Fear of public speaking. Rules for Successful Public Speaking

05.11.2019

What is the main cause of fear in public speaking in front of a large audience? How to learn to make fiery speeches and stop being afraid to speak in public?

Hello, friends! Alexander Berezhnov is in touch and I am glad to see you on the pages of our blog!

I know that I have already intrigued you with such a headline and all this will really be in the article.

And how does it relate to public speaking? - you ask.

I assure you, all these tricks are directly related to overcoming the fear of public speaking! Checked by my 7 year old practice.

Public performance- an interesting topic! Note that the title of the article is not "How to Learn to Speak in Public in an Hour (Day, Week)?" because it's actually impossible, it's all a painstaking and gradual process. Who in the subject - will confirm my words.

If you have read the previous articles, you probably noticed that they all have a practical focus. Here my friends and I share our experience and summarize the accumulated knowledge. They are obtained as a result of hard and regular work. And it's not just words.

1. My public speaking experience

In 2010, in the city of Stavropol, we created a club with like-minded people "charismatic speaker", which regularly held classes, invited interesting guests (politicians, businessmen, actors, TV presenters), went out into the "fields" and trained to speak in public, overcoming their fears and complexes.

Today our club has switched to a new format and with colleagues we also conduct trainings in public speaking in youth institutions of the city of Stavropol and the Stavropol Territory. All this is done free of charge. Thus, everyone can improve their public speaking skills.

However, if you live far from Stavropol, but close to Moscow and still want to get the appropriate training, I can recommend public speaking courses from the I Said! project. It is group training that makes such courses as effective as possible, because oratory cannot be mastered by self-education.

The topic of public speaking is very close to me. From the second grade, I began to perform on stage, studied vocals and choral singing, performed solo in the city of Stavropol and beyond as a performer of classical and patriotic songs.

Therefore, today I am not only not afraid to speak, but also love to do it very much, I teach these skills to others. He has spoken before several thousand people at city and regional events, held mass actions as a host, was a speaker at round tables of various levels, held presentations of projects in different cities, gave interviews on television and radio.

Many of my friends and acquaintances say:

“Don’t feed him with bread,” just let him speak!”

Indeed, public speaking is my passion! I have been doing this consciously and regularly for 7 years now.

Instruction

Prepare your speech carefully and responsibly. Write it down on paper so you don't miss out on what's important. It is better to prepare the text in advance in order to be able to re-read and correct it. Speech should be simple, understandable and interesting. Try to use vivid epithets and to interest people.

Now start fighting your fear. First of all, realize that even if the speech fails, nothing bad will happen to you. You will not be killed, maimed, fired, or pelted with eggs. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing to fear.

Remember, people make mistakes. And even if you say something wrong, the audience will be loyal to it. To avoid this petty embarrassment, learn the speech by heart.

Think about how many benefits this presentation will give you. Set a specific goal for yourself. For example, you will perform to win the election. Or your speech will help bring your idea to life. If global goals are not found, think that this speech will help overcome your fear.

Don't think that this is a public speaking. Let it be just another task to be completed. Take things easy.

Before the event, do not forget to clean yourself up. This will make you more confident and the audience more loyal. Comb your hair, fix your makeup, iron your clothes, dust off your shoes.

Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror or in front of relatives. It's best to do this several times. You must understand how easy it is. Not only give a speech, but also think over a pose, gestures, so that your performance looks organic.

When you are in front of an audience, imagine that you are asleep and have a dream that you can control. This will solve most of your problems. After all, you will begin to feel more calm and simple. There is no audience, there is no stage, there is just a dream in which you are in charge. As you wish, so be it. You will be able to speak brilliantly, convince people that you are right. Such a simple auto-training will help you to relax, become more confident in your abilities.

note

Before the performance, do not use any sedatives, this can only worsen the situation.

Helpful advice

During the presentation, find one person. Imagine that he is your friend and tell him your text.

Sources:

How to speak confidently and not be afraid of it
how not to be afraid to speak in public

No matter how smart and educated a person is, these factors alone are not enough for career growth. The ability to speak publicly is one of the components of a successful business life. Overcoming fear and performing with dignity in front of a large number of people is a necessity that can be learned.

Instruction

Overcome the fear and tension that arose before the performance. Remember that the audience gathered to hear you needs what you have to say, otherwise they would not be sitting in the room. Take it as. They do not belong to a hostile force and do not wish you harm. Even if during the speech you go astray, the audience will definitely support you. The realization that future listeners do not wish evil and do not wait, rubbing their hands, for failure, combined with breathing exercises, will help to relax as much as possible and go on stage not, but calm and self-confident.

Think over the appearance before the performance. The neater and smarter you dress, the more comfortable and confident you will feel. Tasteless, dirty, inappropriate clothing will make listeners think not about the topic of the speech, but about the shortcomings of the speaker. Yes, and it is impossible to feel respect for someone dressed inappropriately.

To listeners, you must first be interested in them. Show proper respect by stepping off a platform or stage and standing level. Do not give out information in a continuous piece in the form of a monologue. Dialogue with the audience will make the performance memorable and enjoyable, and the informal atmosphere will put the listeners in a positive mood. Smile more: like will cause like.

