Tweet

Do You Feel Anxiety When Speaking?

Written by: Andrew Rondeau

Article Overview: There are hundreds and hundreds of articles around the Internet helping you to overcome the fear of Public Speaking. You may have seen some. And the vast majority help you overcome the fear of getting onto the platform, standing up and actually starting to speak.

Do You Feel Anxiety When Speaking?

Overcome That Anxiety And Keep Your Audience Listening

There are hundreds and hundreds of articles around the Internet helping you to overcome the fear of Public Speaking. You may have seen some.

And the vast majority help you overcome the fear of getting onto the platform, standing up and actually starting to speak.

Now I agree that is a common fear and can cause much anxiety and stress.

But what about the actual ‘art of Public Speaking’?

What about the fear of not being able to engage with your audience?

They might find you boring. Their minds could wander off. They can get distracted.

Maybe you have been the recipient of a boring presentation and your mind wanders off to think about ‘what you are going to have for dinner tonight’ or ‘I could be doing my emails’ or ‘I just wish I wasn’t here…I have so much work to do’.

Even in entertaining, insightful presentations the general level of your audience’s attention wanes. Every single one of your audience will be distracted, for whatever reason, every 5 – 10 minutes.

So how do you keep your audience engaged, entertained and actively listening?

Combat it with these 6 techniques:

1. Make sure that before you deliver a key point you grab everyone’s attention so that they can hear that point – change your voice, body language, and eye contact. Warn the audience that they need to listen: ‘you will find the next point interesting / crucial / fundamental / amazing…’

2. Maintain good eye contact with all your audience not just the ones that are smiling and nodding! If you are talking to a large group scan the audience regularly (but not in a set pattern) and scan towards the back of the audience so that everyone forward from the back will feel included in your gaze.

3. Use lots of questions followed by pauses and eye contact. Unless you are prepared for ‘wrong answers’, ad-hoc responses and potential ruination of your structure, stick to hypothetical questions

4. Keep changing your voice and body posture to maintain interest. Change:

· The volume

· The pace

· The tone

5. Try different ways of expressing yourself – a story, anecdote, conversation, question, voicing an objection

6. Use people’s names or make reference to their interests, background, experiences, potential objections, likely questions or queries

So you have overcome your fear, your anxiety of the actual getting onto the stage and speaking.

Now use these 6 techniques throughout your presentation and ensure your audience will be actively listening (to you).

Related Articles
  Anxiety Free
  How To Overcome of 'Not Achieving Goal' Fear
  Do You Wake Up Happy or Anxious?
  Conquer Fears and Start Living Life On Your Terms
  21 Tips for Conquering Speaker Anxiety

Article Tags: anxiety, art of public speaking, audience, body language, body posture, eye contact, fear, gaze, good eye, hypothetical questions, insightful presentations, key point, large group, posture, recipient, ruination, single one, stress, voice body



Related Forum Posts
Re: Good day everyone! New here. - I feel you're on the right track Calflowers, there's a great group here, very helpful and engaging. Speaking of, is there anything we can do to help? What's your business? What are your main desires for it?
Re: 15 Ways You Can Look Amazing on LinkedIn - Speaking of LinkedIn... How about we all help each other out by giving each other recommendations on there? If any of the moderators or proven members (Evan, GT, David, Michelle, Mal, Alan, etc...) want a recommendation I will be happy to give one. I don't expect one in return but I would appreciate it.
Re: A new post record for me! - Speaking of posting records it looks like David is also about to set one - he's close to 1,500 total posts and becoming 3rd overall on the list of all time posters! Only 14 to go David!
Re: Twitter Members, Post Your Twitter ID Here - I'm following everyone on the list now. Feel free to follow me back if you aren't already. Thanks!
Re: Hello! - Hi MsVario, Welcome to the forum. Feel free to share your business with us.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

20 MORE Must-Have Search Engine Marketing Tools

Track Your Time for Increased Productivity

Ten Steps to Go from Idea to E-book for Sale

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.