Overcome the Fear of Speaking to Groups

by Ron Kurtus (revised 22 December 2001)

A great fear that many people have is speaking before a group or audience. The primary reason is that they are afraidof looking foolish in front of other people. The way to overcome this fear is through preparation, a safety net, and a positiveattitude toward the audience.

Questions you may have include:

• Why are people so afraid of public speaking?
• What are ways to overcome this fear?
• How can I apply these methods?

This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of this lesson.

Reason for fear

The fear of speaking is rated as only second to the fear of snakes and before the fear of dying.

Effects of fear

What happens to many people is that--even before they start speaking--their heart starts beating faster and their mouthgets dry. Some may even get nauseous or feel like fainting.

Once the person starts talking, the heart keeps beating rapidly and the person may hear his or her voice tremble. Thelegs or even the whole body may start shaking. The person may also stutter or start speaking rapidly. 

Although some people calm down, once they get going, others may ramble through the material incoherently.

Do you wonder why many people don't want to go through that ordeal again?

My experience

When I was in high school, I was terrified of speaking in front of the class. I would tremble and my mouth would fillwith saliva. The only way I could effectively give a presentation to the class was to sit in a chair. My English teacherfrowned on this and thought I was just trying to be different or difficult.

Looking foolish

The reason most people get anxious when required to speak to a group is that they are afraid of looking foolish or stupidin front of many of their peers and important people. They are afraid that their mind will go blank or that their lack ofspeaking skills will lower the opinion others have of them.

Being humiliated can destroy a person's ego and confidence. In fact, it can really ruin your day.

Steps to overcome that fear

There are several steps of tricks to use to overcome the fear of making a mistake or looking foolish when you speak toa group:

1. Be well-prepared before speaking to a group
2. Practice your speech
3. Have a backup, in case you forget what you want to say
4. Reduce the fear of your audience
5. Relax yourself just before you speak

In the following material, I will explain each of those points.

1. Be well prepared

One of the best ways to make sure you don't make foolish mistakes is to be well prepared before you speak to a group.You should know what are going to talk about, who you will speak to, and under what conditions you will speak.

Leave nothing to chance

A professional in any field does not leave anything to chance before a big game, important performance, or critical presentationto corporate executives. Strategies are laid out, all material is ready, contingency plans are made, and every detail istaken care of.

When you are well prepared, chances of failure or goof-ups are greatly reduced. You feel more relaxed and sure of yourself,because you have all the bases covered.

Your material

You need to know exactly what you are going to talk about. This doesn't mean to memorize exactly what you plan to say.Rather, it is to have a good outline of facts and information that you can talk about.

Know audience

It is good to be aware of what type of audience you will be speaking before. This will give you an idea of the subjectmatter and tone of your speech. If you are speaking before some important people or at an important event, that fact mayincrease your anxiety. But it is good to know up front, so that you can properly prepare for the occasion.

Conditions

It is good to check over the conditions under which you will speak. If you can, go up to the lectern to check things overand get a feel for things. If you will use a microphone, check it out.

In some situations, a person may simply make a presentation in a meeting room at work. Even then, it is a good idea tocheck out the room beforehand and try to visualize how you will be doing things.

Note that going through this process will actually relax you and give you more confidence when it is your turn to speak.

2. Practice

You should practice your speech many times before you give it.

Even if you know your material very well, practice is extremely important. The more you give a talk, the more automaticit becomes, the more meat it can have, and the more confidence you have in your abilities to give the speech.

Practice alone

Ways to practice alone are to first simply say the speech out loud. This is good to get the material more ingrained inyour memory.

Use a mirror

Then say the speech, looking into a mirror. This is good to do, because you must concentrate more. You also get an ideaof how you look when speaking. Finally, if you must refer to notes, it allows you to practice eye contact with the audience.

Stand in the corner

An interesting trick is to say your speech while standing in the corner. The sound reflects back to you, and you can geta good idea how you sound when you speak.

Record your practice

Another way to practice is using a tape recorder. This forces you to avoid pausing to try to remember things. It alsoallows you to play the speech back to study how you sound, your phrasing, and the content of the material.

Use a friendly audience

Practice before friends. This is a very important way to practice, because it is getting closer to the "real world" ofspeaking to a group. Even an audience of one person is good for this type of practice.

3. Have a backup

It is worthwhile to bring along a "security blanket" or "safety net" in case something goes wrongin your presentation. The main thing to worry about is forgetting what you were going to say next. This can happen even ifyou've done extensive practicing of the speech.

Outline

It is good to have your speech outlined on a few sheets of paper or on 3 X 5 cards. You can then refer to them in caseyou have a mental lapse. Referring to your notes is certainly acceptable to an audience, as long as you are not reading aspeech word-for-word from a script.

Reduces anxiety

One thing that having a safety net provides is that it reduces you anxiety about forgetting what you were going to sayor having your mind go blank. You may never even use the cards, but the fact that you have them--just in case--can greatlyreduce the butterflies. 

4. Reduce fear of your audience

The more important the audience or the occasion, the greater your fear can be. You don't want to look like a fool in frontof the bosses at work, your peers, or even your friends and relatives.

Not that important

One method to overcome this fear is to visualize the people as not all that important. An old trick is to imagine thatthe audience is naked. Or perhaps imagine them all in clown outfits. A ridiculous image will make them seem not all thatimportant.

Use positive approach

 The problem with that method is that it seems somewhat negative. If you look down at your audience, it may be reflectedin your speech. I prefer a more positive approach.

You have to realize that the audience is usually on your side. They want to hear what you have to say and to see you dowell. Before you give your speech, think of them as caring, friendly people who want to hear you speak. It is just like talkingto your friends.

The positive image should relax you and put you in a good frame of mind. The audience will also read your body languageand respond accordingly.

5. Relax before speaking

When you are introduced to speak, take three breaths to settle you down before you get out of your chair. Then when yougo up to the lectern, thank the person who introduced you and then count to 10 before you start speaking.

This will allow the audience to get settled and ready to hear you. It also is a way that you are showing that you arenow in control.

It is not easy to do, because you have to look at the audience and panic may settle in. But if you have made all the preparations,you can be sure of yourself and deserve to be in control of the situation. It is a good feeling.

Applying your skills

If you have to speak before groups at school, work or in some organizations, it is good to practice speaking more oftento hone your skills and to reduce any fears you may have. You can take classes in public speaking in night school, join Toastmasters,or find other opportunities to speak to groups.

Toastmasters

A good place to practice your speeches and to get helpful guidance in giving presentation is through your local ToastmasterClub. It is a well-run organization that helps millions of people hone their speaking skills and overcome any fears theyhave in speaking.

Check the Toastmaster World Headquarters web site to find a club in your area.

Summary

Many people are afraid to speak before a group or audience, because they fear  looking foolish in front of otherpeople. The way to overcome the fear of speaking to a group is to make sure you are well prepared, have some backup materialready in case you forget your lines, visualize your audience as not so important, and practice as much as you can beforeyou speak.