There are a lot of people in this world that are very scared of public speaking. Public speaking phobia is very common, as the infographic below shows, 74% of Americans suffer from some type of speech anxiety according to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health. The fear of public speaking in certain surveys has ranked higher than the fear of spiders and death. When you watch a video like this “The Worst Public Speaker” you could imagine why speaking in front of an audience can be scary.

The phobia of public speaking is also known as glossophobia. People that fear speaking in front of a crowd have a hard time overcoming the fear, but it is not impossible. In fact, their are several professional speakers that at one time early in their career suffered from this normal fear. If you are scared of public speaking, it’s not the end of the world. You could make progress in overcoming this fear by following these tips on overcoming the fear of public speaking. Once you overcome the fear the next step is continuing to work to improve your public speaking skills, here’s a great post on How To Become a Better Speaker.

Practice

The first thing you should understand about public speaking is that it requires constant practice to master. And even then, there’s no guarantee that you won’t find yourself suddenly flailing for words in the middle of a speech. Constant practice is no guarantee against mental blocks either.

However, one thing constant practice can do is to help you accept how mistakes are but a natural part of life and they do not necessarily lead to failure. Mistakes won’t stop you from succeeding. You just have to get back to your feet and start again. That’s exactly what you should do if you find yourself verbally stumbling in front of a crowd. Mistakes happen. Deal with it and move on.

 Be inspired.

Having an inspiration – and making sure that you remained inspired at all times – is just as important as constant practice. In order to remain inspired, you should take the time to look for another motivational speaker to serve as your role model. Consider joining a speaker’s bureau as well and finding a mentor to help you out. Instead of envying the masters, make better use of your time by learning from them.

Know who you are talking to.

People rarely participate in lectures, talks, and seminars without taking the time to research about the person who’d be speaking. You should do them the same courtesy by researching beforehand about your intended audience. Even if you are talking about the same subject you have been giving speeches about for years, it still would not excuse you from getting to know your listeners.

Let’s say you are going to give a talk about taxes. Do you think your previous speech on the matter, which you have written with accountants in mind, would be just as interesting and relevant when you have high school students as your audience?

Consider the setting.

Another way of looking at this would be to consider the occasion in which you have been asked or invited to give a speech. Here are some questions that you should ask in order to have a more comprehensive understanding of the setting and what kind of speech those factors would consequently require.

* Where will you be giving a speech? Is it an indoor or outdoor setting?

* How many individuals would likely make up your audience?

* What time will you be giving your speech?

* Will you be the first or last one to give a speech?

* Is your speech a part of any kind of event or celebration?

What do you want to achieve?

Lastly, public speaking is never done just so that you can bask in the beauty of your own voice. It always serves a purpose. Knowing what that purpose is will help you speak more effectively in front of any kind of crowd.

Why is it a self-fulfilling cycle? Because when you experience anxiety, your speech can struggle, and when your speech struggles, it can reinforce the anxiety you experienced. It’s like telling yourself “I’m going to miss the next shot” in bowling, then when you don’t get a strike you say “I knew it. Now I’m going to miss the next one.” Each time you experience public speaking anxiety, you pretty much guarantee that you’re going to be anxious in the future.

Stopping the Cycle of Public Speaking Anxiety

There are several tips for preventing public speaking anxiety. For example, during the speech it’s a good idea to avoid eye contact with the audience. Eye contact makes you feel as though you’re being judged, and can throw you off of your thoughts. Most tips, however, focus on what to do before a speech or during a speech. Yet because of the cycle of public speaking anxiety, what you do after the speech matters as well.

Below, we’ll take a look at some of the best ways to control the effects of public speaking anxiety after the speech is over, and break the speaking fears cycle.

