Afraid of Making a Fool of Yourself in Public Speaking?
When respondents are asked what their greatest fear is in public speaking, the answers are many and varied but the results boil down to one issue. No one wants to be seen as foolish. Of all of the speakers who you have heard in the past, how many looked foolish? Yes, they may have made a mistake or two which was embarrassing; but, overall, did their delivery make them look or sound silly?
What is interesting about that question is that I am not talking about their message. Indeed, I have heard some foolish speeches, but it wasn’t the delivery that made the speaker sound stupid. It was the topic, the slant on the topic, or the speaker’s opinion. Al Gore is a very dynamic speaker. Today, however, his words regarding global warming are coming into question. In that respect, you might look upon this man as foolish.
Your fear of making a fool of yourself is unjustified. Yes, you might make a mistake; you might say a word incorrectly, lose your train of thought, or give the wrong data. It is possible; but, if you correct yourself, you will not make a fool of yourself. Instead you will show humility and sincerity in your desire to share your message with those in attendance.
There is certainly good reason to be nervous in public speaking. If you will approach your upcoming presentation or speech well-prepared and treat your audience like you were in conversation, I guarantee you will not look foolish or stupid even if you make a mistake. Your audience is not expecting perfection from you: they are expecting for you to do the best job possible. In that respect, excellence is much easier to attain than perfection because the latter is subjective. What you may think is perfect may not be what I would consider perfect.
If you place all your fears on what might happen, then you are wasting valuable time. Instead, place your energy into preparing your material, rehearsing your material and believing in yourself. If you look to your next presentation with the belief that you will fail or make a fool of yourself, how could you possibly expect to strive for excellence?
Don’t allow your nervousness to interfere with that which you need to accomplish. Trust in yourself; be honest with your audience; allow for a mistake or two; and, I promise you will not look foolish but instead confident. That is the image you want to project.
About the author: The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. To see how voice training can improve your life, both professionally and personally, visit Voice Dynamic or watch a brief video as The Voice Lady describes Dynamic Public Speaking.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
