Unlock Your Voice through Public Speaking
There are always people who are frightened by the mere thought of public speaking whether in the classroom, workplace, house of worship, or any other setting. Why is this the case? Public speaking anxiety, or glossophobia, affects 73% of the population reported by the National Institute of Mental Health. It is the most shared phobia ahead of spiders, heights or even death.
“Public speaking anxiety is considered a social anxiety disorder.” – National Institute of Mental Health
When faced with having to speak in public, many people experience a feeling of severe overwhelming panic, and display such symptoms as cold sweats, brain freeze, fight or flight response, or an increased heart rate just to name a few.
The reality is that despite fearing public speaking, most of us have had to perform this activity at some point and will have to continue to do so. Even though it appeared to be overwhelming moments before the teacher called upon you for an answer, when you were asked to present during a team meeting, or asked to read something at an event, YOU DID IT! And regardless of how much you may or may not like it, you know that you can do it.
It's about time that we start to embrace public speaking and recognize that this is an “additional duty as assigned” for entrepreneurs, executive leadership, managers, supervisors and social influencers.
When preparing for a speaking engagement or presentation, ask yourself the following questions?
Am I being my authentic self in the topic that I’m discussing or presenting on?
What are the key talking points that I must share with the audience before it’s over?
Is my goal for the message to be informative, educational, thought provoking, or humorous? Have I accomplished this goal?
Have I thoroughly prepared to the best of my ability?
For tools on how to practice effective communication, please refer to last week’s blog post entitled, Be Heard. If you would like for us to help you become a more confident public speaker and presenter, please don’t hesitate to contact us. To book us for a speaking engagement or presentation at your next meeting, conference or team building activity, please contact us at hiveconnex@gmail.com, or visit our website at www.hiveconnex.com.