Public speaking jobs are one kind of the top paying careers as it is outlined in the famous book”top 1000 paying jobs”.the pay could go anywhere between 1000 $ to 50.000 $ or more depending on the duration as well as the amount of work put into the process of the preparation of a given speaking event.It depends also on the importance of the content of the presentation itself.
Read more on How to Find Lucrative Public Speaking Jobs…
Many clubs and organisations rotate the important role of introducing other speakers at their meetings. If you are relatively inexperienced at public speaking this is a great opportunity to practice and build your confidence.
Read more on Public Speaking: How To Introduce Other Speakers…
If you’ve had an intense fear of public speaking for many years and have tried a variety of ways to rid yourself of the fear – without success, you’ve probably concluded that you’ll probably never get rid of the fear. Or, if you do, it will take a lot of time, effort, and reinforcement.
Read more on How To Get Rid of Your Fear of Public Speaking…
You may be wondering what a Lifestyle Training Company and a retired magician have to do with Public Speaking.
For many years at our Lifestyle Centre we trained therapists in all aspects of complementary medicine and ran courses in Personal Development, including NLP and Public Speaking.
We found that one of the main causes of health problems today is STRESS and one of the most stressful things and one that creates tremendous fear and trepidation is the act of Public Speaking. So a popular part of our courses was, “How To Conduct Effective Public Speaking.”
It is very interesting to note that in a list of the things people fear most, the ultimate catastrophe, DEATH, came way down the list at No. 7. Can you guess what came top of the list? Yes! – PUBLIC SPEAKING.
Apart from our main course on public speaking, we have put together some articles and information that we hope will make a difference. We want to help you overcome that major fear and help you take advantage of the many opportunities, which present themselves to those who can express themselves in a confident manner.
There are not too many hard and fast ‘rules’ in public speaking, as it is very much an art, rather than an exact science. However, there are certain guidelines, which are followed by all effective speakers and we hope this series of short articles will direct you along those lines, and encourage you to stand up and ’say your piece’ with confidence, in all circumstances.
Let’s first of all consider the horrible elements of stress or indeed distress that seem to affect all of us when asked to utter a few sentences in public.
Some examples – nervous churning of the stomach; nausea; sweating; trembling; dry mouth; blushing, dizziness, rapid, pounding heartbeat; fast breathing, even breathlessness and often the mind goes completely blank.
So, you’ve all been there! Unfortunately, those who have had a distressing experience never forget it and in some cases the fear of speaking in public becomes a phobia, and that “Audience-Phobia” prevents them from taking advantage of many opportunities in life.
It may be that we have to express our expert opinion at a works meeting, or to make a report to our bosses, or vice versa (to make a report to our workforce), to give a vote of thanks at a formal gathering, or to express ourselves at an important interview.
A phobia is a very real and intense feeling of fear generated by something, which does not actually pose any genuine threat to us. Yet it is so intense that it often prevents us from doing even some very simple things, which may in fact, have a dramatic effect on our lives.
The response to our fear or phobia is mainly a mental one: – Our thinking becomes confused; we somehow cannot recall even the simplest well-remembered facts; we often have the sensation of blind panic. You’ve heard the expression, or indeed you may have experienced it -”When I stood up to speak my mind just went blank and I froze” – often called “Stage Fright”.
If any “Audience Shy” person was asked by their workmates, or colleagues in the pub, or their family and friends gathered round the fire, to explain their job or favourite hobby, favourite football team or television program, they would go on at great lengths, and often speak with great enthusiasm and wit.
However, if most of us were to be asked to stand up in front of even a small gathering and formally present ourselves to them, things suddenly feel different. Transport the situation and same person from small gathering on to the platform of a large hall and he is struck dumb.
Yet there is no fundamental difference between a large audience and a small group of friends. It is the reaction of our minds to the situation, which causes us to “freeze” and experience the horrible feelings of “stage fright”.
We often refer to these feeling as “Nerves” and state that we are far too nervous to speak in public.
Well I hope to help you overcome those dreaded nerves with a few short articles with information and tips that I have gained from my experiences as a magician, entertainer and speaker.
So look out for the articles on “Overcoming The Dreaded Nerves”.
