9 steps to overcome fear and speak well in public

Communicate in public? What is simple and routine for some people can be a nightmare for others! Do a lot of people find it difficult to speak in public or think they don't do it well? This can lead to many concerns and even damage in everyday environments, such as at work, school or college.

Tiago Porto, communications expert, founder and CEO of the Versate Institute, speaker, consultant and team leader, comments that the "fear of public speaking" can actually be one or a combination of the following: lack of self-confidence (limiting beliefs), not trusting you will remember everything on time, not trusting you will be able to answer questions, vanity, fear of exposure, shyness, discomfort and inhibition in situations of personal interaction, lack of emotional control.

For James, this fear is a mask that covers the real problem, and recognizing this helps to understand and solve the problem where it really is. We can analyze the fear of public speaking and find that it is actually the simple manifestation of other personal characteristics such as shyness, vanity, fear of exposure, fear of judgment. But these causes could still be analyzed and would point to another origin, the combination of two root causes, lack of self-confidence and accommodation ?, he says.

• Low self-confidence can manifest insecurity, anxiety and other symptoms, causing the person to realize that they are afraid of public speaking. On the other hand, when self-confidence is at a good level, the expert points out, the person is not afraid because he knows he will be able to do well, whatever the situation, that is: he trusts in himself and thus , do not realize the fear of public speaking.

Accommodation, on the other hand, is related to the fact that the person needs to do something they are not used to doing. ? The sense of accommodation is always shaken when a person goes public speaking because he or she goes through a change of state, leaving a state where he is reserved, poorly visible, tolerant of error, and going to an opposite state, exposed and ( theoretically) without permission to err. This change is usually not well received by the mind, which is conditioned to always seek a safer and therefore accommodated state, thus causing the perception of fear of public speaking., Says the expert.

Read also: 10 Simple Attitudes to Help You Overcome Insecurity

It is noteworthy that some people do not necessarily feel this exaggerated fear of public speaking, but still feel? Bothered? with this task or simply want to improve this skill, ie hope to be able to speak well (better) in public.

The good news, however, is that in all these cases, some tips can make a difference by helping the person really speak well in public. Check out:

1. Invest in self confidence

First, James points out, it is important to trust you and your mind. She will always be your ally and give you the answers you will need, you must trust her. When a person doesn't trust his mind, can he sabotage him?

How to do this?! Try to analyze the situation clearly. If your problem is really the fear of public speaking, think initially about what bothers you so much (what exactly are your fears); then reflect how prepared you are to talk about a particular subject in public, how thousands of people do it daily; get inspired by people who speak well in public and believe you can do it too!

But if for one reason or another you feel that you are "not ready", invest in your preparation (there are many ways to do this)!

Also read: 8 Signs That You Are An Introvert

2. Train

James comments that, as in many other areas of knowledge in life, training leads to excellence and, in this case, the recommendation is to train perception and attention itself.

When a person is exposed, speaking in public, his mind devotes a great deal of energy to paying attention to the environment and reasoning, searching for answers, examples, metaphors, and reducing attention to physical aspects such as the tone of voice you are using, the rhythm of the voice, how much you are gesturing, the way you are moving on stage, etc.Training this attention itself will make it possible for you to practice this perception and correct what you perceive to be needed in the actual moment, instead of leaving your body in an automatic state, risking breathing in the microphone, moving around in a funny way, keeping his hands in his pockets excessively, says Tiago.

3. Evaluate yourself

A few simple tips can make a difference to those who want to speak well in public and / or lose their fear of doing so: study the content in question, rehearse in front of the mirror and maybe even record your essay so you can evaluate it calmly. Recognizing what is not cool in speech, posture, gestures or even trying to figure out what causes fear is a fundamental measure and will make all the difference!

4. Study

James comments that there is a whole area of ​​research and study on communication and public speaking in the world generating content that can certainly enable a person to hone their skills in public. • It is recommended to seek serious and competent training in this area to learn communication skills, expression, language, etiquette, personal presentation, influence, persuasion, rapport, among others. An example I cite is the Versate Institute Master Talk training ?, he says.

"Participating in training with theoretical and practical programming, with instructors who have recognition and experiential experience, with appropriate structure that favors the playful environment and with post-course support for accompaniment, can greatly help the development of this profile," adds the expert. .

Also read: 10 Tricks to Lose Shyness

5. Attend lectures, invest in yourself

Never think you already know too much or yet, that your case has no solution. Be aware that there are people who are able to help you with your public speaking skills and believe that listening to them will be investing in you.

In this sense, are lectures designed to stimulate a person's ability to speak well in public are great options? As much as they are naturally shallow and fast than a course, they always offer? Something more? when they are run by renowned professionals. So, sure, watching them will not be in vain!

There are also videos on the internet that can help, but look for those that show people who can teach!

6. Don't settle down

Don't let fear keep you from trying. Do not waste opportunities. If you made a public presentation and did not think it was good and / or made a mistake, go to the next one! Want to improve, but don't make your shortcomings and small details reason to give up (in this case, public speaking). Remember that the more often you do this, the more you will feel safe with the task!

7. Write down the most important points

Are you going to make a presentation for work or study and can you take your own notes for it ?! Of course, to speak well in public, you won't be able to read everything. But a tip is to have a paper or tablet in hand, where you can write down the most important topics of the presentation.

Read also: Anxiety: How acceptable is it?

Another tip in this regard is also, if possible, to use a slideshow that contains the most important points of the content you are presenting.

Does this make you feel much more relaxed? without fear of forgetting the content? ,? hit the eye? topics and can develop the subject well.

8. If necessary, invest in a treatment

If your case is exactly the fear of public speaking and you recognize that it limits you in many ways, do not hesitate to seek treatment, such as therapy.

• A treatment is recommended in situations where the person recognizes a high degree of difficulty in overcoming their low self confidence. In this case, one of the fastest and most effective treatments is through hypnosis. Can hypnotherapy sessions provide the necessary support to overcome this and other limiting causes?

9. Face Speech as an Opportunity

Have no doubt how much it is worth investing in this gift of public speaking, as it can bring many personal and professional opportunities.

When we think of public speaking, we often design a stage, audience, microphone and the like, and imagine that this scenario only applies to artists and celebrities, but we are mistaken! The ability to speak in public is important for the most common moments of everyday life, such as speaking at a company meeting, speaking at a family reunion, conducting a conflict resolution that you may experience, or witnessing.Are these moments as rich in personal and professional opportunities as others that will surely require the same skills, techniques and emotional control ?, comments Tiago.

Regarding the negative consequences of being afraid and / or not being able to speak well in public, the main one certainly is the loss of opportunities. Exposure moments for public speaking are valuable, opportunity-rich moments, because of course a public speaking person is being noticed, valued and admired, consciously or unconsciously by his audience, his audience. This scenario favors the emergence of personal and professional opportunities, whatever the subject or the public. If there is a space for public speaking, is there expectation on the part of the spectators and, consequently, openness to opportunities ?, highlights Tiago.

A video to help you in the process

In the following video, you can check out some public speaking techniques that will help you feel much more confident and better speak in public:

Investing in good public communication is very important! Does public speaking well generate varied opportunities and undoubtedly help a person to accomplish his or her achievements? either professionally or personally.

How to NOT Get Nervous Speaking in Front of People (May 2024)