Anxiety in speaking in front of a group is the number one fear amongst men and women. Understand a little nervousness is good because it means you have a genuine concern for your audience. It's only when it becomes obstructive that the problem occurs. In today's competitive workforce the ability to deliver a polished and well delivered talk can be the key to success and perhaps the key to the executive floor. The following tips will show you not how to eliminate the anxiety but how to control it, in other words: "how to get the butterflies to fly in formation."
The major cause of anxiety is fear, specifically fear of failure in front of a group. The anxiety factor goes up in proportion to the size of the audience. The main reason for this fear is lack of preparation. Some speakers like to "wing it" and get the "three speech syndrome - the speech you give, the one you planned on giving and the one you wished you would have given on the way home. The obvious way to correct this is to be prepared and use notes or Power Point and stick to the outline. There is no magic formula for preparation the goal should be to know your material so well that notes will only be needed to keep you on track. A caution here, do not try and memorize your talk as this will only cause more anxiety and make you look "plastic" with no emotion or animation. The clue here is to concentrate on delivering the message and not worry about the words. A way to accomplish this is to first script your talk then outline and study the outline. The outline then becomes the basis for notes or Power Point. You should also avoid changing something or adding anythiing new at the last minute as this will only increase your anxiety.
Another cause for anxiety is your "self talk." What do you say to yourself right before you deliver your talk? If you say things like;"I hate doing this," or "I hope I don't fail," or "I'd rather die than do this," then you are setting yourself for an anxiety attack. Instead, begin to think positive thoughts like; "I know the audience will like what I'm about to say," or "this will be better than my last talk," or "I will succeed in doing this." You need to fill your subconscious mind with positives and you'll be surprised what happens.
Yet another reason why people have the "speech jitters," is because they are carrying around thoughts of an old experience. Maybe you got laughed at in your high school presentation, or a business talk didn't go well five years ago and you're still thinking that will happen again. What needs to happen is to let it go. This is a new day and you have prepared properly and you are ready to deliver a great talk. Above all, you should repeat some "positive affirmations" and "just get over it."
There is no substitute for practice to help with getting anxiety under control. The old saying; "Practice Makes Perfect" is wrong here because you may be practicing old habits. The new expression is "Perfect Practice Makes Perfect" and to do this you need some coaching and/or feedback from someone who can give you constructive feedback. Go to a trusted friend or colleague whom you identify as a good presenter and ask for thier help. There is another option and that is to look into joining Toastmasters International. This is an organization made up of local clubs whose sole purpose is to help each other improve their speaking ability. It is a non-threatening environment and the extended experience can help you master your speaking ability.
One final thought is construct your speech with your audience in mind. Rather than think "what am I going to tell them, focus on what can I say to help them. You should prepare your talk by thinking what benefit will they get from my presentation. I use an acronym of "WIIFM," what's in it for me. This approach will focus your thoughts on how much your audience will benefit and they will appreciate you for what you are doing for them. The effect you are creating here is a synergy between you and your audience. Namely, you are giving them something of value, and in turn they will give you praise and gratitude. Not only is this calming but possibly the most exhilarating experience you can have. It's like the "runners high," and it gives you the momentum to continue to your conclusion. The final great feeling comes when they give you the applause and praise for a job well done. When this occurs, you can't help but look forward to your next presentation with a new affirmation from your last talk.
Resource: EzineArticles.Com
The major cause of anxiety is fear, specifically fear of failure in front of a group. The anxiety factor goes up in proportion to the size of the audience. The main reason for this fear is lack of preparation. Some speakers like to "wing it" and get the "three speech syndrome - the speech you give, the one you planned on giving and the one you wished you would have given on the way home. The obvious way to correct this is to be prepared and use notes or Power Point and stick to the outline. There is no magic formula for preparation the goal should be to know your material so well that notes will only be needed to keep you on track. A caution here, do not try and memorize your talk as this will only cause more anxiety and make you look "plastic" with no emotion or animation. The clue here is to concentrate on delivering the message and not worry about the words. A way to accomplish this is to first script your talk then outline and study the outline. The outline then becomes the basis for notes or Power Point. You should also avoid changing something or adding anythiing new at the last minute as this will only increase your anxiety.
Another cause for anxiety is your "self talk." What do you say to yourself right before you deliver your talk? If you say things like;"I hate doing this," or "I hope I don't fail," or "I'd rather die than do this," then you are setting yourself for an anxiety attack. Instead, begin to think positive thoughts like; "I know the audience will like what I'm about to say," or "this will be better than my last talk," or "I will succeed in doing this." You need to fill your subconscious mind with positives and you'll be surprised what happens.
Yet another reason why people have the "speech jitters," is because they are carrying around thoughts of an old experience. Maybe you got laughed at in your high school presentation, or a business talk didn't go well five years ago and you're still thinking that will happen again. What needs to happen is to let it go. This is a new day and you have prepared properly and you are ready to deliver a great talk. Above all, you should repeat some "positive affirmations" and "just get over it."
There is no substitute for practice to help with getting anxiety under control. The old saying; "Practice Makes Perfect" is wrong here because you may be practicing old habits. The new expression is "Perfect Practice Makes Perfect" and to do this you need some coaching and/or feedback from someone who can give you constructive feedback. Go to a trusted friend or colleague whom you identify as a good presenter and ask for thier help. There is another option and that is to look into joining Toastmasters International. This is an organization made up of local clubs whose sole purpose is to help each other improve their speaking ability. It is a non-threatening environment and the extended experience can help you master your speaking ability.
One final thought is construct your speech with your audience in mind. Rather than think "what am I going to tell them, focus on what can I say to help them. You should prepare your talk by thinking what benefit will they get from my presentation. I use an acronym of "WIIFM," what's in it for me. This approach will focus your thoughts on how much your audience will benefit and they will appreciate you for what you are doing for them. The effect you are creating here is a synergy between you and your audience. Namely, you are giving them something of value, and in turn they will give you praise and gratitude. Not only is this calming but possibly the most exhilarating experience you can have. It's like the "runners high," and it gives you the momentum to continue to your conclusion. The final great feeling comes when they give you the applause and praise for a job well done. When this occurs, you can't help but look forward to your next presentation with a new affirmation from your last talk.
Resource: EzineArticles.Com
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