a constant flow of opportunities is a recipe for professional and personal success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication is one of the most sought-after skills in the workforce. In addition to the benefits discussed here, it\u2019s also valuable because effective speaking results in fewer misunderstandings and better outcomes<\/a>. If, at the end of your presentation, your colleagues or employees know exactly what to do and are fired up, they\u2019re likely to complete their assigned task with quality and enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fear of Public Speaking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite its power, most people lack confidence in public speaking. In fact, public speaking is one of our greatest fears. Jerry Seinfeld observed that \u201caccording to most studies, people\u2019s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you\u2019re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do so many people lack confidence in public speaking? Chris Anderson says that public speaking anxiety is two-fold: There\u2019s the in-the-moment fear of<\/strong> temporary humiliation\u2014<\/strong>stumbling over words, forgetting what to say, and so on. Then there\u2019s the long-term fear of a damaged reputation<\/strong>. Most people care deeply about what others think of them, and they worry that a public flop will change the way they\u2019re viewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While public speaking anxiety is common, Anderson stresses that it must be overcome. Why? Because you\u2019ll likely have<\/em> to speak publicly at some point, whether you fear it or not, so you might as well cultivate confidence in public speaking and reap the rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misconceptions and Truths<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chris Anderson says the first step is to face your public speaking anxiety by debunking common misconceptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misconception<\/strong>: Great public speakers are eloquent and perfectly polished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truth:<\/strong> Incredible speeches can be delivered in a conversational style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misconception: <\/strong>You need to have a stage and an audience to be a public speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truth: <\/strong>The internet is available to anyone, and there\u2019s always an audience waiting. Online public speaking is so common that it now has a name\u2014digital oratory<\/a>\u2014and it\u2019s being taught as a skill in all levels of education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misconception: <\/strong>To be worthy of a public speech, your idea must be revolutionary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truth: <\/strong>Small but meaningful ideas and observations have value. People love to learn\u2014in fact, neuroscientists have shown that humans receive a rush of dopamine (the feel-good hormone) in their brains when they learn something new. As Anderson says, this isn\u2019t to say that the idea needs to be new to the world<\/em>; it need only be new to your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Gain Confidence in Public Speaking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have intense public speaking anxiety, psychologists recommend that you attack the speech and the fear separately<\/a>. Let\u2019s look at strategies for both attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attack the Speech<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To cultivate confidence in public speaking, you must attack the speech<\/em>. You can do this by speaking your passion, being prepared, dressing with confidence, and using confident body language<\/a>. Let\u2019s unpack each of these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speak Your Passion<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Author Susan Cain lacked confidence in public speaking, yet it was something her work often required her to do. In her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts<\/em><\/a>, she explains how she employs passion to overcome her nerves. Speaking on subjects she\u2019s excited about enables her to focus on the topic more than on the audience. Since she\u2019s interested in the topic, she doesn\u2019t have to project enthusiasm she doesn\u2019t feel. She also treats every speech as a creative project and enjoys the research and preparation. That enjoyment carries over into the presentation itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the book Talk Like TED<\/em><\/a>, communications coach Carmine Gallo shares nine principles of effective public speaking that frequently feature in successful TED talks. The first principle is to pick a topic you\u2019re passionate about. For example, if you\u2019re asked to give a presentation about one sale you\u2019ve made this month, discuss the sale that excites you the most. You\u2019ll be so excited that you won\u2019t feel nervous about your talk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, you\u2019ll have to speak on a topic that you don\u2019t feel passionate about. In such situations, Gallo says that you shouldn\u2019t try to fake passion. People are good at discerning whether passion is genuine, and they\u2019ll distrust what you\u2019re saying. Instead,<\/strong> frame the topic in a way that <\/strong>does <\/em><\/strong>excite you and appeal to your passions. <\/strong>For example, if your passion is bringing added efficiency to your workplace, and you\u2019re asked to give a presentation on a piece of dull accounting software that you don\u2019t really care about, focus your presentation on how efficient the software is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Prepared<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The more prepared you are, the more you\u2019ll find comfort and confidence in public speaking. Preparation includes outlining, writing, and practicing your speech and determining (or knowing) how the stage should be set up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outline Your Speech<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

In Talk Like TED<\/em>, Carmine Gallo explains that effective planning involves working out exactly how you want your speech or presentation to unfold.<\/strong> Your talk is much more likely to run smoothly if you have a clear idea of what you want to say rather than making your points up as you go along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One planning tool you could use is a message map<\/a>: <\/strong>a one-page summary of everything you want to include in your talk. Creating a message map involves three steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n