Effective Communication: Overcome Public Speaking Fear

Effective communication is the foundation on which all great human interactions occur

When we are children, we speak with an unfiltered and carefree wonder. As adults we choose our words carefully, through filters society has seemingly placed upon us. Perhaps we speak through our own crafted filter that only experience teaches. I have learned that one of the biggest fears of our time is public speaking. Why is this? There are far worse things.

When I was in college, I loved group projects. I was usually the ring leader. When it came time to present, I would tense up. I would have heart palpitations. It was like my body was going into fight or flight mode. For me, the root cause is fear of judgement. In a class or a work setting judgements have already been made, however subconscious. Nothing new here!

I was terribly concerned about my appearance, my presentation, and how I sounded to others. I cared very deeply. To be seen in a negative light of any caliber was unacceptable. Unrealistic standards, I suppose.

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Fast Forward.

I listened to the tips of other people that had public speaking experience. They are as such:

Eye contact

Eye contact can be intense when addressing a crowd. And depending on the size of the crowd, a challenge. Look at their foreheads, or just above their heads when speaking. It will feel like you are directly addressing people from a public standpoint, but without the sharp pierce of wondering what that person is thinking.

You may eventually become comfortable making eye contact. It's not that bad.

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Connect with the crowd

Attempt to use some comedy to level the playing field and connect to your crowd on a human level. Recently, I stood up to talk about something and this first thing I said was "Well, the anxiety never goes away does it." I received a general chuckle in response. Not so bad, and now I've connected to everyone. Make sure your humor is in good taste and appropriate for the crowd.

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Speed

Slow the eff down! You have got a captive audience already. You can take a moment or two and think about your next sentence. Less is more. If you feel like you are going a bit slow, you are probably going the right speed. Slowing down fills the time with more deliberate and meaningful thoughts.

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To the point

If you want your audience to digest what you say, do not ramble. (guilty!) I get it... You have all this amazing information you want to share. The audience is going to have a range of ability to understand what you are saying. Keep it simple, think about your real point. In school we are taught to expand on our ideas with writing, to have an immense amount of research and pages of supporting documentation. This is good for research and books, not public speaking.

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They are also humans

Why are we afraid of the crowd? There is a good chance your crowd is already interested in what you are going to say before you even start speaking. These are friends, families, coworkers, business partners, and addressees. They use the restroom, they have personal dramas, they love people, they have experienced pain. They are not so different.

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Deep breath

4 seconds in, hold 4 seconds. 4 seconds out. Do it. You are regulating your physical reaction to your nerves. Good in, bad out. This is backed by both science and monks.

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Microphone Etiquette

If you must hold a microphone, keep it in your non-dominant hand. The one you don't write with. You will be less likely to move it around. It can become a distraction and decrease your overall professional aesthetic. Your non-dominant hand will most likely hold a solid position during your presentation. Do not eat the mic, keep it a few inches from your face or tell your audio engineers to make adjustments. (This should be done before you present.)

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Fidgeting

Yes, I see you. I am one of you. Do not give me a swivel chair. (I love swivel chairs!)

If you must move and fidget because that is your comfort zone, you are not alone there are ways of managing this.

• If you are in a big space, you can slowly move from one side of the audience to the other, addressing the whole room.
• Talk with your hands. Do so gracefully.
• Try to keep your hands out of your pockets, don't be sus.
• Hold a glass of water or coffee. It's super casual.
• If you are using slides, maybe there is a remote you can hold to switch the slides.
• Invite others to volunteer in a demo.
• Have members of your group with you on stage sitting behind you so you do not feel alone. They got your back.

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Be grateful

You have this special moment to share your experience. Take a second to thank the universe quietly or perhaps do it aloud. Look at all the amazing people listening to you. You should be proud you made it here.

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We are all still the child inside. We might be bigger, hairier, produce additional odors, and have preferences. But when we gather together for a similar purpose, we are surrounded by friends. In friendship you should feel safe, and at peace. Thank you for reading, happy to hear your tips and experiences in the comments below.