How To Conquer Your Fear Of Public Speaking

Did you know that more people have a fear of public speaking than dying?

Truth be told, approximately 75% of people that suffer from speech anxiety suffer from glossophobia–that’s the fear of public speaking in scientific terminology. That statistic comes from The National Institute of Mental Health.

Out of the top 10 phobias, public speaking edges out dying by 3%.

If you’re someone like me, then those statistics are completely reversed.

Coming from a theatre background, I never had problems presenting myself in public. However, I didn’t understand how to master my mindset until much later.

Being able to speak well is just part of the equation. The other part is understanding the root of your fears and overcoming them. We’ll get into that later.

I recognize many of you have problems with one or both parts, so that’s what we’re going to fix! By the end of this article, I’m confident you’ll become a public speaking pro 🙂

Here’s the outline for this post in case you need help with a specific subject:

• The Importance Of Public Speaking
  • Career Benefits Of Public Speaking
  • Public Speaking In The Workplace
• The Science Of Fears
  • An Explanation Of Fear
  • What Is Glossophobia?
• Understanding Your Fear Of Public Speaking
  • Why Do I Have A Fear Of Public Speaking?
  • Public Speaking Anxiety
• Strategies To Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking
  • Fixing Your Mindset
  • Controlling Your Nerves
  • Practice Your Speech
• What To Remember While Speaking
  • Find A Focal Point
  • Focus On Your Audience
  • Pacing, Diction, and Enunciation
  • Engage With Your Audience
• Conclusion

The Importance Of Public Speaking

Communication is the backbone of our society. Without it, we cannot form connections, influence decisions, and make changes.

Before I get into understanding your specific fear of public speaking and how to overcome it, we need to discuss why you want to be good at public speaking.

Understanding the why is essential for motivating yourself to face your fears and conquer them.

Career Benefits Of Public Speaking

Did you know that people with poor communication skills earn 10% less?

To be good at any job, you require communication skills.

If you want to get a promotion, you better have great communication skills. Otherwise, you’re limiting your chances by 15%.

In fact, the ability to communicate is a soft skill, which is considered transferable.

The higher you climb up the corporate ladder, the better you have to be at communication. At every level, a lack of proper communication can be very costly and set your company back.

So many opportunities become available to you when you can communicate your worth. 

You might find yourself being put in charge of a new project. Leading effectively and speaking publicly have a lot in common.

Your interpersonal skills will strengthen, so you can now meet with higher executives and feel confident that you can secure their investment, deal, or whatever the objective of your meeting is. You can expand your social connections and professional network through public speaking.

My point?

When you’re a public speaking pro, you have the power of persuasion.

YOU have the power to influence others and inspire them. 

The next time you go to a conference and are wowed by the keynote speaker, channel that energy into how you speak at work and you can have the same effect on others.

Public Speaking In The Workplace

As I already mentioned, public speaking is ubiquitous in the workplace.

Here are some examples:

• Presentation at a meeting
• Sales meeting with a potential client
• Keynote speaker at an event
• Workshop for co-workers
• Employee training
• Team leadership
• Pitch to your boss
• Videography of any kind

One of the most crucial parts of public speaking is the ability to inform. All of these examples above necessitate the flow of information.

When you have a fear of public speaking, you’re inhibiting that flow of information.

Do you understand how not being able to speak in public can hinder you?

The consequences are endless. 

I promise that you will bathe in the benefits of public speaking if you commit full-throttle to conquer your fears.

The Science Of Fears

To combat your fears, we need to understand where they come from. The next part is a bit scientific, but I promise, it’s worth it. Once you fully understand the issue, it will be easier to fix.

An Explanation Of Fear

I want you to imagine that you’re watching a scary movie. Personally, I can’t because I get scared.

Watching a scary movie triggers a primitive reaction in our bodies, which is why when we leave the theatre, we’re paranoid and fearful that something is going to get us.

Our body’s reaction and manifestation of fear is actually the amygdala’s activation. I don’t speak science, but from my research, this is located in the lower part of our brains.

So, if you experience an increased heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, and alertness, then the amygdala is active.

In evolutionary speak, this is fight or flight mode.

The amygdala stimulates hormone production and triggers nervous responses upon perceiving a threat.

But, this is not a one-time occurrence. 