Consider the environment in the room. Seating your guests as compactly as possible will make them feel different and more responsive to the performance. If alone they did not dare to support some words, the realization that they are in a team will play in your favor. Bright lighting will also be in your favor, in its light you will look as confident as possible.

Get rid of fear and phobia

Psychologists say that the low level of training of people in the field of public speaking indicates the presence of complexes and modesty in a person. The main thing is that you realize your fear and understand where its sources come from. You need to understand that courage and confidence, as well as the ability to speak clearly, speaking in front of an audience, must be developed in oneself. This is not at all difficult and not a talent that certain outstanding personalities are gifted with. Famous speakers say that the audience is a stimulus that helps them get inspired and makes them work harder. Don't be afraid to voice your new thoughts and ideas, it's important to start practicing hard.

Learn to speak beautifully and competently

Nowadays it is not difficult to find trainings or courses in rhetoric and oratory, but they all cost money, and often do not coincide with your work schedule. There is a less expensive, but quite effective way - to learn from other people's examples. It is necessary to watch the performances of people of various professions around the world in order to understand what unites them and how they attract the public. Pay attention not only to the dialogue with the audience, but also to the prepared phrases and clothes of the speaker.

Practice your speech in front of a mirror. Think over the text that you would like to voice in front of the public. Imagine that the mirror is the people for whom you need to broadcast. Your speech must be persuasive. Try to pronounce each word as clearly as possible so that the audience can hear you. Hold a small meeting in front of a couple of real people. No need to worry, it is important to be confident in yourself. A useful technique is interaction with the public. You can tell some from life, most importantly, do not overdo it. Make small pauses in your speech, so the speech will look more natural and emotional.

Look at the public

No need to constantly look at your prepared notes. You need to raise your eyes and address the public. You can choose among the entire audience the most friendly - those who approve and support your words.

Don't criticize your speech

Even if your performance is not perfect, praise yourself. You managed to overcome the uncertainty, went out to the public and communicated with them. Do not give up speeches, because this is the only way to become a good speaker. By addressing the audience again and again, your fear and insecurity will disappear, and your performances will be freer, livelier and more exciting.

Is the fear of public speaking a norm or a phobia?

Psychologists call the pathological fear of public speaking glossophobia or Peiraphobia.

There is a clear division between the fear of public speaking and the natural excitement experienced by any person before the upcoming communication with a large audience of acquaintances and strangers. Excitement, as a normal reaction of the body, occurs in a student before an oral exam or in a dancer and singer before a solo concert. At the same time, speaking to acquaintances (friends, colleagues, classmates), they do not experience fear, anxiety or tension.

Psychologists note the positive aspects of a moderate amount of anxiety and excitement. A person, anticipating a responsible event, becomes more attentive, collected, energetic. This favorably affects his performance, making it of high quality. The monologue of a person who is absolutely not experiencing excitement is most often a failure.

A slight natural excitement has nothing to do with the inexplicable and indomitable fear during or before the speech, which is characteristic of glossophobia. A person prone to glossophobia experiences a fear of speaking in front of an audience, regardless of the number of listeners and the degree of acquaintance with people. Such a fear is not selective, but permanent in any stay in public.

Distress and phobic disorders can be caused by different factors, but the non-specific biological response is essentially always the same. The upcoming unfavorable situation for a person, in our case, causes an increase in emotional stress. Due to the high level of activity of the subcortical system, the work of internal organs changes, the following are activated: the cerebral cortex, motor centers, endocrine glands, and the sympathetic autonomic system.

Fear of public speaking is expressed by:

in the increase and tension of the muscles;
in changing facial expressions and gestures;
in changing the tone and timbre of the voice;
in vegetative manifestations: excessive sweating, palpitations, jumps in blood pressure;
in the appearance of a headache, unpleasant, pressing sensations in the region of the heart.

Glossophobia attacks:

dry mouth;
voice trembling;
loss of the ability to speak;
involuntary urination.

Such a phobia can even cause fainting of varying duration, especially in people with increased nervous excitability. Loss of consciousness may begin with dizziness, weakness, nausea, pallor of the face and lips, cold extremities, increased heart rate.

Symptoms and the strength of their manifestation are strictly individual. They are formed by many factors: the character of a person, his reaction to anxiety, the state of the body, mood, fatigue, activity, etc.

Glossophobia is most often formed due to:

genetic predisposition.
social factors.

Genetic heredity is the cause of an individual tendency to certain types of fear, fear of society, an innate increased level of anxiety. Being a constituent unit of society, a person is in constant tension because of the fear of being misunderstood, underestimated, socially isolated, etc. Hereditary psychological characteristics form the basis of a person's temperament, his genetic accentuation and the degree of anxiety. Parents and offspring have similar psychological characteristics, expressed in similar fears, the way they are perceived, the same strength of reaction and the degree of looping.

