Fear of public speaking, do not allow it to paralyze you on the platform. The next time you are scheduled to deliver a speech in front of an audience, take the following assessment:
1.) Do you have a fear of public speaking?
2.) Do you respect the process involved in public speaking, in other words do you conduct the level of research required to know your topic inside and out?
3.) Before you deliver a speech, do you practice it and if so do you practice in front of a mirror, in front of family or friends, or tape it?
4.) Are you honest with yourself about your abilities to deliver a speech in front of an audience?
5.) Can you honestly say you are putting forth your best effort as you prepare for speeches?
6.) How many hours do you practice your speech?
7.) What let’s you know you delivered your best speech possible?
The reason I asked you these questions is because they have a lot to say about your passion for becoming the best speaker you can be. It takes hard work to become a good speaker, most people do not realize the amount of effort required to deliver one speech.
Professional speakers do not take their clients for granted because they know how important their message is and how they will change people. If you want to become the best speaker you can be, you must understand the impact your speech will have on your audience and do everything you have to do to add value at your next speaking engagement.
If you want to move into the future without fear of public speaking, you must come to terms with the genesis of your fear. I have learned over the years that the best way to overcome fear is to face your fears head on.
You are probably saying, sure that is easy for you to say, you are a professional speaker. I want you to understand I was not always a professional speaker, in fact, I invested a lot of money and more importantly time becoming a professional speaker.
Was I nervous when I delivered my first professional speech? I was more nervous than you are now.
How was I able to overcome my fear? I called every organization I wanted to speak to and I arranged to deliver a different speech at every venue. By delivering a different speech, sometimes three to four a day, I learned how to respect the art and science of public speaking.
My efforts resulted in me facing my fear of public speaking. I knew if I could deliver three or four different speeches in the same day, I could deliver one speech to a client with no problems.
I am passionate about public speaking and more determined than ever to prove to myself that I can stand on the platform and deliver a stellar speech, resonate with the audience and speak with them rather than at them.
The next time you have an opportunity to see a professional speaker deliver a message, notice their relationship with the audience. The first thing you will notice is how confident the speaker is, it means they have researched the topic, organization, and audience and know as much about the organization as the employees.
Then you will notice how a professional speaker respects the audience and never talks down to the audience members, in fact they build the audience up. In other words, professional speakers are responsible for the audience, not to them. A professional speaker is responsible for delivering a speech but not the response from the audience, its something a speaker cannot control.
As I state to my peers in the speaking industry, I only get nervous if I do not have an audience to speak to. You can become a more effective public speaker once you make an adjustment and align your internal (mental) mechanism which is confidence, with your external (voice and body) abilities, then and only then will you be able to overcome the obstacles to your speaker success.
Be more, do more, and achieve more as a public speaker by facing your public speaking fears. You have greatness on the inside of you, express your greatness on the platform during your next speaking opportunity.
Paul Lawrence Vann is a motivational speaker and author of the book, Living on Higher Ground. He leads Fortune 500 companies, associations, government agencies, and educational institutions to achieve higher levels of excellence through his leadership and diversity strategies. Hos clients include MasterCard International, United States Air Force Academy, USEPA, National Military Family Association, Toastmasters International, John Hopkins University, and numerous other organizations.
http://www.paullawrencevann.com, http://www.livingonhigherground.com, http://pvann.blogspot.com, (800) 476-8976.
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