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Five Benefits of overcoming the fear of public speaking

Many people are simply afraid of speaking before a large crowd, but are you aware that one can stand to learn a lot simply by reaping the benefits of overcoming the fear of public speaking?

There are a lot of people who tend to neglect that aside from the professional advantages one can gain from overcoming their fear of speaking before a crowd, they can also benefit from it personally and even improve one’s character and personality. Do you want to overcome your fear of public speaking? Then below are five benefits you stand to gain if you take the pain to go through the process.

                Five Benefits of overcoming the fear of public speaking

 

1.            Increase in self confidence

One of the most notable benefits you can get from overcoming fear is self confidence. Overcoming the fear of public speaking builds self confidence in a person, especially making them more sociable compared to when they were previously allowing their fears getting the best of them or when they are faced with the situation of having to speak before a group of people. Self confidence also helps in creating a positive outlook and mental attitude in a person.

2.            High self esteem

Another benefit that you will gain from overcoming your fear of public speaking is increase in self esteem; which is how a person values or regards himself. This is another social trait that you can gain not only for the benefit of others, but also to the shaping of your character and personality.

3.            Mastery of the art communication skills

By being able to overcome the fear of speaking before a crowd, you can also gain mastery in the art of communication.

Many may not be aware of it but the secret to good communication skills also rely on a person’s ability to interact well. When a person is comfortable with speaking before a group of people, he or she tends to have more focus towards the topics for discussion and may be able to comprehend matters and topics as well.

When compared to those who are more afraid to interact, especially when they are more susceptible to the fear that can envelop them, making them think of other things aside from focusing on the topics at hand.

4.            Better listening skills

Another good thing that you can achieve when you overcome your fear of public speaking is better active listening skills, which could result to a better communication or speaking experience; not just for the benefit of the speaker but for the audience as well.

Active listening is as important as speaking well, since it is only through active listening that one gets to comprehend things that are being discussed or interacted upon, making discussions or interactions as comprehensive and as substantial as well.

5.            Stronger speaking fluency

Overcoming the fear of public speaking can also help you improve your speaking abilities, through proper voice projection and vocal proficiency as well. Getting the hang of speaking before a group of people can help a lot for those that may have difficulties or problems with projecting their clearly and pronouncing words correctly.

Being comfortable in front of people makes you feel less anxious, stressed or troubled, since you are less likely to experience the difficulty of being distracted from what is actually the real topic or concern that needs to be discussed.

As you can see, overcoming your fear of public speaking is not just aimed to help you become a better speaker, but can also improve your personality and character; thus making your social and personal life even more fulfilling and satisfying.

Self Help: How I Overcame my Fear of Public Speaking

Are you afraid to speak in the public? Do you want to overcome your fear of public speaking? If your answer to the two questions above is yes, then read on as I share with you my own personal experience on how I overcame my fear of public speaking.

If you think you are alone with this fear of public speaking; then think again. I also had the same fears and many people all over the world also share your fears to speak in public. I recall several incidents that occurred while I was growing up. As a child, I often got punished with the rest of my classmates for failing to answer the teacher’s question; even though I had the right answer within me.

I preferred to be punished with others than raise my hand to answer a question; my fear of public speaking was so strong that I would rather risked being punished in school than to see myself being exempted from punishment, simply because I answered a question.

If there was anything I hated most, it was standing out from the crowd; and public speaking was one thing I hate. I often missed school feigning illness just to avoid the debate classes organized by the school management. Now how did I overcome my fear of public speaking? That’s what I am going to share with you now.

In this article, I am going to share with you my step by step strategy to overcoming my fear of public speaking. If you are willing to learn and take some actions, then below is my ten step guide to overcoming your fear of public speaking.

                Self Help: How I Overcame my Fear of Public Speaking

 

1.            I acknowledged my fears

The first step I took to overcome my fear of public speaking was to acknowledge my fears. I wasn’t shy about it; I openly admitted that I was afraid to speak publicly. One of the mistakes people make is that they hide their fears; and this fear eats them up silently. They feign boldness on the outside but inside; they pray that the earth should open and swallow them.

The positive side of openly admitting your fears is that you will become more challenged to overcome it. Openly admitting your fears means you are facing your fears head on. It might earn you some mockery but it’s a way to go especially if you can use that mockery as leverage to boost your determination.

