Overcome Speaking Anxiety: 3 Tips To Increase Your Ease on the Stage

It is estimated that seven percent of individuals in the United States suffer from speaking anxiety or glossophobia. That’s approximately 27 million Americans. And, of those 27 million, research suggests that only eight percent seek professional help, despite the negative effect on their life and career.

Overcome Speaking Anxiety: 3 Tips To Increase Your Ease on the Stage

It doesn’t matter if you’re introverted or extroverted, you may still experience speaking anxiety. If this is you, read on. Here are three tips to help you out:

Public Speaking Is a Learned Skill

Some people suffer speaking anxiety because they feel they aren’t natural-born speakers. Research has shown that anyone can learn, at least the basics of, public speaking. If you have the drive and commitment to learning the skills, you can become comfortable with giving a speech.

Public speaking is best learned by doing. So take a class. Attend a workshop. Join a speaking club. Take every opportunity to learn, practice, and improve your speaking skills. You can find some suggested resources here.

Change Your Mindset Around Speaking Anxiety

Some people fear speaking in public because of past failures. If this is you, you can overcome speaking anxiety by working on your mindset. Embrace the idea that past missteps don’t equal future failures. Learn from the past. View your previous blunders as learning experiences, not signs of ineptitude. Remind yourself that you’ve got this and you can be a good public speaker.

Practice Makes Proficient

The more you practice, the better off you will be. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of a camera and watch the recording. Practice in front of people you trust and solicit feedback. When you are more confident that you’ve got your speech down, the more you will be able to overcome speaking anxiety.

Winston Churchill, former British prime minister, was one of the best, most influential public speakers of his time. He became that way by practicing his presentations. He would spend an hour or more researching and rehearsing a presentation. If the speech he had to give was 10 minutes long, he’d spend 10 or more hours practicing it.

Overcoming speaking anxiety is a process. Use the techniques in this post and elsewhere on this blog to push your envelope of fear one baby step at a time. Don’t let a fear of speaking keep you from having a successful life and career.
 
border
 

Would You Like Me to Help You Improve Your Speaking?

confident speakerWould you like to be a more confident speaker?
Would you like to master foundational speaking skills?
Would you develop more effective presentations?

Then keep reading.

This summer, I invite you to join an intrepid group of students as they begin their Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey.

You will learn:

  • How to face your fears and overcome speaking anxiety.
  • How to bring passion, authenticity and confidence to your presentations.
  • How to develop an effective speech with clear organization, engaging stories and a touch of humor, when appropriate.

And so much more! I will show you how to unleash your inner speaking superpowers, how to develop an effective presentation and how to deliver it with ease.

Take Your First Step to Improving Your Speaking Skills

take a stepAs part of this Founding member group, you’ll gain lifetime access to a special learning portal, a private Facebook group, and direct access to me. Future groups will not have as much personalized guidance.

This program is not for everyone, however. You need to

  • Be prepared to face your fears and push your boundaries.
  • Attend weekly group meetings (held on weekends to accommodate those who have day jobs).
  • Commit to completing assignments in a timely manner.
  • Provide feedback so that the program can give you better results.

You will also need to be able to invest in yourself and your project. Although this first group will receive a reduced fee for the program, it is still not inexpensive. In addition, the Founding Members’ group is open to the first 20 people who are accepted into the program. After those seats are filled, you can be put on a waiting list for next year’s group.

If you have heard your speaking call to adventure and are ready to start your quest to become a confident speaker, I invite you to set up your application call today. You don’t need to do this alone. Let me guide you on your quest.

NOTE: To make sure that you are serious about this opportunity, there is a $25 fee for scheduling this appointment. If you are accepted into the program, that fee will be applied to your total tuition. If this is not a good fit for you, I will happily refund the fee. If you miss your appointment, your fee is forfeit.

Don’t let speaking anxiety keep you from success.
Schedule your call today!


Want more information on how to overcome the fear of speaking? Check out my ultimate guide post.

Did you like this post? Please share!

About the author

Carma Spence, is author of Public Speaking Super Powers. She is fiercely committed to guiding women to Owning their Superpowers and turning their knowledge and interests into a profitable business. She is masterful at helping her clients see what is possible for them and supporting them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, releasing the Mind Goblins of self-doubt, self-sabotage and second-guessing that keep them stuck.

With 20+ years experience in marketing communications and public relations, natural intuitive skills and certification in using some of the most effective transformational coaching tools available, Carma’s mission and commitment is to unleash the inner power every woman entrepreneur possesses so they can boldly go out into the world, transforming the fabric of people’s lives in meaningful and positive ways.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Her website is CarmaSpence.com.