Material on the topic from the electronic journal:

The appearance of fear of public speaking and its development to the level of panic and phobia can be caused by:

overly strict upbringing;
incorrect behavior of parents, intimidation, prohibitions, threats in childhood;
excessive susceptibility to critical remarks from others, the presence of internal "censorship", which is the cause of anankastic timidity and humility;
negative attitude towards one's own "I", low self-esteem, generated by the pressure of adults on the child's psyche;
negative childhood experience of unsuccessful public speaking, subjected to criticism;
distortion of the strength of stress factors, their amplification.

Poor preparation and lack of necessary knowledge can cause fear of public speaking or fear of being misunderstood by the audience. For many speakers, the reason for the appearance of difficulties during public speaking is the lack of proper experience. Another reason for the fear of public speaking lies in the pursuit of perfection. Perfectionists who strive for ideals and tend to listen to public opinion often suffer from glossophobia.

5 psychological steps to get rid of the fear of public speaking

Getting rid of glossophobia with the involvement of professional help is relevant only for those people whose fears reach the level of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Only a psychotherapist can clearly identify this boundary. All other speakers, lecturers and public people can independently overcome the fear of speaking in front of the public.

There are four steps to overcome the fear of public speaking:

recognize the problem;
analyze the causes of occurrence;
develop ideas for solutions;
test ideas in practice.

There are various methods aimed at reducing the level of anxiety, increasing self-esteem, getting rid of glossophobia. Let's consider some of them in more detail.

Stage 1. Get rid of the unknown.

First you need to carefully analyze the audience. Determine the size of the audience, average age, social status, identify dominant life positions and interests. The speaker must understand what the public expects from him, what kind of reaction can be expected from her. The more information this analysis brings, the less terrible is the unknown. Awareness makes it possible to predict a certain result.

Stage 2. Taming the "monster".

Nervousness, generated by focusing on the negative features of the public, increases the fear of speaking in front of an audience. Imagining skeptical smirks, disapproving gestures, or critical whispers from the speaker reinforces the negative mood. By focusing on the positives, you can easily change your perception of your audience. It is necessary to endow the audience with positive traits, mentally fix approving gestures, interested looks, etc. You can overcome the fear of speaking in front of the public by visually presenting your success.

Stage 3. We do not allow the failure of the performance.

If the fear of speaking in front of an audience is caused by the fear of failure or failure, then careful preparation will help get rid of it. A person who is confident in his knowledge and competence in the topic he covers is much less worried.

You can rehearse your public speech in front of a mirror or loved ones. Listening to a recording of your speech on a voice recorder helps a lot. The non-verbal part requires special attention: facial expressions, gestures, appearance. Preliminary thorough preparation helps to identify and eliminate most possible errors in a timely manner.

Stage 4. Recognize the possibility of error.

No need to artificially inflate the importance of other people. Evaluate criticism logically, given that every person is full of their own shortcomings: sarcasm, cynicism, skepticism, malevolence, etc. Realize that criticism is not always fair and anyone can make mistakes. This will calm you down and fill you with confidence.

Psychologists have developed special trainings that help to form an objective self-esteem, develop and increase self-esteem. A great result can be achieved by repeating affirmations about your own value and uniqueness.

Stage 5. Fixing on the positive.

You should not focus your attention on the expected result, it is better to concentrate it on the very process of public speaking. Try to mentally imagine your successful public performance, recognition and relevance. Transform negative experiences into positive ones.

To overcome the fear of speaking in front of the public, you can take a set of measures:

physical exercises for different muscle groups;
correct breathing;
activation of the work of the left hemisphere of the brain, for example: mathematical calculations;
singing a pleasant melody;
change in body position, adoption of a more open posture;
regular meditations;
using various self-hypnosis techniques.

Don't forget the fantastic power of a smile. A genuine smile can relieve discomfort and tension, as well as deceive the subconscious, because it is impossible to be afraid and rejoice at the same time. When you receive sincere smiles from the audience in response, you will understand that your fear of speaking is gone. Do not refuse to communicate with people, confidence in your oratory skills accumulates with experience.

Expert opinion

Your task is to melt the ice and make people yours.

Alexander Yanykhbash,

business coach, Oratorika Group, Moscow

In marketing, there are the concepts of "cold customers", "". Public speaking is always accompanied by the presence of "cold listeners". The audience must be perceived as a whole. She is able to adequately appreciate the joke or react negatively to the disrespectful attitude of the speaker. The reaction of the public is most often dictated by the psychological effect: everything that belongs to its group is positively perceived, and strangers are skeptically evaluated. The task of the speaker is to become his own for the public. You should not obsessively seek favors, give everyone compliments and fulfill whims. Unity with the audience can be achieved in other ways.

Use intonation, pause.

Consider your voice as one of the reliable tools with which you can create a mood, convey your emotions, attract attention. In order for the audience to be interested in the performance, you need to change intonations, introduce pauses into the narration and avoid monotony. By slowing down or speeding up the pace of speech, accents are created, and the audience is given the opportunity to understand the information they hear. Do not complicate your speech with complex combinations, state the essence to the public as if you are communicating with your friends.

An exercise. Take any poem and read it aloud. Then highlight the metaphors and adjectives with a pencil. Imagine yourself as a beginner actor and read the poem again, highlighting the underlined words with intonation. Try to interest the listener and express much more than the author of the poem. The exercise helps to identify important points in the text and correctly place emphasis.

