Will an online (live) course help me with my fear of public speaking?

​Previously I have rejected suggestions to run Fear-less courses online because I was not convinced that it would work effectively. Then Covid19 came along! I had to cancel a course due to start on the first day of lockdown. And I had to decide whether to shut up shop and wait it out, or to try something new! I decided to run a ‘trial’ online course via Zoom and this article is about what I found.

Let me start with my misgivings. I had two reasons for my doubts about running the Fear-less course online.

1. I didn’t think that people would be so nervous online. Now that might sound like a good thing! But you gain confidence by doing the thing that makes you nervous (with the right support of course). And so it is important that the online experience at least approximates the experience of speaking to a live audience. And that is what I was unsure about.
2. I did not believe that the participants would develop a sense of rapport with one another. This was my biggest concern because having the support of other participants is so important in developing people’s confidence.

I was surprised and pleased to find that both my doubts were unfounded.

Participants reported that they were very nervous presenting online – especially when I suggested they stand up! They also reported that they gained a lot of confidence through doing the course and felt much less nervous about presenting by the end. I believe the online course worked just as well as an in-person course in terms of growing confidence.

Of course, the next time they speak to a live audience I am sure some of those nerves will return. But that happens after any public speaking course. The difference is that people have more confidence in themselves and can employ strategies to ensure the nerves don’t get the better of them.

I was especially surprised by how well the group bonded. They were supportive and encouraging of each other and gave great positive feedback as well as suggestions for improvement. I had to work a little harder to make all this happen. I used break-out rooms and the chat function and I put effort into drawing out feedback. But the group responded very well and were sad to say goodbye to each other at the end!  

The sessions were also very interactive. They asked a lot of questions and we had some great discussions. Again, I had to do things a little differently – like asking targeted questions rather than open ended ones. And not rushing but allowing time for people to respond even if that meant a bit of silence at first.

There are few other things I learned. The online course had some unexpected benefits. I had a great attendance rate and people were on time! There was no rushing to get there from work and it felt like an efficient use of everyone’s time. I even had someone attend on her wedding anniversary. After the break she came back with  glass of wine!  Participants also had practice presenting online and using functions like screen-share to support their presentations.

I will admit there were some minor drawbacks. I encourage people not to read notes and that was a little harder to ‘police’ during an online course. Having said that I can usually tell by the tone of voice when someone is reading and so I was able to comment on that. Also, it was a little harder to teach the basics of eye contact and movement as these are different online.

All things being equal, I still prefer in-person courses – but only by a small margin. If an in-person course doesn’t work for you I would not hesitate to recommend an online course. Here a few things to check first:

• Make sure it will be interactive. I found many people reluctant to sign up for the online course because they thought they would be ‘talked at’.  This was never my intention but it is important that you confirm the course format.  
• Ask about numbers. I limited my course to six people and I think that this is a good number unless there is a second instructor.  I may consider increasing the course size to eight but I think this would be a maximum.
• Ensure that you have the right technology. The main requirement is a good Wifi (or a hardwired internet connection) otherwise you may experience freeze. I recommend a laptop or desktop rather than a phone – so that you can see all participants. Also, you need a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted.

Article written by Catherine Syme 
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