1. Write the Positives - When you have anxiety, your mind is focused on the negatives. What did you do wrong? What didn’t people like about your speech? All of these thoughts are damaging, and make you more nervous for the next speech. Instead, write out a list of everything you did well – and you did do lots of things well. Even if you did mess up your speech, chances are there were numerous successes if you know where to look. Write them all out so that you can focus on them and change your mindset away from one that is too negative.
2. Give Your Presentation Again Alone – Few people experience a lot of anxiety during practice. The anxiety comes from standing in front of an audience. Unfortunately, your last memory of your presentation is the one you did in front of many people, and that means that every time you think back to the speech you’re going to be thinking of this last nerve-wracking experience. Giving your presentation again in private (practicing one final time) replaces the memory with one that is less stressful.
3. Don’t Celebrate – After giving a big presentation, many people like to celebrate with drinking and partying. This type of self-medicating behavior isn’t harmful necessarily, but it also reinforces this idea in your head that you’ve completed something very stressful. You want to change that mindset, and not feel like you’re completing something incredible stress-inducing.
4. Don’t Mope – At the same time, you don’t want to sit there and mope either. After your presentation, try to do something that is both productive and decreases the anxiety. Repeating the presentation is a start. Jogging can also help, as can watching funny shows on TV. These will all help your anxiety decrease without causing you to continue any negative thinking. If possible, try to do it with a friend or two, since the support can also be helpful.

Public speaking anxiety is common, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. For your career, however, you need to try to overcome this anxiety. What you do before and during the speech matters, but what you do after the presentation can go a long way towards stopping the cycle of anxiety.

About the Author: Ryan Rivera overcame his anxiety and fears, and can now deliver speeches anxiety free. He writes about anxiety and anxiety disorders at www.calmclinic.com.

Feel the fear and do it anyways

It is highly unlikely that a person can go through their entire life without having some type of public speaking assignment,

or at least in front of a classroom. Not many people are “born” with the total confidence needed to have no fear of this; most of us will indeed go through some stage fright with our first encounter. Knowing, that you are not alone, and that every single person in your listening audience is pulling for you to succeed is your number one thing to focus on. They do not want you to fail any more than you do; if you can get through the first 30 seconds with the message you are prepared, know what you are speaking about and indeed have a purpose, they will relax and so will you.

The worst moments are the 60 seconds before you begin. The same is true for actors, athletes and musicians. Deep breathing and visualizing a positive outcome is very beneficial. Stage actors sometimes “run lines in their head” before their entrances to make sure they are still there; occasionally stage fright has set in that they don’t know their lines, but at the right moment, the words come easily. It is a learned skill that anyone can do.

Before you prepare your speech, presentation, lecture, proposal or even an important toast at a wedding, try to remember it need not be stressful. It may become the highlight of your day, your week, your month or even the best thing you have done all year. You may wonder afterward just what were you nervous about? You also do not have to be brilliant, famous, or an expert to give a successful speaking engagement. All you need to be is: sincere, knowledgeable about your topic and have a definite purpose.

Humility and humor go a long way at relaxing both the audience and yourself.

If you think a bit of humor is needed, by all means use it. When you get the desired result from the audience, the rest of your presentation will probably be smooth as glass. If the humor failed, have an alternative remark to make about it ahead of time, showing you understand. Having good eye contact with the audience is favorable, and smile once in awhile.

Be prepared on your subject; know it inside and out, in the advent of questions. Practice with family members or friends. Don’t memorize a speech, bore people with bullet points on a screen or try to follow an exact script (unless you are an actor). Speak in a clear, distinct voice and if your normal voice does not carry to the back of the room, use a microphone. To be truly appreciated, your words must be heard.

Jeff’s Social Media Keynote at CPI

Jeff Zelaya is a sought after social media speaker and digital marketing executive. He’s coached students as well as Fortune 500 executives on digital marketing strategies and techniques. Jeff has extensive experience speaking on topics such as

• LinkedIn for Business
• LinkedIn for HR
• LinkedIn for College Students
• LinkedIn for Sales Executives
• Social Media Strategy for ROI
• Online Marketing 101
• Google Places – Local SEO Strategy

Jeff is an experienced LinkedIn Trainer and social media expert. If you are interested in learning for to book Jeff for your next social media related event click the button below.