2.            I traced the root cause of this fear

The next step I took to overcome my fear of public speaking was to trace the root cause of the fear. I came to understand that the root cause of this fear was the mentality I grew up with. During my primary school days, I recall coming first in class term after term. I was happy and my parents were, but it put a strain between me and some of my childhood friends.

My friends began to pull back from me because they felt they were out of my league academically and it hurt me. I wanted to be like everyone else; that was where I developed the attitude to avoid “standing out.” If being outstanding was going to single me out of the crowd, then I didn’t want it.

Now having understood the cause of my fears, I decided to attack the root cause. I began to be me, regardless of what people said. I began to take on challenges, not because I loved challenges but I just wanted people to talk. This attitude pitched me against people who felt I was showing off but I didn’t care; I just wanted to be me.

3.            I developed a strong desire to overcome my fear of public speaking

To be sincere, I don’t think you can overcome your fear of public speaking if you don’t desire it strongly. I was able to overcome mine because I desired it. I wanted to express myself in public without an iota of fear and I was prepared to do whatever it takes to bring such desire into reality.

4.            I prepared my mindset to take whatever comes

I had a strong desire to overcome my fear of public speaking and also develop my public speaking skills. But deep down in me, I knew it wasn’t going to come easy; I knew there has to be a price and I was willing to pay it.

I prepared my mind to accept whatever comes; I knew the worst may come so I prepared to meet it in advance. I prepared to take the booing, mockery and rejection that may arise in the process of learning to speak confidently in public. So if you really want to overcome your fear of public speaking, then you must be prepared to take whatever comes.

5.            I kept an open mind

To overcome my fears, I kept an open mind. I knew I had to learn and learn real fast. Learning in this case is not the classroom kind of learning; it’s a type of lesson that can come in the form of suggestion, advice or even criticism.

6.            I learned from the masters

The next step I took to overcome my fear of public speaking was to seek advice from the masters. I began to read books and listen to tapes authored by people such as Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Dale Carnegie, etc. By reading the materials published by these great public speakers, I tapped into their wisdom and gained inspiration from them.

7.            I harnessed the power of positive affirmation

Another step I took to enhance my public speaking ability was to use positive affirmations. You might think it’s not effective but I stand to tell you that it works like magic. By using positive affirmations such as “I can do it” or “I know I am destined for this”, you will unconsciously boost your self esteem. Remember the bible says that the power of life and death is in the tongue, so learn to use the power of spoken words to your advantage.

8.            I developed the passion to teach

Public speaking is more or less teaching. Most great public speakers are teachers so if I am going to excel as a public speaker; if I am to overcome my fear of public speaking, then I have to develop the passion to teach. That was how I became a teacher; sharing information over the web, on platforms and through hard copy materials.

9.            I started small

Today, I speak on platforms; hold seminars and engage in one on one consultations but it was not so few years ago. I started small. I started out by practicing in front of a mirror; imagining myself standing on a stage. I worked on my body language and movement in my closet and from there; I proceeded to speaking for free. I also engaged in positive discussions and I wasn’t afraid to take a stand. I began to accept the crowd as a group of friends; never again was I to be scared of speaking in front of an audience.

10.          I became a confident speaker

After taking the nine simple steps above, I became a confident speaker. I can now speak to any capacity of audience provided I am well grounded on the subject. But I want you to know that I didn’t develop my public speaking skills overnight; I underwent a process that was triggered off by my desire to overcome my fear of public speaking.

As a final note, these are the exact steps I took to overcome my fear of public speaking. If you take a close observation, you will notice that they are very simple steps. Well, overcoming your fear of public speaking will not occur by just reading this article. It will only happen if you take action just as I took action. I wish you good luck.

10 Action Steps to Overcoming your Fear of Public Speaking Instantly

The fear of public speaking is as common to man as the sun is as common during the day. In fact, a survey recently carried out showed that most people dread public speaking; which is a result of the fear of standing out.

Stage fright itself is a common factor affecting almost every public speaker, especially those going through the process for the first few times. Eventually as time goes by and several speeches later, fear and stage fright just comes to pass like the smoke in the wind.

Well, in this article; I will be sharing with you some common and effective means to overcoming your fear of public speaking and deal with stage fright. These tips are easy to apply and the result is instant; so if you are ready to learn how to overcome your fear of public speaking while on stage, please read on.