The amygdala is connected to the hippocampus, which stores our memories.

Every time you watch a scary movie, you’re reminded of the first time you did and this compounds the reaction into something understandably unmanageable.

Don’t think of the amygdala as controlling your actions because it doesn’t. 

Instead, it controls your body’s instinctive reactions.

Unfortunately, the more advanced part of our brain has difficulty overriding the amygdala’s reaction.

I still don’t like going into the ocean after watching Jaws. Let me know in the comments if you’re the same way!

The sad part is that in the debate between our conscious mind and physiological reactions, the latter always wins.

At its core, our body acts primitively.

Don’t believe me? Just think about the most primitive thing possible–sex and the desire to procreate–and how that dictates our actions.

Here’s the difference between a fear of public speaking and Jaws: a shark might kill me whereas public speaking never will.

Understanding this basic premise is the first step in changing your mindset and coming to terms with your glossophobia.

What Is Glossophobia?

In short, the fear of public speaking. But, it’s much more than that.

If we break down the word, then its Greek parts mean tongue and fear.

People who suffer from a severe fear of public speaking tend to:

• Clam up in front of an audience, regardless of size
• Have a dry mouth and weak voice
• Begin to sweat
• Feel their heart thump rapidly

Does this sound like you? You’re not alone.

More people than you’d think of have public speaking anxieties, including celebrities. Actors Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant have reportedly been in your shoes and they still struggle.

But, look at their success. If they can do it, so can you.

The symptoms of glossophobia include:

• Intense anxiety prior to verbally communicating with people (even the thought can trigger it!)
• Lack of participation in events that focus on the group’s or individual’s attendance (think of karaoke night, which I love!)
• Panic, distress, or nausea

These symptoms get classified into three main categories: physical, verbal, and non-verbal.

The goal of this article is to get you to control your verbal and non-verbal systems.

As much as I would like to, I can’t control your mind. Your physical body reactions are something that as we already discussed, will happen regardless.

But, my hope is that if you can control 2 out of 3, you will be at an advantage. Your fear of public speaking will be much more manageable.

While I’m great at public speaking, I’m not perfect.

I still get nervous before going on stage, and that’s completely normal!

I want you to have the good reactions, not the bad ones.

So, how do we get there? We start by understanding where YOUR fears originate.

Understanding Your Fear Of Public Speaking

Your fear of public speaking is unique to you, and you’re the only one who can overcome it!

Promise me that you’re going to work on it. Right now.

It’s not going to be an easy process, and you will have to revisit some bad memories, but the final outcome is definitely worth it.

Why Do I Have A Fear Of Public Speaking?

This is a great question! And, while I’d like to be of help, that’s only something that YOU can answer.

I want you to revisit the first time you can remember that you had difficulty with public speaking.

Where were you? How old were you?

Close your eyes and think about how not being able to speak publicly hurt you.

For me, I remember I was in high school in my theatre class called Studio I. We were doing scenes from the bard, William Shakespeare.

Specifically, I was doing a scene from The Taming Of The Shrew.

I didn’t put the effort into preparing my lines and neither did my project partner.

When we performed the scene, were both a complete mess. 

We dropped lines left and right, which is the BIGGEST mistake you can do in theatre.

I was embarrassed since this was a more advanced acting class. Whenever I go on stage now, I always have that voice inside of me doubting my abilities.

If you feel brave enough, share your story in the comments!

It took me a long time to recover from that incident. I got a very bad critique from the teacher and I know that I left a negative impression that day.

A lot went wrong that day, but it taught me a very important lesson: for better or for worse, you control your outcome. 

Had I prepared properly, I would not have gone into the scene with so much anxiety.

Public Speaking Anxiety

I had a fear of success.

Wait, what? Why would I be afraid of being successful?

Well…

It’s not as simple as that.

I have such high standards and it’s in my nature to excel in everything I do. When I can’t perform at that level, regardless of how substandard it is, I feel like I have failed.

The fear of failure and the fear of success are very closely related.

They even display the same anxiety symptoms.

But, they’re not the ONLY fears. Let’s take a look at some of the others:

• Inadequacy
• Competition
• Success as a leader
• Embarrassment and shame
• People and social interactions
• Making a sale
• Being perceived as weak and not confident
• Putting yourself out there
• Uselessness

Your memory might not fit squarely within one of these fears. It can fit in multiple fears.

