Bennardi 1

Lexi Bennardi
Mrs. Cramer
Comp 1. pd. 1
17, November 2017

Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

"It's interesting to me that even people at the very highest levels get butterflies when they

have to speak in front of groups." (Anderson 6)

Whenever somebody is told they must give a speech, a sense of fear overcomes their

body. They think the worst because every single person in the room will be focused on them and

nothing else. In all reality, many people struggle with the idea of public speaking. When public

speaking, you should know how to keep your audience engaged and focused, know what you are

speaking about, and have confidence in yourself so you have a successful outcome.

The audience will be focused on you and only you, so it's key you know how to keep

them focused and engaged on what you’re saying. A key in public speaking is knowing the type

of audience you are speaking to. You don’t want to act as though you are talking down to them,

or use language they will not understand. Something you want to avoid is using jargon or slang

terms, because they may not understand what you are saying. For example, if you are speaking to

businesspeople, find out the type of people they are. This can be upper management, middle

management, department heads, or a mix (Cosnett, 5). Another way to keep the audience

engaged in what you're saying is to have a strong opening. The type of opening you have will

make or break your speech. If you have a strong opening that includes an anecdote, a personal

experience, or a question, you are more likely to grab the attention of the audience. Another
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suggestion is to target a specific outcome, like leaving a mark on your audience (Anderson 6). If

you leave your mark on the audience, they are more likely to remember what you had to say.

Another very important part of a successful speech is to have confidence in yourself. So

many people, whether they are successful students or business people, panic when they have to

talk in front of an audience. This is because they have this fear of being ridiculed or wrong. The

only way to cope with this fear or overcome it is to prepare yourself for the speech (Current

Health 1). One way to prepare is to do breathing exercises. Breathing exercises help with your

speaking, so you don't have to gasp for air in the middle of phrases. They will help you sound

more full and confident in your speech. Another way to prepare for your speech is to practice

what you are going to preach. The first two rehearsals should be on your own, and then invite

family members to evaluate your presentation, so you know what you need to improve on. The

last rehearsal should be done in front of your colleagues in the clothes you would wear, like it's

the real speech. Doing this will prepare you for the actual presentation because everything is the

same (Donnet 5). One thing you should never do is try to memorize your speech. If you forget

what you have memorized, you will blank. This will not help with your nerves whatsoever,

because you will forget what you have to say. Instead, you should write out key words or an

outline on notecards that will help build the flow of your speech (Current Health 2). Preparation

is going to be vital so you have the positive outcome you are hoping to achieve.

On the day of the speech, it is still completely normal to get butterflies. One thing you do

not want to do is tense up during your speech. When you are in the moment of your speech, use

relaxation strategies during your speech. A very common way people relax themselves is to think

of something comical. Before the presentation begins, talk to some of your friends or hum your

favorite song, to get your mind off your nerves. During your speech, think of any weekend plans
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you have to look forward to. Also, make contact with the audience while you are speaking. