Fear of Public Speaking

Public speaking is imperative for successful careers. Everyone of us must have faced this phobia in one or the other way. Indeed it is the biggest hurdle in our life which is preventing us in achieving our dreams. People with high fear of failure tend to have low achievement. It may so happen that a person is going for an interview well prepared but at the time of exhibiting his skills in-front of the interviewer, he is unable to do so. This happens because of several factors such as nervousness, introvert behavior and anxiety. Some people resort to a complete avoidance of public speaking which further add fuel to the fire and doesn't solve the purpose. This fear is overpowering many people and due to hesitation one may even take up a profile which doesn't call for public speaking. It is interesting to know that it is quite normal to experience some degree of public speaking anxiety when engaging in presentations. Fear is not a permanent in nature and can be easily overcome.No one is a gifted Orator like Adolf Hitler. I am sharing few tips and tactics to prepare an individual for the qualities required in an effective public speaker.

1. Regular Practice: Practice makes a man perfect, this saying is equally important in our day-to-day life. You must know yourself and practice it thoroughly. Plan and rehearse mock practice sessions with your friends, family or with someone whom you are most comfortable with, it will be helpful in weeding out any left over fear and will boost up your morale. Once you  have had plenty of practice sessions, you will feel a sense of achievement.

2. Eye Contact: Fear is incredibly a strong feeling that can have an adverse impact on your presentation. It is imperative to maintain an eye contact with the person with whom you are interacting with. This shows your self-confidence and honesty. Don't panic and don't get aggressive if someone from the audience ask any question or makes any derogatory comment. Try to handle the situation confidently and with a beaming smile. Tell the audience what they want to listen from you.

3. Mirror therapy: Rehearse your speech and presentation beforehand. Public speaking is also about your mannerism. Try to practice giving your speech in front of a mirror this will be helpful in analyzing your areas of improvement, expressions and gestures. In-fact you can also ask someone who can capture your performance for reviewing it at a later stage.This will also be helpful in managing your unnecessary stress.

4. Identify your strengths: Identify your strengths and change the way you look at things. You can also do a SWOT Analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat) to remove all the pitfalls in you. Unleash your Charismatic personality to captivate your audience. You must have a conviction in yourself, even when obstacles stand in your way preserving a positive attitude will help you keep going. Visualize yourself succeeding through every step of the speech from the beginning till the end.

5. Study and read articles on motivation: Reading articles and books on motivation is must to keep yourself focused. Many successful people have shared their testimonials that whenever they wanted to give up or to throw in the towel, a paragraph in the book or a motivational speaker helped them in putting back on the right track and to achieve their goals.Maintaining an optimistic approach is very essential.