How Have You Addressed Your Fear Of Public Speaking?

in my opinion the very best option is A COACH.

A disclaimer: i am not a coach, so am not trying to solicit business :)

seriously, but i don't mean ANY coach. a coach with solid NLP background.

i don't know if you're having an actual problem with public speaking, or you are asking for marketing purposes. in case it's an actual problem for you, the fastest way to get rid of it forever is as follows:

google for John Overdurf (you may add the term "nlp" just in case), contact them directly, mention your problem and ask for a coach recommendation. you can specifically ask for an expert coach, the one with proven record and years of experience.

any problems with public speaking will be history very soon for you.

this is a very specific recommendation, but this is what i would recommend to my friends and relatives.

just to be clear: i am not affiliated with them, neither directly nor indirectly, neither financially nor any other way.

hope this helps.

I am a coach! And, as a former stage performer, I had severe stage fright which I befriended with some great strategies and practices I learned after years of investigation and experimentation. At first, I didn't know there was anything a person could do about it. One of the many things I like about working with coaching clients who are in the interview process is offering these same tools to them, customizing for their needs. A great moment is when clients discover for themselves that they can apply these practices in multiple areas of their lives, in any situation that causes them to go into anxiety, performance or otherwise.

Once frightened of speaking to more than one person in a room, in my late twenties I found myself a participant in a Dale Carnegie Leadership course. I wasn't scared of speaking, I was terrified! Best thing I ever did for myself. It was a major financial commitment at the time. But, now I look back and realize the immersive experience changed my life and that of the thousands I've trained over the years. I initially took the course to be a better person and discovered it helped me break out of my comfort-zone and also conquer my fear of speaking. I'm no stranger to spending money on audios, videos, seminars, the latest the greatest in learning modalities and this course did more than anything I've ever done to be an effective communicator. I went on to teach their Leadership, Sales and Management courses and then to travel and speak internationally. I can now go anywhere, in any group whether a shop floor, board room or an audience of thousands and speak with poise about the things I've earned the right to speak about. More importantly, the skill allows me to connect with others and bring out their best because I'm not filled with stress. I've seen technically competent people forge ahead in their careers once they dealt with this issue. Communication affects each individual for a lifetime. Speaking with confidence is as important as reading and writing and should be mastered in one's lifetime to take full advantage of life's opportunities. Don't let money hold you back from getting the best training you can. Now I find I use my speaking and coaching skills to bring out the best in people as we interview and then shoot marketing videos for their business. Plain and simple learning to speak has made me a better businessman, father and human being.

Join a local Toastmasters

I think this can definitely be addressed through experience - but I'd have to inquire why someone would be attempting to speak if it's not one of their strengths. I think fear of failure plays a role in a lot of endeavors, speaking being one of them.

I actually experienced this when I first launched because I hadn't been successful on my own. I was always representing someone else. When it came to speaking on my passion, I was afraid I wouldn't be perceived accurately or my model wouldn't make sense..

In order to overcome this, I attended a few confidence counseling sessions in order to believe in myself. I realized that if I couldn't believe in myself, no one else would. Moreover, I spent almost 60 days developing a business plan that made sense. I had a plethora of experience but needed to focus on 2-3 channels and execute them accordingly. Once I was able to formulate my model and establish my brand voice and message - and garner constructive feedback - nothing was going to stop me.

But, if you try to rush the process and ignore insecurities, you're only setting yourself up for failure.

Hope this help :)

As an executive speech coach I agree with a lot that has been written in the answers to the question. I do believe a speech coach is step 1 in overcoming fear. Don't get to caught up trying to be perfect and remember most people in the audience can't believe how brave you are to be speaking to them.

I don't, I avoid at all cost! I'm terrible at speaking in front of groups. It's not that I don't know the material or product, I'm very uncomfortable with all the eyes on me. I get request more and more and every time I decline. Mirrors, speech classes, friends nothing helps. So maybe someone will have a suggestion that might help me!

Have been in Toastmasters for around 5-6 years this time around and have found I STILL nervous before getting in front of a group! But, I STILL give my speeches with my tally being around 50 both in our meetings plus 3 workshops this year and one last year. One tip I have picked up is to imagine your audience as a " room of ______" whatever makes you at ease and breath. Breathing is important! Use a joke to start your presentation if appropriate, even using what I just said to ease YOUR tension. Did you just give a sigh, or a groan because what I said might be a little "cheesy"? Or ask "How is everyone doing?". You might not ever get rid of your nervousness but you can "redirect", as I teach, those "butterflies to fly in formation" well enough that you are the only one that knows you were nervous while "on stage".

For those who want to speak more but need confidence, the National Speakers Association is a great resource of articles, wonderful speakers and possible mentors. I've been a member for over 20 years and find the caliber of folks incredible! To get started speaking, however, you have to JUST DO IT! Start with small groups like Rotary Clubs and Chambers of Commerce. They're used to seeing speakers. Thinking about it is terrifying but once you do it a few times, it gets easier. Deep breaths and Rescue Remedy can help as well!

Hi - I am an executive/leadership coach, and I would say most of my clients are challenged with public speaking and also with doing presentations. My background is brain-based coaching and I can tell you that 1:1 coaching does provide a way to cut through the fear and to get safe support and accountability to break through sabatoging behaviors. I don't think there is one "magic" answer - I have found it is a combination of things- preparation, video-taping, getting specific feedback from trusted peers and lots of practice! Most excellent speakers do all of these things even after years of being an expert! I also teach a presentation training course and the results are amazing when these basic toolsd are used! Finally, as many have mentioned, Toastmasters has been very helpful for many of my clients! There are also lots of great books and Ted Talks that I have recommended. Hope this helps, let me know if I can be of further assistance and I know you can do this! Best, [email address]