Do you suddenly “choke” when speaking in front of a crowd? Have you ever wondered why you are so afraid to speak publicly even with the knowledge that you have prepared long and well? Do you want to overcome this fear?
Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. Its symptoms include nausea, severe perspiration, and intense stress or anxiety during or prior to the event. In some extreme cases, even a small group of people can cause distress to a speaker. Some even tremble at the mere thought of public speaking. Glossophobia is just as common as the fear of snakes and spiders.
Although the fear of public speaking is quite normal some people have such a sever phobia that they are unable to convey any coherent message in public. They perspire terribly, shake uncontrollably, lose their voices, and get their mind blanked out, some may even faint.
What is the reason behind the fear?
It is primarily a fear of rejection and failure. People with this fear usually over-scrutinize themselves. They deem themselves not capable and they may feel that rejection is an eventuality. They fear the failure to deliver which is bound to happen anyway because they put too much pressure and expectation to the occasion.
The causes of this anxiety are self-defeating thoughts and anxiety-provoking situations. Basically, it perfectly fits the cliché… “It’s all in the mind!”
Key points to remember to overcome the fear
Start small. If you have the fear in speaking in front of a large audience, it would be better to start with a handful people. Fewer if necessary. You could start practicing in front of your family and friends. It is highly unlikely that they’ll throw tomatoes at you. Start from there and gradually progress to a bigger audience.
You don’t have to try to control the behavior of the audience. If you try to impress the listeners you are just digging yourself a hole. This will just create more pressure to perform.
The job is to deliver a point. For most public speakers, especially, the ones with this phobia, it is helpful to remember that you are there to deliver a message or a point; nothing else. Just say what you have prepared and practiced and that’s the end of it. Leave the particulars to the experts. The purpose here is to overcome the fear and recognize that the crowd is not there to crucify you.
In reality, the audience wants you to succeed. Statistically, most of the listeners want you to succeed and most of the remaining do not care at all. So, in essence, no one really wants your speech to end in a disaster.
Generally, the more you prepare, the worse you will do. This only applies to severely fear-impaired public speakers. What this means is that in your preparation you‘ll create a paradigm of giving an exceptional speech. If you prepare too much, you will only expect more from your performance.
If you can, try to place a light flashing directly at you. This is a commonly heard quick fix and many swore that it can do wonders. If you can have someone in your influence to flash a very bright light (suitably a spotlight) at you, please do so. You won’t see the audience. You will feel surreal, like speaking alone in strange relaxing place.
In summary, there are really no tricks in overcoming your fear of public speaking — well, except for the last one. It is merely a question of confidence and dealing with the self-imposed stress and anxiety.
For more resources you can go here http://www.GetSpeakingJobs.com where he keeps you motivated and informed about public speaking.