Does Your Audience Wear Executioner’s Clothing?

This post digs deep and gets personal. Both for me and if I touch a nerve, with you. Are the hairs on the back of your neck at attention? Do you think public speaking is a fate worse than death?

When you drill down, your fear is not of public speaking, the problem is confidence in yourself. And yes, I battled it too.

My dirty little secret is I batted my eyelashes to escape all public speaking assignments in high school. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t flaunt my sexuality to garner favours. It’s not in my DNA. It was the fear of public speaking that caused me to stoop that low. It seems that I’m not alone.

My Twitter feed for public speaking spits out streams of anxiety, fear, terror…etc. Try Googling public speaking. How many of your hits return someone who will help you overcome fear, anxiety, or nervousness? Enough to make the knot in your stomach grow exponentially. This advert will likely make you run and hide under your bed.

The best advice I have received on my now defunct fear of public speaking was from a wise Scotsman who blustered, “There is no fear of public speaking, there is only lack of confidence in yourself”. Yes, it was blunt and cut to the bone, but true.

Erika Liodice’s interview with John Zimmer describes the fears that he himself has overcome to be a consummate public speaker. To listen and watch John, it appears he is just a natural speaker. That he does not need to practice and does not get adrenaline butterfly’s in his stomach just before presenting. But he, like most of us, needed to gather his confidence — his advice: don’t ponder, just take action.

If you are confident in your subject, if you know your presentation inside out, and if you passionately believe in what you are speaking, there is no fear. If you are obsessed with the vision of your beliefs, you’ll want to crow from rooftops and tell anyone who will listen about your passion. It isn’t a secret — it is that simple. Marion Chapsal nails it with her rules of four P’s. She critiques Cat Lainé’s riveting presentation. Cat draws you in with her passion and she captures you into feeling what she feels.

Here is the part where you need to dig deep. What are you really afraid of? Are you afraid of appearing stupid — then do your research. Are you afraid of forgetting — practice. Are you afraid of appearing unprofessional — stand tall, project, and dress for the occasion. Harsh, yes, but it’s not about public speaking it is about you.

Sage words from my lovely Scotsman, “What is it you would do if you weren’t afraid?”

Image Credit: Maria Li

Tags: Confidence, Fear of Public Speaking, Passion