What is your biggest fear? If your mind immediately flies to a time when you had to give a presentation in front of a large crowd, chances are that you have a phobia or fear of public speaking. Don't worry, you're not alone! In fact, the phobia ranks first in North America and even beats the fear of death. Although not easy, overcoming the fear of public speaking is not impossible. Want to know the tips? Read on for this article!
Step
Part 1 of 4: Facing Fear
Step 1. Be aware of the source of your fear
Generally, a person's fear is rooted in their ignorance of the situations that may occur when speaking in public. Thus, you are afraid not because you don't understand the topic being discussed, but because you don't know the possibilities.
More than likely, your performance will be hindered by fear of being judged, making mistakes, not being able to deliver material well, and being hurt both mentally and physically. Remember, your audience wants you to be successful too; no one sits across from you and expects you to fail. As long as you have prepared the material well, completely, clearly, and authentically, at least of the sources of fear have been defeated
Step 2. Face your fears
If your life is always influenced by fear, remember that the term 'fear' or which in Indonesian means 'fear' is an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real. In many situations, the things that are feared will not happen! If your fear is justified (for example, because you forgot to bring an important material), find a solution and stop worrying. Remember, fear can always be fought with a rational mind.
Part 2 of 4: Getting Ready
Step 1. Prepare yourself
Make sure you know what material needs to be delivered. Try to outline the material in detail, then divide the material into small groups to make it easier to remember; Also include all the key points and the title of your presentation. A few tips that can help you craft your presentation material:
- Analogous each small group in the material framework to a “room” in your home. Analogy the first group to your terrace, the second group to your living room, etc. Imagine as if you were walking into the house.
- Analogize each important point to a painting hanging on the wall. Imagine a painting that will help you remember these points. Generally, the more ridiculous an image you imagine, the easier it will be for you to remember (but make sure it doesn't distract you).
- Before the presentation begins, try walking into “your house” to practice the memory technique.
Step 2. Practice
Join any available organization or business club in your area (such as Toastmasters) and practice with them. Remember, choose a topic that you are already good at; bringing up topics you are not good at or passionate about can increase stress and negatively affect your performance.
Step 3. Purchase a tape recorder and save the recordings of your workouts on your laptop or cell phone
Listen to the recording again to find out where your shortcomings are. If you're practicing your presentation skills at a local organization or club, ask those in attendance for advice. Be open to opportunities to learn whenever they come.
Part 3 of 4: Relax
Step 1. Breathe deeply
Practicing deep breathing can relax your body and mind before giving a presentation. Here's a breathing technique that you can do anywhere: Stand up straight and feel the sensation of dirt or asphalt sticking to the soles of your feet. Close your eyes and imagine yourself hanging by a thin thread hanging from the ceiling. Listen to your breath and ask yourself not to rush. Try to slow down your breathing rate until you can inhale for a count of six and exhale for a count of six. After doing so, surely your body and mind will feel much more relaxed. Plus, you'll feel more confident too!
Step 2. Relax
Know that relaxing is the art of letting go. There are various methods you can use to let go of the thoughts that are weighing you down. For example, imagine that you are actually made of rubber, or sit in front of a mirror and imitate the way a horse laughs. Lie down on the floor and imagine yourself floating, or drop yourself to the ground like a lifeless doll. Releasing the tension inherent in the powerful body makes you feel more relaxed and relaxed.
Step 3. Use the wall pushing technique
Pushing against a wall is a technique popularized by Yul Brynner, co-star of the musical The King and I. Here's what you need to do:
- Stand a few feet in front of a wall and place your palms against the wall.
- Push the wall in front of you hard. When you do this, your abdominal muscles will automatically contract. As you exhale, let out a hissing sound from your mouth and tense the muscles under your ribs.
- Do the above technique several times; surely, your fear will slowly fade away.
Step 4. Recognize that adrenaline can stimulate blood flow to the center of your brain
Therefore, place your hand on your forehead and gently press the bony part. This process is able to flow blood that was concentrated to parts of the brain that will affect your ability to communicate.
Part 4 of 4: Dealing with Audiences
Step 1. Learn how to engage with an audience
If you have never attended public speaking training, try to find a professional speaker who can help train you. Learning public speaking techniques can improve your speaking skills in the meeting room, during presentations, and even give you the opportunity to gain a better position in the office! Believe me, the ability to speak in public is a must for everyone, especially those who run a business or have an important position in the company.
Step 2. Realize that your audience won't be able to see your nervousness
Even if your stomach feels really tight and you want to throw up something, be aware that these feelings won't reach the audience's eyes. At times, you may worry that your nervousness will be noticed by those watching you; this is what will actually increase your nervousness even more. Trust me, the signs that a person is feeling nervous are generally so subtle that the other person is less likely to focus their attention on it. Try not to worry too much.
'Trick' your audience. Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back and widen your chest, then smile as sincerely as you can. Even if you don't feel happy or confident, do it anyway! That kind of body language can make you look more confident; As a result, your body will also 'trick' your brain by sending signals that say you feel confident
Step 3. Don't think too much about the audience's reaction
Always try to keep your mind at ease when speaking in public. Even if people's gazes seem odd, judgmental, or unpleasant, try to ignore them. What they think is not important! If there are things you think are wrong, don't focus on the audience's reaction; instead, focus on fixing your mistakes as quickly as possible.
There will always be an audience yawning, showing boredom, or other negative facial expressions. More than likely, these people are bored because they're just hard to get interested in, are feeling tired, or their focus is being distracted. Don't take it personally and focus on what you have to say
Tips
- Remember, even professional speakers always receive a new experience every time they make a presentation!
- Practice your presentation in front of some of your closest friends so you know what it's like to speak in public. Doing so will help you gauge your expectations so you can communicate better afterwards.
- If you are still in school, occasionally try to offer to read the information contained in the book.
- Remember, your face will not show your nervousness.
- Only you know what to say or change during the presentation; therefore, try not to get too hung up on your notes.
- Imagine that you are actually practicing alone in the room and no one is looking at you.
- Smile and joke around to cover your nervousness. Make your audience laugh (in a positive sense of course) and think you're really funny. But remember, never try to be funny in situations that require you to be serious (like a funeral or an important meeting) if you don't want to get into trouble!
- Imagine that you are the only person in the room and try not to make eye contact with anyone.
- Imagine that your audience is people who will definitely appreciate your presentation.
- Try to build an invisible wall between you and your audience. By doing so, you will undoubtedly find it easier to control your performance on stage, be more confident, and be able to communicate better to your audience.
Warning
- Do not give wrong or unclear answers. If you don't know the answer, try saying “Is it okay if I give you the answer during the break? I want to make sure all the information is complete before giving the answer you need.".
- If you don't know the answer to a question, try asking the audience for help to answer it. Of course you don't have to admit your ignorance, just throw the question at the audience with relaxed body language.
- Avoid presentation formats that are too boring. This phenomenon is known as 'death by PowerPoint' which is generally caused by the speaker's inability to utilize the features in PowerPoint creatively and effectively.
- Don't stand behind a podium, table, or anything else that might limit you and your audience.
- Don't take everything personally.