My fear fit into failure and success. It also fits into inadequacy and putting yourself out there.

One of the reasons why I don’t like doctors is because they give you medication to treat your symptoms but they don’t fix your problems.

Knowing your fear is knowing your problem.

I’m confident that we can cure your problem.

Strategies To Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking

Now we get to the fun part!

Most people succumb to never vanquishing their fears and they don’t achieve success.

But, you’re not one of them because you’re reading this article.

Believe it or not, the secret lies within you.

Fixing Your Mindset

Remember when I mentioned the difference between Jaws and public speaking?

The shift in mindset is instrumental in overcoming your fear of public speaking.

I learned to control my mindset through Natalie Bacon. She’s a mindset master and can teach you too.

She has an amazing course called Online Business for Her and it’s revolutionized how I think.

If you go into a meeting knowing that you’re going to screw up your speech, you WILL screw up your speech. 

Why?

Because you already determined that you would fail, you just made the next part simple.

Do you see how your mindset prevented you from succeeding?

But, what if you went into that meeting and told yourself that you were going to ace that speech and not even have to use your cue cards?

You are more likely to succeed when you think you will. 

Focusing on the positive instead of the negative is so important!

Now, think back to that painful memory.

How could a change in mindset make your outcome different? 

For me, if I went into that scene thinking that I was going to nail my lines and impress my director so much that he was going to give me the lead role in the next show, I would have had more confidence going in to accomplish it.

But, I didn’t!

Instead, I went in knowing I was going to fail and I had already given in to that pitiful result.

If only I had Natalie’s course back then, I could have cured my fear of public speaking.

Don’t make the same mistake that I did.

Controlling Your Nerves

Part of mastering your mindset is controlling your nerves.

Nerves manifest in our body’s reactions.

If you can control your nerves, you won’t convey through body language that you’re nervous.

Remember about the science of fears and how your body goes into fight or flight mode?

Well, there are some things you can do to reduce your nerves and limit your physiological reactions.

You can start by putting your hand on your head.

Instead of having all the blood rush to your arms and legs, you’re redirecting some of it back to your brain.

To relieve tension, place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. It’s a yoga trick to make your mouth and jaw feel more relaxed.

Don’t forget to smile!

When you smile, your brain makes you feel good.

Another way to feel good is by singing. That’s right, I said singing.

Don’t you feel great when you sing in the shower? It’s the same thing. It reduces your nerves.

Finally, remember to breathe. Take deep breaths all the way to your diaphragm and visualize a positive outcome.

Practice Your Speech

You’ve heard of “practice makes perfect” before, right?

There’s a reason for that.

It’s true.

The reason I failed back in my theatre class was that I didn’t practice (among other things).

If you’re really nervous about a speech, practice for your friends beforehand. Ask for their feedback.

Only go to friends you can trust. This builds your relationship with them and increases your likelihood of success. 

While you practice for them, ask them to record you. When you watch your speech, you learn so much.

You see how you look, your body language, your conviction, and so much more.

I know how easy it is to deny that nothing is wrong.

But, let’s face it–humans are an imperfect species.

When you see your flaws directly, it’s pretty hard to argue.

Also, listen for any filler words. Do you hear words like “um, uh, and so?”

These words do absolutely nothing for comprehension, so practice removing them from your speech.

In fact, when you use filler words, your conveying discomfort. It means that you don’t know what’s coming next, so you’re trying to delay the next phrase.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t memorize your speech. But, don’t be the person with cue cards, either.

You should feel comfortable with your speech where you can deliver it with minimal errors.

Fortunately, any speech should be rehearsed and you should be an expert on the topic, so covering any gaps with knowledge shouldn’t be a problem.

What To Remember While Speaking

As I already mentioned, informing is an important part of communication.

The last secret to conquering your fear of public speaking is knowing what to do while you speak.

Your delivery matters much more than your content.

Research suggests that effective presentations are 55% non-verbal communication, 38% your voice, and only 7% your content.

Let’s take advantage of that statistic.

Find A Focal Point

Whenever I did theatre, I always looked at the exit sign. I had a focal point and I stuck to it.

Wait???

Do I really mean that you can look at no one and still give an enthralling speech?

Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. 

First off, don’t get into a staring contest with the exit sign. That’s not the point.