Also, watch his new promo video on Vimeo.

Jeff Zelaya – Marketing Consultant & Social Media Speaker from Jeff Zelaya on Vimeo.

Before making a selection one can opt to find out what the particular speakers mode of emphasis is. It is best to find out if they only concentrate on one aspect of social media or if they cover a wide array of aspects. You ought to be able to get this information from their website or an outline of their presentation strategy which they can provide upon request. You will be able to get an idea of how they view social media and its relation to the local business arena.

If your company is one that requires a revision in the way that it uses online media then you have to look at the social media speakers list of topics and make a selection from that to ensure that all the bases are covered.  So you could have the presenter concentrate more on how to get to potential clients using particular techniques.

The aim is to get the staff to have a different view of social media. They must be motivated to leave the session and go try out the new methods learned to improve the company’s online presence. Research can be done to find which tools work best in your field and then they can be used to the company’s advantage. You can also get information on any emerging markets that you can target.

Another thing to consider is the method of the social media speakers’ delivery. It can either be in lecture format where questions are fielded at the end of the session or interactive where audience participation is encouraged throughout. A certain presentation style may work better for your staff. That is left for you to determine.

Apart from the presentation you can verify whether or not there are other means by which information can be garnered. There may be additional training that the staff can go to or a website where they can access additional information. The selection of a speaker may be dependent on which mode is offered. It would be more beneficial to use one that offers further training for those who are interested.

If you are having trouble selecting a speaker you can also use a Speakers Bureau to help you choose the best speaker for your particular needs.

Related Articles:
10 Things You Should Know Before Hiring a Speaker
How To Pick The Right Social Media Speaker

About Jeff Zelaya:
Jeff Zelaya is a sought after social media consultant and one of LinkedIn’s most recommended marketing consultants and social media speakers.

Jeff’s consulted thousands of individuals and organizations on how they can utilize online marketing and social media to reach their goals. Jeff has worked with a variety of executives from Fortune 500 companies to non-profits.

He has also been a featured speaker for the American Marketing Association, Florida International University, ADP, Chevrolet, USDA and Career Partners International to name a few.

If you would like more information on booking social media speaker Jeff Zelaya for your next event click the button below:

The Florida Fire Equipment Dealers Association (FFEDA) has tapped Jeff Zelaya to be the Keynote Speaker for the FFEDA 2012 Annual Conference and Tradeshow.

He is scheduled to deliver the presentation Saturday, June, 9th from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additionally, Jeff will be presenting a two hour hands-on social media and marketing training for members of FFEDA on Friday, June 8th at 4pm.

The FFEDA Annual Conference is the biggest and most important event for the organization. This year the show is taking place at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida and over 330 members representing hundreds of organizations are expected to attend.

About FFEDA:

The Florida Fire Equipment Dealers Association is a non-profit trade association composed of fire equipment companies from Florida and manufacturers from throughout the country. The non-profit FFEDA offers it’s members a variety of benefits including continuing education for fire equipment dealers and permittees. To learn more about FFEDA visit their website at: http://www.ffeda.org

About Jeff Zelaya:

Jeff Zelaya is a sought after social media consultant and one of LinkedIn’s most recommended marketing consultants and social media speakers.

Jeff’s consulted thousands of individuals and organizations on how they can utilize online marketing and social media to reach their goals. Jeff has worked with a variety of executives from Fortune 500 companies to non-profits.

He has also been a featured speaker for the American Marketing Association, Florida International University, ADP, Chevrolet, USDA and Career Partners International to name a few.

If you would like more information on booking social media speaker Jeff Zelaya for your next event click the button below:

The Worst Public Speaker is characterized by a failure to communicate. They miss the mark because they lack knowledge of their audience, are ill prepared and fail in their delivery and execution.

