How to Overcome the Fear of Speaking in Public

The sweaty palms, the telltale warmth that creeps along your neck and reaches your cheeks, and the feeling of panic which starts in your stomach and works its way to your chest. These are all symptoms of the fear of speaking in public. Just the thought of standing in front of an audience can cause these signs to begin.

So, how do you overcome this fear if your job depends on public speaking? While it may never completely go away, you can learn how to deal with it and make your speeches without the trauma that usually accompanies them. Here are a few tips to help you begin overcoming this hurdle.

Before the Speech

For many who dread speaking in public, their symptoms of fear begin hours or even days before the speech. To help lessen the pain and panic that accompanies every thought of the impending speech, you can take a few steps.

Practice your speech. While some experts tell you that a speech that hasn’t been written word-for-word is the best, this option doesn’t work for those who are afraid to speak in public. Instead, write out your speech and memorize it. When you know what to say, it will lessen the fear or standing in front of people with no idea of what to say.

During this practice, focus on remembering what to say and speaking clearly. People with a heavy accent may even want to work with an accent reduction coach to help them enunciate better. As you focus on the practical aspects of the speech, you won’t worry as much about your other fears. You’ll feel more confident, knowing you are prepared.

During the Speech

Stand up and take a deep breath. Don’t start in the minute you get to the podium. Instead, just look out at your audience. As you begin your speech, you can move your focus to another point in the room if you want to avoid eye contact.

Remember what you learned from your business speech coach. Speak clearly and don’t be afraid to have notes in front of you. Right now, your goal isn’t to be the best speaker, but to get through the speech and overcome your fear. You can work on improving the mechanics later on.

After the Speech

Once the speech and other events are over and you’re alone, you can review your speech. Be honest but not too critical with yourself. What did you do right? What would you like to improve on? Start with the basics such as slowing down when you speak or speaking louder. Later on, you can make it a goal to add in a humorous story or make better eye contact.

The idea is to work on getting through the speeches successfully rather than becoming an award-winning speaker. As you become more comfortable being in front of a crowd, you can develop your skills to be more entertaining or interesting to your audience. You don’t have to let fear of speaking in public paralyze you or force you to pass by a job. You can learn how to overcome this fear and become a successful speaker.

Claudette Roche is an accent reduction in the Vero Beach, FL area. She teaches foreign and American accents to actors and business persons/executives. In 2010 she was named as one of The Top 5 Voice Coaches by Hollywood Weekly Magazine.