Look at the audience. Try to sneak a glance and examine the entire audience for a minute and a half. No need to be faster, people may be surprised by the uncontrolled movement of your head.
Feel free to gesticulate. Human postures are open and closed. Taking a closed position, a person, as it were, protects himself: he crosses his arms on his chest, props up or scratches his chin, nose, etc. The open posture leaves the face, groin, throat, abdomen, palms, etc. vulnerable. when speaking in public, try to combine closed and open postures and gestures. When arguing your point of view, or highlighting an emotional upsurge, use open poses. And remember that the opening and closing parts of public speaking are emotional points that require an open posture and gestures.
Move around the stage in a triangle. A little movement of the speaker around the stage will help to make public speaking more dynamic. Do not move only left and right, it looks fussy. Try to move like a triangle: to the right, diagonally forward and diagonally back. All movements and gestures should emphasize your thoughts, for example, when moving backward, use closed gestures and pauses. Accompany a new thought by moving forward, and upload a sentence by moving deeper into the scene. All movements should be natural and effortless. Do not try to mentally draw a triangle, and walk on it, lowering your eyes to the floor.
Exit to the hall. Remember, when a teacher approaches an impatient student and teaches a lesson, standing next to him, then for a while this fidget turns into the most diligent and attentive listener. This technique of speaking "from the audience" is often used by stars. When working on stage, they approach the corners of the stage in order to hear a special response from the audience. When preparing a public speech, especially in a wide hall, consider your movements around the hall. This will help you connect with your entire audience.
Change the scenery. You can diversify and enhance the dynamics of the speech by switching the attention of the audience from text to a slide presentation. Show videos and discuss them with viewers. Steve Jobs, who spoke to large audiences a lot of people, often added recordings of speeches of other speakers to his presentations. This added variety to his speech and did not let the audience get bored.
Ask questions to the audience. You can take the opportunity to ask questions to the audience at any time. My trainings and master classes often begin with rhetorical questions. So I try to explain to the audience what it will be about and why it will be interesting to everyone: “Who does not feel shaking in the knees when he goes out to a large audience? Who has never forgotten the right words at the most unnecessary moment? How to confidently answer difficult questions and not lose face? Listeners mentally answer me: "A familiar situation, I would not like to repeat it." It turns out a kind of announcement of my speech, I say that it will be about how to avoid negative moments.

Try not to ask questions with unpredictable answers. At a graduation ball in St. Petersburg, a representative of the school administration, introducing the Minister of Education to the public, used the technique of triple agreement. First, he asked if all the graduates passed the exam, then asked if they were satisfied, and finally asked the question: “So you like the Minister of Education?” A resounding "no" came immediately. It is unlikely that the official was counting on this answer.

To focus the attention of the audience, you can ask a question in the middle of your speech. The simplest: “Everyone understands everything? We continue! grabs the audience's attention and brings them back to the topic. Diagnostic questions will also work, emphasizing the involvement of people in the conversation. For example, "Please raise your hand, those who have...". Make sure that the questions are directly related to the topic of the speech, this will not let them hang in the air. At the end of your speech, ask if your audience has any comments or counter questions.

How to overcome the fear of speaking in public, knowing the rules and requirements

Public speaking has its own psychological characteristics, consisting in the communication of the speaker and the audience and arising from their dialogue. Such an objective-subjective interaction of the parties of communication can be considered as a joint activity or cooperation.

The characteristic features of the speaker's speech include:

Audience Feedback. During a public speech, the speaker has the opportunity to observe the reaction of people to his speech, the change in their mood. Separate words, facial expressions, and questions asked help to understand the mood and interest of the public. This allows you to make timely adjustments to your performance. Feedback serves to transform a monologue into a dialogue, to establish a communicative connection with the public.
Oral form of communication. The features of oral public speech include the possibility of establishing a dialogue between the speaker and the audience. Such communication is aimed at a specific interlocutor and is built depending on his interest. Oral communication should be tuned for easier understanding and perception. This is a very effective method of public speaking, as it allows you to absorb up to 90% of the information.
The relationship of oral speech and literature. Preparing for a public speech, many speakers ponder their speech, drawing on materials from scientific, fiction or journalistic literature. Already in the audience, the prepared text is presented to the listeners in the form of an interesting and vivid speech, accessible to the understanding of any person. Only a live performance allows the speaker, observing the reaction of others, to correct sentences, translating the book text into a conversational style.
Use of communication tools. Oratory activity welcomes the use of various additional methods of influence and means of communication. We are talking about verbal and non-verbal means: facial expressions, gestures, intonation. The ethics of communication and the culture of speech are important.

The ability to speak to the public in various speech genres is based on the ability to compose texts of different styles. Each genre has its own methods and rules for influencing the audience.

