Tips for Public Speaking Engagements

Public speaking is the number one fear for most people. For some reason, many people are nervous, scared, and sometimes downright petrified to speak in front of people. I must admit that I have been nervous before delivering a speech, however, public speaking has never been a real fear of mine. Therefore, I am going to share some tips that will help those who need it, to overcome their fear of public speaking.

First, you must recognize the situation and put it into perspective. For example, speaking as the professor in front of a classroom and speaking as a perspective student in front of a college admissions officer are two completely separate situations. First, the professor must speak in front of many people, while the perspective student usually only has to speak to one person. However, the perspective student will usually feel more pressure and stress due to the nature of the speaking. The professor should feel at ease because the students in his/her classroom are there to learn (in theory) from him/her, therefore, the students will see the professor in a dominant role. The student, on the other hand, will feel like he/she is at the mercy of the admissions interviewer. As the speaker, you need to find a way to create a sense of dominance. Make yourself believe that your audience is there to hang on your every word, that your speech or presentation is what the audience has been waiting for all day, and that you alone control the tempo, pace, and content of your words. If you can do this, you will find confidence and thus, peace when speaking.