Work Your Way Up
Public speaking is a skill that takes practice. It helps immensely to work your way up from smaller to bigger speaking opportunities.
Determine what a good starting point for yourself is in terms of audience size. I was aware that my nervousness arose in meetings with 10+ coworkers, so I began by speaking up in those situations before working myself up to larger opportunities.
Also, learn what your starting point is in terms of duration. My starting duration was just saying one sentence in a small meeting. It was a small win every time I faced that fear, but eventually I got to the point where I was comfortable engaging in full conversations in the same setting. I now am working on lengthy speeches in front of a room full of attendees.
Know That Nervousness Will Pass
When I have given longer talks, I noticed that I typically have an initial feeling of nervousness but that it passes after a short amount of time. Take a nice firm deep breath right before you start to talk to calm your nerves. Also, keep in the back of your mind that in just a few moments, you will overcome the hurdle of uneasiness; it always passes.
Be Prepared
Be prepared whenever possible. Take the time to rehearse and know your main talking points. Don’t write out your speech word for word though; just know your main talking points so you can talk naturally.
Ask For Feedback
Most likely there will be areas of improvement, which can include items that you might not be aware of. Ask a peer to provide feedback after your speaking opportunity to learn what they noticed. I have always been surprised at the feedback I received since so many items were subconscious, such as inserting too many filler words and speaking too fast. Once you know what you need to work on you will eventually become aware during your speaking opportunities, learn to self-correct and eventually overcome those aspects.
Be Patient
It’s important to be patient with yourself while you work on facing this fear. Like I mentioned previously, this is a learned skill that takes practice. Cheer yourself on for every win, such as stopping yourself from saying “um” when there is a pause in your speech or taking on lengthier speaking opportunities. The fact that you are making a commitment to face a fear is something to be proud of each time you do so.
ProudPA blog #107 is a blog by Christina Holzhauser of Tips for Assistants about the importance of facing things on a regular basis that scare you and her top tips for public speaking.
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ProudPA Christina Holzhauser | Tips for Assistants
Tips for Assistants is an online resource designed to give advice and resources to assistants and administrative professionals to help them to perform at the highest level. It was founded by Christina Holzhauser in 2016, who has more than a decade of experience in a wide array of assistant and admin roles.