6 golden rules of public speaking

A carefully thought-out and prepared beginning of a speech is the key to the formation of a positive image of the speaker.
The presence of dramatic elements is important for any speech genre. They help to interest listeners, add color to life stories, descriptions of incidents, etc.
Monotonous speech can ruin the best performance. A prerequisite for the success of public speech is its emotionality. Listeners should not only feel the speaker's attitude to the topic of the conversation, but also share his feelings with him. A calm, monotonous monologue will not be able to evoke an emotional response from the public.
Thoughts that are succinct reach their goal more quickly. Listeners perceive short clear speech better, trust it more. Public speaking time is usually strictly regulated. You need to learn how to express your thoughts concisely in order to be in time in the allotted time. Remember that brevity is the sister of talent.
Public speaking, built in a conversational style, more easily conveys information to the audience, draws their attention to the topic. Foreign and incomprehensible words, scientific terms should be replaced with simple phrases. Speech should resemble a conversation between people.
The end of the speech should also be carefully prepared. The conclusion is made up of bright, understandable phrases and is pronounced with the right intonation of voice and tone.

To write a correct public speech and successfully interpret it, you need to perform 12 consecutive steps. This technique guarantees the achievement of high results in oratory.

Public speaking preparation algorithm

Determine the purpose of the speech.
Create your image.
Determine the role for public speaking (good, idol, patron, master, evil).
Compose a speech.
Check the compliance of the text with the moral and ethical requirements and rules for writing public speeches.
Build speech according to the rules of auditory, visual and kinetic perception.
Prepare the venue, if necessary.
Set yourself up for a successful performance.
Speak.
Listen to possible criticisms.
Track the reaction of the public, analyze the impression made.

Preparation is the best remedy for the fear of public speaking

Dale Carnegie, who has taught millions of people to overcome their fear of speaking in front of an audience, has devoted his book to recommendations and rules for preparing a speech. He argues that “you need to know what you want to say and what the listeners want to hear. Only based on this knowledge, you can correctly convey the information and convince yourself to believe.

From the point of view of preparation, there are several types of public speaking:

Improvisation. Such performances do not require preparation. Their success depends on the depth of knowledge of the material and topic. The speaker briefly covers the topic, easily and reasonably gives an answer to any question of the audience. This is the highest skill of oratory, based on knowledge and experience. Trotsky, Lenin, Mechnikov can be cited as a striking example.
Abstract speech. To prepare such a speech, a brief summary is drawn up, and then each point is worked out in detail. Possible questions are thought out, the answers to them are prescribed.
Preparation of the full text. This is the most frequent speech of politicians. A pre-composed text leaves no room for improvisation, so the answers to the questions asked do not always coincide.
Presentation without prompting. The text of the performance is fully prepared, memorized and repeated at rehearsals. This type of public speaking does not provide answers to additional questions.

A sign of high professionalism of the speaker is his ability to adjust his speech to the mood of the public and other changing circumstances.

When preparing for a public speech, remember Dale Carnegie's advice: "Write down other people's thoughts and, of course, your own thoughts on pieces of paper - it's easy to collect and classify them."

If the topic of the report is known, then the preparation procedure is as follows:

Compile a list of facts relevant to the topic of the report.
Identify the main, interesting and informative facts from the list. The rest - delete.
Return to the topic of the report, analyze what is missing for a full disclosure of the topic.

Abstracts must be supported by facts, figures, statistics, examples, etc. It is great if each thesis is confirmed by several points.

When compiling a summary of a speech, be careful about the manner of presentation and language. Sentences should not be shortened; short but full forms are better perceived. Take notes not from questions, but from specific statements so that you can use them during public speaking.

Each lecturer uses the pre-prepared speech material in his own way. For example, the famous Charlie Chaplin did not like to stand in front of a microphone, he always prepared the text of the speech in advance, kept it in front of his eyes and never deviated from it. I.I. Mechnikov, recognized as the greatest master of oratory, carefully prepared for all his speeches, but did not take any notes. His lectures were always based on improvisation.

The famous chemist S.N. Reformed, preparing for public hearings, adhered to his own rules. Having written the lecture in full, he read it to his family and made adjustments. The notes were always at hand in the pulpit, but he no longer looked at them. The famous historian V.O. A pre-prepared short plan of speech helped Klyuchevsky to tell interesting stories. Physiologist I.M. Sechenov had to whisper the text of the lecture in order to memorize it and clearly convey the main ideas. IN AND. Lenin wrote down the theses on small pieces of paper and built his speech to the public on them.

Only some people have no fear of public speaking. However, speaking repeatedly on the same topic each time increases self-confidence. The speaker begins to master the material more freely, introduces additions and interesting facts. When preparing for a speech, try to read the text less, pronouncing and telling it. By following simple rules, it is easy to succeed in oratory. It must be remembered that even experienced speakers need a rehearsal of their speech, this preparatory stage should not be neglected.

Discuss the topic of the speech with family, friends, colleagues. Rehearse, make adjustments, make your speech as interesting as possible.

The more often you repeat the text, the better for you. You need to use every opportunity to pronounce the text again and again to yourself, and at home supplement it with gestures, place emphasis on important places and pronounce it in full voice.

Dale Carnegie recommends playing games with family and friends at home and giving speeches on a variety of topics. For example, choose a topic in which you are strong and try to clearly convey information to the audience in three minutes.

