Glossophobia. Yes, this phobia has a name and it’s a fear most of us have – fear of public speaking. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 74 percent of Americans have a fear of giving speeches.
I like the way Dr. Lisa Fritcher explains the phenomenon:
“Fear is a normal and healthy part of life. In fact, fear plays an important role in keeping us from entering harmful situations and helping us decide when to get out of situations that are not necessarily the best. Under normal circumstances, fear can be managed through reason and logic, does not take over our lives, or cause us to become irrational. A phobia, however, twists the normal fear response into something that is persistent and difficult or impossible to control.”
Read Dr. Fritcher’s entire article on fear or phobia here.
I came across a video a few months ago of Kamala Harris speaking to some young girl supporters recently that I think is incredibly helpful if you’re someone who is NOT attuned to public speaking (like myself).
No matter how you feel about her politics, she is a great public speaker and her advice is sound. She says it’s not about you, it is about your message. She likens a speech you plan to give to telling passengers of the Titanic the ship is sinking: what you know is important and you want your audience to know what you know – you’re not worried about how you look, you’re focused on sharing your message.
I think that mindset is powerful when you’re nervous to speak in front of a crowd. For me, my anxiety about public speaking manifests in the form of sweaty hands, a shaky voice, and sometimes my vision will dim while I speak (yeah, it’s extreme). But I’ve actually put myself into the mindset Senator Harris shared and it has helped me with presentations since then!
I put together a list of tips and tricks that help me and other professionals I know get past their fear or anxiety of public speaking to deliver a successful presentation or speech.
Know why you’re afraid.
Understanding why we feel the way we do can help us be more comfortable with our emotions and also help us overcome them. Are you worried because you don’t know the content well? Learn more so you feel that you’ve got a good handle on it. Do you want to know the audience better? Research the group you’re presenting to or try to schedule an introductory meeting with the team (if it’s in a professional setting) ahead of time. If you can, take a look at the room or space you’ll be presenting in to get a feel for the environment. If it’s a large audience, don’t be afraid to ask for or make adjustments to the set up if it will help make the presentation more comfortable for you and your audience.
Practice.
Start by video recording yourself practice a presentation. You might be surprised by what you see that will help you make adjustments. Then look for opportunities to practice public speaking in front of people (this is really hard to actually do). Begin by practicing presentations in front of friends and family ask for their (constructive) feedback and thoughts. When you’re ready to go public, start small with staff meetings, announcements at AWC meetings, then try speaking at chapter events or offering to present your findings or a report from a group project to the class or team. Soon, you’ll be asked to emcee the next local awards ceremony because you’re impressing your audience!
Document your abilities.
Keep track of what you’re excelling at and what you can improve on after each presentation. Take time to focus on each skill. Over time, you can learn how to leverage your strengths and improve your weaknesses.
Be courageous.
Understand your purpose. Tell yourself why you’re excited about a presentation, why it is a great opportunity for you to be giving this speech, and how it will benefit others and how you will benefit once it is complete. Alter your mindset so you are focusing on the value and good giving this presentation will be for the recipients as well as yourself – your education, or your career. Will it give you exposure to important people who could build your network? Could it lead to a new business opportunity? Will it impress your boss or professor? Focusing on what will give us courage and motivate us to perform can outshine our fears and help us succeed.
Public speaking doesn’t often come naturally to people. As communicators, we’re in a profession where we’re likely to be asked to speak to groups of people and *communicate* information. Getting comfortable with this skill can set us a part from peers and colleagues, and gives us a major confidence boost. Remember to understand your fear, practice, keep track of your strengths and weaknesses, and have courage. It gets easier the more you do it!
About the Author
Allison Buehner is a Marketing Specialist for Comcast in Chicago. Her passion lies in using data to improve communication and enhance brand awareness in an effective and engaging way to reach the intended audience. She is a graduate of Illinois State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational & Leadership Communication Studies and a minor in Business Administration.
Allison served as the youngest Director on the national board for the Association for Women in Communications 2016-2018. She continues her work with AWC as a co-Chair of the Marketing Communications Committee and Vice Chair for AWC National.
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1 thought on “Public Speaking: Your Worst Fear, but Why?”
Good advice! I never did hold with the old “picture your audience naked” theory!