By looking above people, they think you’re looking at them. You don’t actually have to make direct eye contact.

You can also look at someone’s forehead.

It’s close enough to their eyes where they can’t tell the difference.

When you concentrate on a focal point, you feel like you’re speaking to the focal point and not the other people in the room.

This can reduce your social anxiety.

Focus On Your Audience

Instead of focusing on yourself and giving the speech itself, think about the audience.

Again, this is a mindset switch.

Make the goal of the speech geared toward their benefit.

If you include facts and figures in your speech, the audience is 20% more likely to retain the information in your speech.

Remember, they want you to succeed and do well, so think of them as a cheerleader and not a critic.

Focus on giving them the best experience to cheer about. If you screw up a line or phrase in your speech, don’t make it obvious.

Don’t curse or say “I’m sorry.” Simply gather your thoughts and continue.

You should be the only one aware of your mistakes. Worry about them at the end of the day. Don’t let them ruin your focus or positive outlook.

Focus on providing them value. When you do, they will forgive you for any errors you made.

At the end of the day, we’re all human. We make mistakes.

Just make sure the audience can understand you.

Pacing, Diction, And Enunciation

If you speak really quickly, no one will understand you. If you speak really slowly, everyone will get bored and start to check their phones.

You have to find the balance with your pacing.

Speaking too quickly is a common indication of nervous energy. Take deep breaths from the beginning to ground you.

When I started to learn Spanish, I could never understand the native speakers from other countries. I always thought they spoke too quickly.

The truth of the matter is that they were speaking at a normal pace. I just couldn’t keep up.

Sometimes, when you present a speech, your content may seem like another language to your audience.

Since you want to focus on your audience, you need to make sure that they understand your speech.

Whenever you speak, always speak slower than you would with your friends.

Believe it or not, your speech isn’t a DVR recording that can be rewound if they didn’t get it the first time.

Speak slow enough for the person in the back of the room to understand.

In addition to pacing, you also need to remember diction and enunciation. Now that you’re speaking slower, you need to take that extra time to make sure your message is communicated.

Practice a good tongue twister and say it 5 times fast if you have to.

Clear articulation is critical to comprehension. You can practice saying that if you want 🙂

Make sure that you end your words with whatever consonants and vowels are there. If you have an accent–which, we all do–then make sure your accent doesn’t impede your diction.

I know that this is more of the technical aspects of speaking, but this is the foundation for true success in public speaking.

Engage With Your Audience

Don’t forget about this group of people!

Since your speech isn’t about you and instead, their benefit, it’s important to make the audience an integral part of your speech’s success.

If you don’t ask for audience participation, your engagement drops by 14%. 

That’s a staggering amount that can be solved so simply.

I know that asking for audience participation means digressing from your speech, but it will really benefit your audience and what they take out of it.

Time for another mindset switch.

Instead of bracing yourself for the unknown by inviting the audience to participate, think about how you will be able to speak less and have fewer chances of screwing up.

Something as simple as a question and answer session can take a chunk of time out of your speech and allow the audience to gain more value.

You are the expert, so you should be able to answer any question that comes your way.

Just don’t forget about practicing your answers to what you think the common questions will be.

Conclusion

At this stage, you know everything to conquer your fear of public speaking.

Let’s recap a few things that we learned:

• Communication is the backbone of our society and we cannot perform our jobs without it
• Public speaking has many career benefits including an increased chance of a promotion and a higher income
• There are many different fears associated with public speaking and you need to understand the fears you suffer from to learn how to vanquish them
• Fixing your mindset and reducing your nerves are great strategies for conquering your fear of public speaking
• Practice makes perfect when it comes to public speaking
• Your audience is the most important element of your speech, so cater it toward them

Just so we’re clear, becoming a public speaking pro is not something that will happen overnight.

Or in a week. And, maybe not even in a month.

It will happen when you commit the time to fix your mindset and overcome your fears.

Don’t forget to let me know in the comments what your fear is and how you’re conquering it!

I spent many years doing theatre and then presenting in role-plays in competitions for career and technical student organizations, so I have had many years to refine my skill set.

I’ve also taken the time to embrace constructive criticism and grow from it. 

The biggest obstacle to your future growth is yourself.

When you grow as a person, you grow as a professional.

Cheers to future success!