As for recommendations for working with a mirror, the opinions of professionals are contradictory here. For novice speakers, this method can only do harm, because it prevents them from concentrating on the most important thing - the topic and meaning of the speech. The well-known psychologist O. Ernst finds this method ineffective and even harmful.

How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking with the Right Topic and Goals

The fear of public speaking can be avoided if you think in advance about what and how to speak, identify the goal and determine the topic of conversation with the audience. What is being discussed during the speech is its theme. Usually the speaker is given the topic of his speech to the public, but often you need to determine it yourself. In this case, you should understand what topic will be of interest to listeners:

captivating, interesting, appropriate and appropriate for the setting (serious things are not discussed at the banquet, and the workshop is not turned into a clown performance);
corresponding to the competence and knowledge of the speaker;
not too complicated;
not too wide, but not too narrow;
taking into account the specifics of the target audience.

Preliminary preparation and determination of the importance and fascination of the chosen topic will help to overcome the fear of speaking in front of the public. For this you need:

study the target audience, what worries them most: health, money, life, hobbies, etc.;
determine group interest: adherents of a healthy lifestyle will be interested in new ways of hardening the body, and it is more appropriate for recruits to give parting words and tell their memories;
determine how new and topical the topic is;
avoid banal and hackneyed topics, for example, "The contribution of the organization to the development of the region";
add the topic of the conflict, for example, “The war of the “stars” - a five-year conflict” - about controversial situations between the “stars” of the stage;
think over the visibility of the topic;
take into account the time limit. The topic must be fully disclosed. It is better to choose one bright, interesting and memorable episode from the writer's life than to monotonously tell about his entire creative path.

Any performance in front of the public should have a clear purpose. It is she who helps the speaker to connect all the disclosed aspects into a single whole.

Goals can be:

General.

They are focused on challenging the listeners' response - an incentive to action, instilling confidence in victory, inspiration, persuasion or dissuasion, etc.

specific.

Emphasis is placed on the content of speech - evoking emotions, entertainment, quenching the thirst for knowledge, challenging readiness for action, etc.

Proper public speaking should be well structured, logical, have a clear goal and a clear topic. No one will listen carefully to a confused, illogical, uninformative, useless speech that has no topic. The topic of the speech and its purpose should be clearly interconnected.

3 examples of famous speakers who managed to overcome the fear of speaking

Koni example.

A striking example of a properly prepared public speech is the speech of one of the founders of the Russian advocacy, A.F. Koni at the trial for a handicapped hunchback accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on his neighbor. A neighbor of the defendant A.F. Koni constantly insulted the disabled person for several years, calling him a freak. The defendant never answered the offender, but once again he simply could not stand it, took a stone, threw it at a neighbor and broke his head. A.F. Koni prepared a very original speech to the court and the public. Standing up, he, as usual, turned to the jury: "Gentlemen of the jury!" Everyone waited for the continuation, but the speaker fell silent for a while. After a short pause, he repeated his line and paused again. Then again. The jurors were perplexed and whispered nervously. After the fourth appeal, A.F. Koni heard: "Are you kidding me?". He replied: “I only addressed you politely four times, and you all got nervous. Think how my client felt, who was insulted daily for many years? The disabled person was acquitted. The purpose of A.F. Koni has been reached.

case in London.

One of the open trials that took place in London in 1777 entered history. The case of a doctor who, despite the prohibition of the Catholic Church, performed a caesarean section on a woman who could not give birth to her tenth child on her own and was simply dying, was being investigated. The lawyer representing the interests of the doctor set the goal of his speech to focus the attention of the public on the fact that in such cases the church should not interfere. He perfectly understood that his listeners would be from different classes and with different levels of education. To convey his thoughts to everyone, he decided to talk about what absolutely everyone understands: any child must have a mother. Addressing the judges and the audience, he said: “My client violated the ban of the church. But I am sure that neither God nor the church would be better off from the death of this woman, because her nine children would be instantly orphaned. The lawyer's speech was brief, but so capacious that it immediately reached its goal.

Pavel Vlasov.

A well-thought-out and carefully constructed presentation to the public can serve as an impetus to change the public outlook and entail results that the speaker could not even imagine. Political prisoner Pavel Vlasov (A.M. Gorky's novel "Mother") refuses to escape, prepared by his comrades-in-arms, in order to make a speech in court. He painstakingly thought through every sentence. The verdict was not important to Paul, he had a goal - to convey to those present what he firmly believed in. Analyzing his speech, one can understand the basic principles of oratory. Realizing that he would speak in court, Pavel decided to start his speech like this: "Man of the party, I recognize only the court of my party ...". This phrase raised him above the circumstances and the power that judged him. He seemed to have grown, the hall was silent. Pavel divided his speech into several parts, each of which was saturated with the main theme: "We are revolutionaries ...", "We are workers ...", "We are socialists ...". This so increased the emotional pressure that everyone managed to feel the extraordinary, attractive power of his faith.

10 beginner speaker mistakes

Check if your speech contains:

inappropriate facial expressions;
differences in intonation and content of speech;
use of excuses;
apologies to those present;
wrong choice of words;
boring monotonous speech;
the omniscient kind of speaker, arrogance;
extra movements, fuss;
complete lack of a sense of humor;
incorrectly placed pauses in sentences.