To become the BEST PUBLIC SPEAKER. It is important to:

• Research and understand as much as possible about your audience. What are their LIKES their DISLIKES? What drives them? Why are they even there?
• Second, you have to be prepared. Know your topic inside and out. The more you know the topic the less you will have to use the Powerpoint slides as a crutch.
• Third, deliver with grace and finesse. The delivery is crucial. You can have the best content in the world but if your delivery is monotone people will tune out and the information will not get through to theme. If you focus on these three areas you will improve your communication and public speaking skills and will avoid being the WORST PUBLIC SPEAKER. Check out the excellent video below for an example of what NOT to do. 

Now that you’ve seen the WORST it’s time to experience the BEST.

Book Jeff Zelaya for your next event. For more information click here.

Check out this other social media speaker in Australia.

Business executives from Australia, France, Italy, Canada, Hong Kong and several other countries flew in for this event. Jeff Zelaya prepared and delivered a customized social media presentation to a diverse and global audience of over one hundred business professionals. He spoke about social media strategy, LinkedIn and marketing.

Jeff Zelaya at the 25th Annual Global CPI Meeting

To Book Jeff Zelaya for your next event CONTACT US TODAY

As I look around this room I don’t just see HACU interns, staff and supporters, I see more than that. I see leaders, my friends and most importantly my new found family. HACU has done so much for us these past months, but the best is yet to come.

HACU has delivered on their promise. They have opened the door of opportunity. We can see that in the high conversion rate of interns that have secured full time governmental positions. We also see the success from the returning interns, the high-rate that we have, but more importantly we see it in our own personal growth. We are not that same individual the first stepped out of Ronald Reagan Airport on January 17th. We are now leaders, professionals and volunteers for our community.

These past months have been filled with moments that we will never forget. We experienced inauguration, the Capitol Forum where we lobbied for noble causes and even make time out of our busy schedules to give back to our community and more importantly we have experienced personal successes therefore each of our individual internships and in that process we have made complete strangers into lifetime friends. Today I recognize that this event is not really a farewell as much as it is a celebration. It is a celebration of our accomplishments! Throughout this journey every individual in this room has made great accomplishments that you be very proud of.

Some of us embark in events that we didn’t even know we were capable of. For example I’ve seen tremendous success from The Library of Congress HACU Interns Robert, Alex, Lisa, Pamela and Maria they have worked on a beautiful video that they will likely use as a tool for my minority recruitment. Anita Tambay, has impacted so many with their kind actions as words as she served as a translator for patients at the National Institute of Health while still finding time to balance her thesis work for her university. She is truly an inspiration.

We also celebrate our accomplishments in the community. Did you know that only four short days after arriving in DC HACU interns were featured on Telemundo, Rocky Mountain News and also on online webcast all because we volunteered at a local fire house to raise money and collect provisions for the local food banks. The community service however did not stop there, it only inspired us to continue answering that call of service. HACU also left an indelible mark at Cardoza high school to where we volunteered to paint a mural of Frida Kahlo that will be here long after the internship ends. How does it feel to wake up Sundays at 6 AM? I don’t know, but Brendan Kaye has an idea because he sacrificed his Sunday mornings to volunteer his services at as a drummer for the local church.

These interns have proved that it is not just about what we can do for ourselves, but more importantly is what we can for others. Now, that the door has been opened what will you do? Are you going to let that door smack behind you and just keep going on your way? or are you going to take that time to open the door for someone else? We are here because somebody gave us the opportunity, somebody along our path motivated us, guided up and reached out to us give us support, now it is our chance to return the favor. Let’s continue that chain by extending our hands to help that next generation. Let’s give them more opportunities, more support and more motivation than what we received. As this internship draws to a close and we finish the final pages of this chapter let us not be be saddened, because the story doesn’t end there. A new chapter is about to begin this time we are the authors. What will you write?

Book Jeff Zelaya for Your Next Public Speaking Event Click Here