Public speaking is known to be one of the activities that cause anxiety—more than 70% of people fear public speaking engagements more than spiders. The good news is, those fears can become obsolete.
Utilizing positive conditioning through moments of discomfort can reduce fear by creating non-fearful memory associations.
Looking to change your outlook on public speaking? I’ve outlined a few sample positive stimulants that have helped me and many others be comfortable and confident with public speaking, and more excited to take the stage.
You Are The Expert:
Many people fear judgment and criticism when interacting with a new crowd, however, as a speaker, it’s important to keep in mind that you are presenting subject matter the audience wants to learn. Your opinion and expertise are very much valued and sought out. Otherwise, you would likely not be giving the talk in the first place!
Fight For What You Believe In:
While you’re on stage, you have the opportunity to challenge your ideas and those of the audience. For example, Dr. Chadwick Boseman spoke about this while addressing the 2018 graduating class of Howard University. He explained that one of his first roles had slight stereotypical characteristics that made Dr. Boseman conflicted. He took it upon himself to ask the director thought-provoking questions that challenged the character’s background. Dr. Boseman used his public platform as an opportunity to ask big questions and to challenge those around him.
Talk About What You Love:
Those who speak passionately about their subject matter tend to reach more of an audience with their message. Take Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fighting for what he believed in: equality amongst all mankind. In addition to being known for advancing the civil rights movement, MLK Jr has become one of the world’s most renowned speakers due to his passion-fueled speaking engagements. If you can bring passion to your public speaking, you will resonate with more listeners and leave a mark.
Be Flexible, Be Yourself, Be Transparent:
When you’re up on stage it may be tempting to only cover the highlights—but remember that audiences want to hear how you overcame obstacles. During Oprah Winfrey’s commencement speech to the Harvard graduating class of 2013, she spoke openly and honestly about her challenges launching the Oprah Winfrey Network. Many news outlets were predicting that it would be a flop, so when the President of Harvard called and asked her to be the commencement speaker, she responded: “you want me to give an inspiring speech now?” Oprah took hold of her network, turned it around, and admitted that the motivation was because she wanted to deliver the Harvard graduating class the honest speech they deserve. Throughout her speech, Oprah spoke openly about her life, the challenges, the successes, and everything between, showing the audience that they too can achieve greatness by always being themselves.
Watch, Listen, Learn:
Watching videos of other inspirational speakers and reviewing their sessions can help you better understand all the aspects of speaking, and show that even the most illustrious speakers make the occasional mistake while presenting. A few videos that I like to watch before going on the stage are presentations by Dr. Carmen Simon, Author & Neuroscientist of Memzy a Corporate Visions Company; Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder & CEO of Mighteor; and Mark Gainey, Co-Founder & Chairman of Strava.
Interested in changing your mindset and leveraging your public speaking potential? Drop us a line!