Books to help you overcome your fear of public speaking

A novice speaker who is afraid of speaking in front of an audience will help to better learn the secrets of mastery by studying the works of these authors.

Dale Carnegie. "How to Build Self-Confidence and Influence People by Speaking in Public"

The book supplemented published works on oratory. Dale Carnegie devoted his work to the analysis of techniques, rules, exercises that help improve the professional level of the speaker and overcome the fear of public speaking. The book of the famous American writer will be useful for both an experienced speaker and a beginner.

Igor Rodchenko. "Master of words. Mastery of Public Speaking"

Igor Rodchenko is the head of the stage speech and rhetoric department at St. Petersburg University. He specializes in speech communications, is the director of a training speech company, conducts public speaking trainings. His book is devoted to the consideration of the main issues of the psychology of public speaking, the interaction of participants in communication, the secrets of influencing the audience.

Ivanova Svetlana. "The specifics of public speech"

Ivanova easily characterizes the specifics of public speech, examines the communication of the public and the speaker, strategies, techniques, speech technologies, etc. The book will help you learn how to speak correctly, hold yourself confidently and not feel fear of speaking in front of the public.

Information about experts

Alexander Yanykhbash, company "Oratorika Group", Moscow, - business coach. Graduate of the State Academic University for the Humanities (specialty "Psychology"). Author and presenter of master classes and trainings on public speaking and creating slide presentations; He is the author of the book 101 Time Management Tips. Field of activity: organizes and conducts trainings to develop communication skills, including public speaking skills, business negotiations, etc., project management and leadership strategy formation. The number of employees is 45. The main clients are: Sberbank of Russia, Rolf, Apple, VimpelCom, Adobe, Graphisoft, Autodesk, Castorama, Ipsen, Merck, Qiwi, Tele2. More than 200 trainings were held for over 3.5 thousand listeners.

We all sometimes have to speak to the public: during work meetings, interviews, presentations, and even family feasts. For many people, especially introverts, such moments are a real stress. Fortunately, you can avoid panic or at least significantly reduce its degree by following the advice of psychologists.

Today we will share with you 10 useful life hacks for those who have to speak in public.

Why is it important to be able to speak in front of an audience?

I think it’s worth starting with why everyone needs to be able to speak in public. Many of you may object: I am not an actor, not a teacher, and not even a sales manager, why should I? But if you think about it, situations similar to public speaking are constantly encountered in everyday life.

From graduation and job interviews to toasting at the wedding of relatives and explaining the rules of the game to your own child and his friends - all this is a situation in which you need to keep the attention of the audience for a certain period of time, and often this is not easy.

Fear of speaking in public is one of the most common human phobias. Even if you do not panic, it is possible that the need to prepare a speech or speech gives you some discomfort. But this feeling can be learned to control, including with the help of a number of tips that you will see below.

Psychologists say that in the first place, as in the case of any other fear, it is worth vividly imagining the worst possible scenario. What can go wrong during public speaking? They don't throw rotten tomatoes at anyone these days! Most likely, the worst thing that can happen is if you mumble incoherently or forget the prepared text. But all of us have experienced similar moments more than once or twice in life, starting with unsuccessful answers at the blackboard. Has anyone died from this momentary humiliation? Moreover, do you still remember them? Believe me, those who should listen to you in half the cases will not notice at all that something went wrong, and in the rest they will forget about it the next day. Nothing bad will happen, even if your speech is not brilliant. However, making this whole process a lot less nerve-wracking isn't all that difficult. Let's look at a few ideas on how to do this.

So, let's turn to the specific advice of psychologists.

1. Watch other people who speak in public.

Nothing teaches us so clearly as living examples. If you know that public speaking is your problem, start by listening carefully to other people. Go to conferences, lectures, watch videos on YouTube - whatever is more convenient for you. I bet you will find both great performances that make you want to say, “Oh, I want to be like this guy!”, And much less successful performances that allow you to be less hard on yourself, thinking, “But they still worry stronger than me!"

2. Relax.

Let's go back to what we already talked about above: trust that nothing bad will happen to you even if you fail your speech.

Of course, if we thoughtfully prepare our speech, it seems very important to us to conduct it with brilliance. But even if something goes wrong, believe me, others will quickly forget about it or not notice at all. Yes, you may not fulfill some goal: you won’t convince investors, you won’t find partners, you won’t convey your idea, etc. But all this is definitely not the end of the world and it’s not worth the amount of nerves spent.

3. Prepare everything in advance.

Of course, if speaking in public is not your element, be sure to do your homework. Write the text of your speech, or at least the main theses, practice at home - in front of a mirror or relatives.

If you need to speak at an event, never show up at the last minute. Be sure to get to know the site, make sure you have everything you need (presentations, screens, materials, etc.). The more confident you are that the other components of your speech are under control, the less you will worry about your speech.

Well-established technical means are an important part of the success of any performance

4. Know your audience.

The lion's share of the features of your speech depends on who will listen to you. If you have the opportunity to know in advance who your audience will be, then you can try to guess what exactly they want to hear from you, which means immediately capture their attention.