Read more on Public Speaking – A Fate Worse Than Death!…
Overcoming public speaking anxiety is not an easy task. Your knees shake, your hands sweat, and your heart pumps even faster than you can count; but if you have the determination to succeed on stage, overcoming public speaking anxiety is a breeze.
Read more on Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety the Easy Way…
Fear of public speaking is a very common form of social anxiety. Fear of public speaking has often been called the ‘Greatest Anxiety,’ due to the large number of people who actually experience this fear. Fear of public speaking doesn’t just mean that you have a fear of making a speech in public. It can mean that you experience stage fright, or even that you have a fear of talking to other people in a social situation.
Fear of public speaking often holds people back from many things that they want in their lives. It may be job promotions, or fund raisers for causes that they believe in, but the fear of public speaking will, at some point, stand between you and what you want or need.
Symptoms of fear of public speaking include shortness of breath, inability to speak, a shaky voice, shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, sweating, nausea, dizziness, or lightheadedness. There are many things that can cause fear of public speaking. Social anxiety can cause a fear of public speaking. It may also be caused by an earlier traumatic public speaking experience. There is no one answer as to why some people experience fear of public speaking, but for those who experience it, the fear is quite real – but it can be dealt with.
There are many tricks a person can use to get past their fear of public speaking. The first trick is to know exactly what you are going to say, but not to worry about memorizing every word of your speech. Use note cards, and write down your key points – in sentences that make sense. This way, if you freeze up and forget what you were going to say, you can refer to your notes, and pick up where you left off. Use big print on the note cards, and if possible, keep up with where you are on the cards during your speech, so it will be easy to find your place if you need to.
Once you’ve prepared and practiced your speech, stop. Put it away, and don’t think about it again, until you are on the stage, ready to deliver the speech. Often people over practice, and this just causes the fear to grow and grow. Remember it is okay to mess up when you are giving a speech. Simply laugh at yourself, the audience will laugh with you – not at you – and you can continue your speech. In fact, most people are much more relaxed after they’ve made that first mistake in the speech and laugh about it. They know, at that point, that they are going to be okay.
Speeches do not need to last for hours. You only need three or four main points. Say what needs to be said, accept the applause and say ‘Thank You,’ and go off and enjoy the rest of your day or evening. Another trick that works well is to have someone you know well to look at throughout the speech, and concentrate solely on that person. Give you speech to them, and them alone – even if the room is packed. This means that you bring your spouse along with you, or bring a friend. This must be someone that you are always comfortable talking to.
Many people feel that they must include jokes in their speeches. Unfortunately, many of these people fear that they are not funny, or that their joke will flop, and this causes more anxiety and fear. If you are worried about this, omit the jokes from your speech and be serious. The people are there to hear the information, not the jokes.
If all else fails – picture everyone in their underwear. This is an old standby that really does work. The point of doing this exercise is that it makes everyone in the room seem less intimidating. You don’t even have to picture them in their underwear. Picture them with hair curlers in their hair, or picture the men with facial cream on their faces. There are a variety of ways that you can envision them in your head. Before you start the speech, simply look out over the room, and get that less intimidating mental picture in your head – but don’t laugh outloud!
Read more on Overcoming Fear Of Public Speaking…
It seems that at some point almost everyone experiences some anxiety about public speaking. Hypnosis can be a useful tool to help many people overcome this fear of speaking in front of an audience, and become relaxed, confident speakers.
Although there are several ways to treat a fear of public speaking, hypnosis is often one of the most successful. Hypnosis deals with the “programming” in your subconscious mind, and can affect changes on a deeper level than we are counsciously aware of. Why is this important?
Your subconscious is trying to protect you by maintaining everything in your life the way it currently is — both the good and the bad! Your subconscious doesn’t really concern itself with concepts like happiness or unhappiness. It deals with basic survival, and the way it sees it, you have survived up to now the way you are, so you shouldn’t change anything and put yourself at risk.
You can see a therapist that uses hypnosis to overcome your anxiety, or you can use a public speaking hypnosis recording. Self hypnosis, like using a pre-recorded mp3 session, can in some cases be just as useful as seeing a therapist, and you can do it in the privacy of your own home. Public speaking hypnosis mp3s are available to use over and over until you feel that you have completely overcome your fear. They are also usually a cheaper option than seeing a hypnotherapist.