                10 Action Tips to Overcoming your Fear of Public Speaking Instantly

 

1.            Face your fears

Nobody is perfect when it comes to public speaking, thus it is nothing but normal for anyone to entertain a feeling of fear; so accept fear and allow it to pass. Overcoming the fear of public speaking begins with an acknowledgement of the existence of your fears. It’s very important to understand that fear will only go away if you understand how it affects you; and you formulate steps to conquer it. Don’t run from your fears; face it.

2.            Create positive images in your mind

If you are new to the game of public speaking; you can try focusing on images and thoughts that will help you relax and develop a positive mental attitude. If you feel tension building inside as you approach the podium, you can just take your mind down memory lane and recall an event that made you laugh; this will ease the tension and eliminate your fears.

3.            Free your mind

Before engaging in any public speaking event, try getting rid of negative thoughts and issues bothering you. Overcoming your fear of public speaking might prove to be impossible if your mind is clouded with negative thoughts and problems.

You can a free your mind by trying to calm yourself and gaining a firm foothold of any situation by using deep and gentle breathing exercises to help you gain composure. Watching a movie or discussing with friends can also help free your mind a little bit.

4.            Lighten your spirit with positive affirmations

Positive affirmation is probably my best strategy for overcoming the fear of public speaking. You can attempt using positive biofeedback by telling yourself that you can overcome fear; and that you can take control of the situation can go a long way to help you overcome your fears for public speaking.

You can also use supportive and self encouraging pep talk to boost your morale and self esteem. High self esteem is very essential to the process of overcoming your fear of public speaking because it will make you more confident about dealing with the anxiety of the situation or your fear.

5.            Be focused; concentrate

Never ever lose track of reality, never let go of your consciousness. Concentrating on the importance of the task at hand can make you break through your fears. When you have a public speaking engagement; let go of other external issues. Try focusing on the task ahead; this will help you gauge how well you are adapting to any situation that you are in.

6.            Find your inner strength

If you are going to forget any of these ten action steps for overcoming your fear of public speaking, never forget this because it’s the best antidote to fear. Why are you in the game of public speaking? The answer to this single question can be the breakthrough you need to overcome your fear of public speaking.

That’s why I always emphasize the need to have a “Why” for any project or venture you are undertaking because it can turn out to be your greatest source of motivation. Why do you think some successful public speaker close their eyes for few seconds before mounting the podium? They are simply trying to draw their inner strength.

I usually tell my protégés that the best way to overcome the fear of public speaking is to call upon your inner strength. What are you good at? The answer to this question might be your inner strength. If you are good at storytelling, use it in your speeches. If you are good at telling jokes, use it. Anything you know you are gifted at; use it. Dwell on your strengths and make it the driving force that will push you to try out anything new and to conquer your fears.

7.            Take baby steps

 I know you are zealous to overcome your fear of public speaking but I will advice you take things one at a time. Do not take on situations too seriously or you could lose focus and lose track of what helps you draw your strength towards achieving your desired goals. Rome was not built in a day; so don’t try to overcome your fears for public speaking overnight, it’s a gradual process.

A practical way to take baby steps is to start small. Now how do you start small? In answer to that question, I will suggest you read the article below.

                21 Ways to Improve your Public Speaking Skills in 21 Days or Less

8.            Be prepared

Always be prepared ahead of time, avoid hasty preparation and fire brigade approach to things. Hasty preparations results to cramming and cramming is one of the contributing factors that can foster fear from within, although there are those who believe that cramming does carry some benefits. But in public speaking, the disadvantages of cramming far outweigh its advantages.

9.            Boost your self esteem

Always harbor and develop a good sense of self esteem, even if sometimes you do not feel confident about yourself. Self esteem is the key to influencing others so make it a point to always have a high degree of self esteem; it will help you overcome your fears.

Now how do you boost your self esteem? You can boost your self esteem by using positive affirmations; carrying a mindset that you are a gifted, unique being can also boost your self esteem. Another factor that will affect your level of self esteem is your appearance. Dress as you want to be addressed; dress to impress. If you want to send out the aura of your professionalism; then dress like a professional.

10.          Monitor your performance

Before going public with your public speaking skills, it’s advisable you work on yourself indoors and gauge your performance. How about trying out your skills in front of a mirror? Or making a speech in front of your family and friends? The two situations above are practical ways you can test and evaluate your public speaking skills without making a mess of yourself.

