6. SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY

- Pervasiveness of Speaker Nervousness Apprehension about speaking in public is widespread, even among people with a lot of public speaking experience.

- According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that seem right? This means to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. Jerry Seinfeld (accomplished comedian & actor)

 

What happens when we get nervous?
4 Chemically and physiologically, we all experience stage fright in the same way. Adrenaline is suddenly pumped into the bloodstream. Respiration increases dramatically, as well as heart rate and "galvanic skin response" - the amount of perspiration on the surface of the skin. All these things occur so that oxygen-rich blood can be quickly channelled to the large muscle groups.

4 Although our bodies' chemical and physiological responses to stress are identical, the outward signs of this anxiety vary from person to person. You may experience blushing or redness, accelerated heart rate, perspiring, dry mouth, shaking, churning stomach, increased rated of speech, forgetfulness and broken speech, and nervous mannerisms.

Controlling Speaker Nervousness
o As much as we want to overcome nervousness, it is not wise to make it our goal to eliminate it. Why?

4 1. Nervousness is natural.

4 2. Some nervousness can actually benefit the speaker.
Coping Strategies
4 1. Know how to react to stress
- the knowledge lets you predict & cope with physical conditions.
- since you could anticipate the conditions, you'll be able to mask/hide them from the audience.

2. Know your strengths & weaknesses
- Use voice, body, mind & personality to create & communicate message.
- Use your strengths to communicate message with force & impact.
- Minimise /avoid your weaknesses if you know them.
- The more confident you are, the less nervous you will be.

 

3. Know the speech principles

- Confidence in having constructed an effective speech leads to confidence in delivery.
- Confident speakers are physically involved in the delivery of their messages.
4. Know your audience
- A confident speaker must believe his/her speech topic will interest listeners & fulfil their needs.
- Sometimes listeners don't notice your nervousness.
- Regard your listeners as supportive individuals who want only the best for you.

5. Know your speech
- If you don't know what you want to say, you won't say it. If you think you'll forget, you probably will.
- The more confident you are, the less nervous you will be.
- You're not expected to memorise the entire speech. If you're well prepared, you should have memorised the outline of major points and the order they are to be presented in.

6. Believe in your topic
- If you believe that the topic is important, convincing the audience to listen should be easy.
- Why? The more you believe, the more earnestly you'll want to inform/convince your listeners.
- Otherwise, you'll feel and seem tentative/uncertain/hesitant.
7. View speech making positively
- Look at it as an opportunity & your positive attitude will help you control your nervousness.
- Audience will sense negativity from vocal & physical delivery.
- Thinking positively can help turn anxiety into anticipation.
8. Project control
- Our attitudes help determine our behaviour & vice versa.
- If you perceive yourself acting one way, you'll assume you feel that way.
- Nervousness shows through body language. So, project control.