As with most other types of treatment, hypnosis works best when you are able to repeat it over and over. Owning a self hypnosis session allows you to use it every day, until you have successfully “brainwashed” yourself to the point where you have overcome your mental obstacles and re-programmed your mind.
Undergoing hypnosis, whether with a therapist or using a recording, usually begins by getting really relaxed and calm, and entering a pre-hypnotic state. Once hypnotized, you are usually still both awake and alert, but your mind is more receptive to suggestions. The hypnotherapist will guide you by giving you suggestions that will help your subconscious mind to change its habitual responses and replace them with new, more beneficial ones.
You subconscious does not understand negatives, so a suggestion should not be “I am not afraid of speaking in public,” but rather something like “I feel calm and relaxed when I speak in public,” or “I enjoy speaking in public.”
Using hypnosis to treat phobias has been proven effective in many research studies, and this includes treating fear of flying, fear of spiders, social phobias as well as fear of public speaking.
The concept of ypnosis has been around for a long time, but there are many misconceptions about this technique. For one, a lot of people think you are unconscious and not aware of what goes on around you when you are hypnotized. This is not correct; under hypnosis, you might feel like you are in an altered state of mind, but you are still aware of what is going on and nothing can be done to you that you do not allow.
You can not be hypnotized against your will, and you are still in control when you are under hypnosis. If you feel insecure about what the public speaking hypnosis tape will “do to you”, listen through it without focusing on following the suggestions, or read the script before you start your self hypnosis session, just for your own peace of mind.
Read more on Can Public Speaking Hypnosis Help You?…
Do you suffer from a crippling fear of speaking in public? Or know someone who does?
Does that nerve wrecking feeling of being the centre of everyone’s attention leave you feeling queasy, breathless and like your head is full of cotton wool? Not to mention highly embarrassing sweaty palms and painful blushing that leaves you feeling like an awkward teenager again?
If so you are not alone!
The fear of speaking in public touches the lives of many people and unlike a medical condition there isn’t the simple option of a pill to pop and many people do not feel comfortable, or can afford, a personal therapist to help them work through this phobia. As the years go on the effect that this condition has on your life becomes more and more frustrating as you struggle to communicate effectively in not only social situations but in your working environment also.
You might be worried that you’ll be passed over for a promotion or not recognised for the contributions you have made to important projects due to you inability to clearly and concisely communicate with your boss.
Fortunately there is an alternative to those pricey therapy sessions that can help you re-train your fear response into a much more positive speaking experience. Self-hypnosis is an alternative therapy that has provided outstanding results for people just like you.
Using self-hypnosis techniques that have been around for more than 100 years, many people are starting to take control of their public speaking fear using the power of the mind! A quality self-hypnosis program that is specifically designed to take you on a journey to becoming an effective public speaker will help you unlearn old fears and build amazing new confidence in your own abilities.
The key to this new confidence is understanding that you need to re-educate your mindset to lift away the fear associated with speaking in public and replace it with a healthy and calm perspective.
It’s lifestyle change… Much like using a healthy diet to keep weight gain in check, people who are poor communicators must commit to spending 20-30 minutes a day, for just 30 days, using these techniques to re-programme their fear response. But as anyone who suffers from a phobia of speaking in public will tell you, it’s a small price to pay to be able to communicate confidently in both your personal and professional life.
Just imagine if 30 days from now you were able to deliver a toast in front all of your family and friends at a special event or chair an important meeting or speak one on one with your boss about your contributions, aspirations and goals in your role at work – all without the slightest hesitation or twitch of nerves, wouldn’t that be truly amazing?
So if you suffer from a fear of public speaking, self-hypnosis might be the answer you’ve been looking for.
Read more on Overcoming The Fear Of Public Speaking With Self Hypnosis…
Rule number one of confident public speaking is to know what you are talking about. The more you know about your subject, the easier it will be for you to feel confident speaking about it. Even the most experienced public speaker would not feel confident going up in front of an audience to hold a presentation about something he or she knew little or nothing about.
