Mindset Shifts
Your Fear of Public Speaking is Not the Problem – It is Your Fear of the Fear
“Overcome”, “conquer”, “kill”, “get over”, and “cure the fear of public speaking” are all terms that people google. I know – I have done the keyword research!If you are anxious about public speaking, you probably see your anxiety as a big problem. You worry that...
Why Reading Your Speech is Like Riding a Bike with Training Wheels
Remember learning to ride a bike? You probably started with training wheels. What happened when your parents removed the training wheels? Perhaps you went, wobble, wobble, wobble, splat. The next time the wobble lasted a little longer before the splat, and then maybe by the...
Why You Are Wrong About What Your Audience Thinks of You – If They Think of You at All!
When I ask clients why they think so many people fear public speaking, I get the same answer almost every time: “Because we’re scared of being judged.” While people will form some impression, you are almost certainly wrong about how much people are judging you...
Five Triggers for Public Speaking Anxiety – and One Solution
Surveys show that most people are nervous about public speaking and around 10% of people have an extreme fear. Glossophobia is the term used to describe persistent and excessive anxiety about public speaking.I have written before about why people fear public speaking. It is primarily a fear...
No Good at Public Speaking? Six Reasons Why Improving Is Just Like Learning to Play a New Sport (Or Any Other Complex Skill)
I recently heard someone describe the three phases he goes through when learning a new skill. The first stage is fear. The second stage is grit – the hard work that goes into getting good at anything. Thirdly, there is mastery – the feeling of...
Have You Had an Epic Public Speaking Fail? Here Is How to Stop Beating Yourself Up
Many of my clients come to me after an epic and humiliating public speaking fail – or a series of more minor fails.I spend the first half of the course explaining the reasons why we are hypercritical of ourselves and why they have probably overestimated...
Nervous About Public Speaking? Self-Talk That Actually Helps
You’ve got an important presentation coming up. Your stomach’s in knots, your heart’s pounding, and your mind is already racing ahead to all the ways it could go wrong. You barely slept last night, and the thought of standing in front of a room full...
How to Become a More Confident Public Speaker by Moving Outside of Your Comfort Zone (and Why Public Speaking Courses Get Results!)
More than 80% of people who register for Fear-less public speaking courses are actively avoiding public speaking. Some have chosen their career to avoid it. Others have turned down a promotion. Many palm off every speaking ‘opportunity’ to someone else. As well as being highly...
“Think Purpose, Not Performance” and Reduce Your Public Speaking Nerves
Thinking about your purpose rather than your performance when public speaking is the key to managing your public speaking anxiety.When you are standing in front of an audience it is very easy to think that it is all about you. And that makes you anxious...
How to Apply a ‘Growth Mindset’ to Public Speaking
I had a cooking teacher at high school who told us that “good cooks are born, not made” which left me confused about why she had decided to become a cooking teacher!Her comment is a perfect illustration of a ‘fixed mindset’ described by Carol Dweck...
Why the Imposter Syndrome May Explain Your Fear of Public Speaking- And What You Can Do About It
Research shows that 70% of people will experience ‘Imposter Syndrome’ at some stage in their life. There are conflicting statistics about how many people fear public speaking. But we know that it is a common fear. And I am willing to bet that there is...
Why Introverts Can Be Great Public Speakers – and Why Some Extroverts Are Scared of Public Speaking!
People often assume that extroverts have an advantage in public speaking. Intuitively it sounds logical. Extroverts love the limelight while introverts shun it! But my experience coaching people with public speaking anxiety, suggests something different. For a start, I don’t believe there is any clear...
Feel the Fear (of Public Speaking) and Do It Anyway!
Susan Jeffers’ seminal self-help book “Feel the Fear and do it Anyway” was first published in 1987 . Its messages are just as relevant today and are highly applicable to fear of public speaking. According to a website dedicated to Susan’s work, she identified five...
Public Speaking and the Shame of Appearing Nervous – Why Do We Care and What Can We Do?
Do you worry that your audience will notice your trembling hands or shaking voice? In this article I explore why we care about looking nervous, whether the audience really does notice (or care), and what we can do to hide the nerves. Why do we...
How Finding Something Important to Say Can Boost Your Confidence
While researching this topic, I came across a comment in an online forum. “I put on my first parent seminar this week. I was so terrified I almost cancelled! But I got over myself because I know parents are a bit desperate about how to...