When standing in front of a crowd and delivering your message; carry the assumption that there are judges and members of a panel out to scrutinize and grade you on your performance. Imagine the crowd to be family and friends out to help you achieve your dreams and overcome your fears. After making a speech, ask a friend or somebody you are comfortable with about your performance. This will help you work on your weak spots.

These are the ten important steps to overcoming your fear of public speaking; and as long as you make good use of them, you’ll be surprised to see that your fear of public speaking will become a thing of the past.

21 Ways to Improve your Public Speaking Skills in 21 Days or Less

Are you an entrepreneur or an aspiring entrepreneur? Do you inspire to be like great business leaders and public speakers such as Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, Mo Ibrahim, J. F. Kennedy, Barrack Obama, Winston Churchill and Zig Ziglar?

Do you have a strong desire to develop your public speaking skills or do you want to improve on your public speaking style? Do you know you can develop or improve your public speaking skills in 21 days or less? If you want to find out how, then read on.

In this article, I am going to reveal to you 21 smart ways to develop your public speaking skills in 21 days or less. Call it high speed learning and you won’t be wrong. So if you are prepared for this high speed learning, then read on as I share with you 21 smart ways to improve your public speaking skills in 21 days or less.

                21 Ways to Improve your Public Speaking Skills in 21 Days or Less

 

1.            Have a strong desire to improve your public speaking skills; desire to become an excellent public speaker. If you don’t have a strong desire to develop the necessary public speaking skills, then you will not be motivated to do what it takes to achieve the feat in 21 days.

2.            Read books that will help you master the art of public speaking. I am talking about books such as “Effective Public Speaking” by Dale Carnegie and “The Art of Persuasion.”

3.            Attend a public speaking training course or seminar. This step is highly recommended by master public speakers such as Warren Buffett. Warren Buffett credits his effective public speaking skills to a course he took under Dale Carnegie.

4.            Listen to audio tapes or CDs on public speaking skills development.

5.            Look for friends with the same goal and orientation; and work together with them towards developing or improving your public speaking skills.

6.            Sign up for a public speaking training course online.

7.            Volunteer to speak in shows or event that others avoid or don’t have time for.

8.            Watch public speaking skills development videos prepared by great public speakers.

9.            Look for a professional public speaker and seek mentorship from him or her. Propose to be his or her protégé in return for working for free.

10.          Engage in positive arguments, discussions or debate with friends.

                21 Ways to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills in 21 Days or Less

 

11.          Read the speeches and written materials prepared by professional public speakers.

12.          Join organizations where public speaking skills development is top priority. Example of such organization is Toastmaster.

13.          Join a network marketing business that trains distributors on how to become great business leaders and public speakers.

14.          Visit blogs, forums and websites that share public speaking skills development tips and spend some time there.

15.          Look for a paid public speaking coaching service and sign up. This is all about getting a personal public speaking coach to guide you along the way.

 16.         Join business networks and exchange ideas and techniques with like minded people who are at the helm of affairs of great companies.

17.          Attend business conferences or entrepreneurial summit. You may pick one or two public speaking inspiration by listening to young entrepreneurs, business executives and CEOs.

18.          Listen to the speeches and addresses of great leaders and public speakers. You can decode the source of inspiration of these great business leaders by simply listening to their speeches.

19.          Look for public speaking opportunities in your church or place of worship. You can volunteer to help with the announcements and addresses. Places of worships and societal gatherings are great places to hone your public speaking skills for free and even overcome your fear of rejection.

20.          Develop the mindset required for public speaking. Remember, public speaking skills development must begin with a change of mindset or else; you will only be pouring water on a rock. You must develop your mindset to face your worst fears, handle criticism and rejection.

                21 Ways to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills in 21 Days or Less

 

21.          After reading books, attending seminars or trying out other effective public speaking techniques; you must remember to work on yourself. Learning how to be a good public speaker without putting what you learned into active practice is simply a waste of time and energy.

Working on yourself entails changing your perception towards failure, working on your appearance and acquiring the necessary skills needed to become a good public speaker. I am talking about public speaking skills such as communication skill, people skill and a good sense of humor. In fact, I will recommend you start by studying the traits of successful leaders and master public speakers; and work on yourself to develop such traits.

As a final note, I want to state that anyone can become a great leader and public speaker; all you need is a strong desire and unyielding resolve to achieve your desire. I wish you the best of luck; see you at the top.