The second bit of advice I will give you is to write good notes. Even if you think you know everything by heart before you go up there, things might change when you find yourself in front of a few dozen people. Cue cards are better than written out sentences; the more words there are on your paper the harder it is to find the right ones with a quick glance. It is also easy to start reading the sentences out loud rather than talking to people. Remember there is a difference between confident public speaking and public reading. Unless you are an author who just had a book released, chances are people didn’t come to hear you read.
When you write your cue cards, make sure you write or print large, easily readable words. Use bullet points; they can take you from one train of thought to the next in a coherent way with smooth transitions. Don’t freak out if you miss a point, confident public speaking is not about delivering a perfect speech with all the points in a particular order; it’s about delivering a message in a clear and inspiring way.
Confident public speaking requires that you are comfortable giving something of yourself. Anecdotes and small personal stories can be a good way to connect with your audience, but they won’t work if you found the stories online and just memorized them before your speech. Keep it real.
Don’t worry too much about who your audience is and what they may or may not like. As long as you have something to say and keep your topic and language within what’s commonly considered decent and normal for discussion in most crowds, you will be fine. There is always the risk of upsetting someone in the audience, but confident public speaking is all about delivering your message unapologetically; your job is to deliver the speech and share the information, and not to make sure you pleased everybody in the crowd.
The third piece of advice on confident public speaking is to remember to think about your posture. A lot of us have a tendency to slump a little, and when we are insecure, this gets even worse. Stand up tall and deliver your speech with your gaze looking out on the audience and not down on you paper. Keeping a confident posture will not only help you look more confident; you will also be sending a signal to your subconscious about how confident you feel.
Confident public speaking can definitely be taught, but it isn’t about one or two specific things that you can learn and off you go. A confident public speaker incorporates all of these little tips and mixes them in with his or her own ideas to create an original style. Most of all, what makes someone good at speaking in public is practice, sharing personal comments and having a good knowledge of their subject.
Read more on Confident Public Speaking: How to Project a Confident Attitude When Speaking in Public…
Do you, or someone you know, suffer from a crippling fear of speaking in public?
Does being the centre of everyone’s attention leave you feeling breathless or queasy, even feeling like your mouth is full of cotton wool, how about your nerves, are they shattered at the very thought of having to give a speech?
Do you find yourself sweating profusely all over or blushing painfully and generally feeling like an out of place teenager?
If so you are not alone!
The idea of speaking in public has a profoundly negative effect on the lives of so many people, and it’s not like there is the simple option of popping a “cure my public speaking fear” pill before you walk into a room now is there?
Of course there is the alternative therapies whereby you pay a specialist or some kind of therapist to spend hours (usually at an exorbitant rate) helping you talk about your fear, but who can afford that these days?
Unfortunately this fear can have a profound effect on one’s life as it can make you struggle to communicate effectively, not only in social situations, but also in your professional life too.
How many times have you thought that if you could just explain yourself better or talk to your boss clearly that you would be rewarded with the promotion or just for your day to day contribution to important projects?
Thankfully, there is now an alternative to those pricey one on one therapy sessions that can help you to overcome your fear of public speaking, and allow you to begin to enjoy the experience so much more.
Many people just like you are utilising an alternative therapy using techniques that have been known to a few for over 100 years, and they are seeing amazing results. These techniques are designed specifically to take you on a journey of self discovery in order to become an accomplished public speaker and they will help you unlearn your old fears and build new confidence in your abilities.
It’s a change in lifestyle… Much like committing to regular excersise to keep weight gain in check, people who are poor public speakers are committing to spending 20-30 minutes a day, for just 30 days, using these techniques to re-programme their response to their fears.
And as anyone who has suffered from, and overcome a phobia of speaking in public will tell you, it’s a small price to pay to be able to confidently communicate in both your personal and professional life.
Just imagine if 30 days from now you were able to deliver the toast at a special event attended by your closest friends and family, or speak one on one with your boss about your contributions, aspirations and goals in your role at work – all without the slightest hesitation or sweaty palm, wouldn’t that be truly rewarding?
So if you suffer from a fear of public speaking, this might be the answer you’ve been looking for.
Read more on Cure Your Fear Of Public Speaking In Just 30 Days……