For example, if you are a guest lecturer at an educational institution or at a master class, it is best to know in advance what the approximate age of the audience is, as well as what their average knowledge of your topic is. This will help to avoid both a lecture that is too complex and therefore incomprehensible and boring, as well as a lecture that is too simple, from which your listeners will not learn anything new.

Also, knowing about the interests of the intended audience will help you pick up jokes or digressions that will certainly adorn any public speaking.

5. Involve the audience in your presentation.

If you have studied your audience, then this will be the next logical step. You can ask questions by getting the audience to answer or raise their hands (for example: "Which of you have heard of ...?"), or joke about topics that are familiar to them.

In addition, psychologists emphasize the importance of eye contact: try to look at your audience or at someone in particular in the hall or class, this will help your speech sound more convincing. If the speaker only looks at the floor or the ceiling, nothing prevents the audience from burying themselves in smartphones and completely losing interest in his speech.

6. Tell stories from your life.

People love to hear stories from personal experience. Sometimes a short story about how you yourself, for example, were able to solve a problem with what you are now trying to sell is ten times more convincing than any statistics.

At the same time, of course, brevity is important: do not delve into the details of your personal life too thoroughly, try to quickly return to the main topic.

7. Don't rush.

One of the most common mistakes when speaking in public is the wrong topic of speech. Most of us in life speak much faster than is acceptable for a lecture or presentation. Try to pause, if you feel that you have spoken too quickly, drink a sip of water, take a breath.

You can also arrange with a friend or relative present in the hall that he will give you a signal if you are in too much of a hurry.

8. Move!

Note that almost all successful speakers walk around the room and gesticulate while speaking. Take an example from them, do not hide behind a pulpit or a table!

At conferences, long presentations, and other work events, people are often forced to listen to speeches for hours, so their attention is already deliberately scattered. If you move, smile and show your energy in every possible way, you are much more likely to be heard.

9. Prepare good questions.

You are unlikely to forget to prepare your speech in advance, but it is equally important to prepare questions and answers on your topic. Why is this needed? Remember how many times at various events you have seen a similar picture: a person ends his speech, asks: “Does anyone have questions?”, And in response - silence. You should set aside time for questions, but you can never guarantee that someone will actually want to ask you questions. In this case, you can get out of the situation as follows: “I am often asked the following question ...” They themselves asked the question - they themselves answered. Everything's under control!

10. Do not refuse to communicate with the public after the performance.

Most likely, most of the audience will quickly forget what you were talking about, and this is normal. But people will definitely appreciate if you were polite with them, attentive and spared no time to answer their questions.

Conclusion

The ability to speak in front of an audience is not necessarily an inborn talent. Most often, this is a skill that can be developed and improved. Remember that Demosthenes, the legendary orator of ancient Athens, was tongue-tied in his youth and learned to speak clearly by putting pebbles in his mouth, and famous comedian Jim Carrey struggled with a real phobia of public speaking early in his career. Do your homework, practice in front of a mirror, try to stay calm - and you will succeed! Good luck!

How often does it happen to you that before you go out in front of an audience, everything goes cold inside, your palms instantly become sweaty, and when you go out in front of everyone, you cannot squeeze out a single word from yourself? You stand there and think, "say something, anything," but you can't make a sound, no matter how hard you try. The legs become "wadded" and the face begins to "burn" as if the air temperature rises sharply to exorbitant levels. As a result, you safely blush and, having uttered something indistinct, return to your place, giving yourself a vow never to speak to the public again.

If the above happens to you at least sometimes, then this article is for you. After reading it, you will learn how to improve your public speaking skills, how to learn how to coherently express your thoughts, how to control the audience.

First, let's understand the concepts. What is public speaking? It would be logical to say that this is a performance in front of the public. An audience or an audience is a group of people from 4 people or more. Conventionally, I divide audiences into several categories:

small - up to 10 people;
small - from 10 to 30 people;
medium - from 30 to 60-70 people;
large - from 70 to 150 people;
very large - from 150 people or more.

We will not consider performance at large venues and stadiums.

So how do you improve your public speaking skill?

Let's start with a little theory. Public speaking is 90% eye contact and only 10% auditory. In fact, this means the following: "it is not so important WHAT you say, it is important HOW you say it." The main thing in public speaking is presentation, energy, expression and contact with the audience.

Without spreading my thoughts along the tree, I will give simple specific recommendations.

First- make a presentation plan. Believe me, any experienced speaker always has a speech plan. No experienced speaker will start a speech if he does not know the topic of the speech and what he will talk about (at least approximately). What is a plan? You should not prepare drafts with the full and detailed content of your speech, and even more so, you should not use such notes when speaking. This will only distract you from the speech and take time to sort out your notes. In addition, if you lose the thread of the story, you will have to fumble in the records, and this causes extremely negative emotions among the listeners. Instead of notes, use only the outline of the speech. At home, in a calm and quiet environment, think over the structure of your speech, roughly imagine what you will talk about and write down the points of your speech. For example, if you are preparing a report on the achievements of the company for the year, then it might look like this.