Editor’s note: This article was first published in January 2019; it is the 2019 updated version. The Prezi study it calls “recent” is a 2014 press release about employed Americans, and its figures come from that survey.
In one of his stand-up routines, Jerry Seinfeld said that the fear of death came second, beaten only by the fear of public speaking. In other words, some people would rather be the star of their own funeral than the main act in a presentation where they have to address an audience. So today we’re going to look at how to overcome the fear of public speaking and improve your communication skills.
I don’t think it goes so far that people would actually prefer death, but it’s true that most professionals, and even successful business people, still admit that public speaking terrifies them. Richard Branson is one of them, and he has admitted it on several occasions.
A recent study by Prezi found that this fear is widespread, but it also found that 70% of professionals are aware that presentation or public speaking skills are essential for career success, while, curiously, more than 70% of people suffer from glossophobia, the “official” name for stage fright.
So let’s look at how we can get rid of that fear of speaking in front of a crowd.
As a rule, if you can’t give a proper presentation, if nerves eat you up in public, your boss will probably think you’re not fit for a leadership position, which can hold back your career.
Likewise, if you have your own business and lack these communication skills, you’ll be less likely to win over an audience in a business meeting. The Prezi study itself shows how many business owners prefer to send someone else to give a presentation, even at the risk of that person failing, all to avoid being the one in the spotlight during a presentation or talk.
Communication skills are essential for persuading and convincing others, for setting out a point of view or an idea and getting it across with conviction. At other times, it’s a message meant to motivate a group of people.
How to overcome the fear of public speaking and improve these communication skills
Guess what I’m going to say. Yes, that’s right: it’s not hard once you’re willing to face that fear and fail a couple of times. As with so many other things, only practice will make you better.
In fact, people who took an active part in school plays when they were young usually find it easier, because they’ve lost or mastered their stage fright.
The bad news is that there’s no way that fear will disappear in your first presentations, and probably not in the next ones either. All you can do is face that fear, as others have done before you.
How to speak in public properly
If we look at TED speakers, most of them have something in common: in most cases their talks last no more than 20 minutes. It’s a way of keeping a talk short so as not to tire or bore the audience. They tend to be very intense and productive, and the vast majority include a small dose of humour.
Different studies have shown that you won’t be able to hold an audience’s full attention for very long, so somewhere between 15 and 25 minutes is all yours.
TED speakers’ techniques for public speaking
You could say that TED speakers follow the same structure in their talks, applying practically the same technique. Among those techniques is the three-stories trick that Steve Jobs used in his Stanford speech.
- The rule of three points, which is the most that most people can take in.
- Conveying passion for the message.
- Making the talk enjoyable and entertaining.
If, on the other hand, you want to achieve greater mastery, here are the techniques of a former world public speaking champion.
You need to know in advance what your audience expects from you
Why has your audience come? Why are they there? What are they hoping to find? You need to answer these questions before you walk into a room or onto a stage, and make sure they find what they came looking for.
The world public speaking champion used to say that there’s no difference between speaking to 5 people and to 5,000, because the message is the same. The only thing that changes is that to speak to 5,000 people you need a microphone.
You have to start with a message; that message has to be delivered with passion; you have to rehearse the speech, but the speech must come across as natural and spontaneous, not rehearsed.
Beginner speakers should focus mainly on avoiding certain mistakes, and many of those mistakes come from taking certain pieces of advice too literally or out of context.
It’s said that to make a talk more engaging you should use a visual presentation, such as PowerPoint, but some speakers now use their slides as a crutch and end up causing the opposite effect, which is boring the audience.
In fact, you shouldn’t build a talk solely around slides, because slides are there to add visual flavour to an explanation. In other words, slides should be light support, not the main subject.
Why has the fear of public speaking (stage fright) intensified these days?
In a technological era where a large part of business and communication now happens through social media, we’re killing off social communication.
Now, if you want to congratulate someone, you do it on Facebook; if you want to break up with your partner, you send them a WhatsApp message; and many managers even admit that when they have to give bad news to a team, they now do it by email.
The things we call social networks are making us less and less social, and over time I suppose cases of phobias about live communication will increase. We’ve lost practice in our communication skills even though we communicate with far more people.
One of the best ways to prepare yourself to speak in public is undoubtedly to start talking to people face to face, because if you go straight from email and Facebook to public speaking… may the Force be with you.
Basic, common-sense tips for preparing to speak in public
1. Have a plan
You need to know in advance exactly what you want to communicate. Drawing up a plan and rehearsing it will give you confidence in your talk.
2. Master the subject you’re going to talk about
That way you’ll be in control of the questions your listeners ask and you’ll feel confident answering them.
3. Know your listeners
We need to know our audience. That way we’ll know how to approach our speech and what words and language to use. We need to adapt the content to the audience.
4. The message must be clear and complete, but never confusing
Avoid jargon in your message. That way you’ll make sure everyone gets your idea. Using technical terms shows you’re knowledgeable, but it doesn’t help sell a product or an idea.
5. Appear calm at all times
Above all, you need to hide your nerves and awkward silences, and make it clear that you’re convinced of what you’re saying.
6. Use non-verbal language
Non-verbal language is as important as verbal language: talk with your hands and your posture, and don’t stand still for too long. This helps keep attention from dropping.
7. Make the meeting participatory
Nobody likes a monologue unless it’s stand-up comedy. Get your audience involved. Ask them what they think of an idea, get them to share similar experiences. Make them part of the meeting.
I hope all this information, gathered from different sources and people, helps you get rid of the nerves that come when you have to speak in public.
See also: How to be more persuasive and get people to do what you want
Featured image: White African (Erik Hersman), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
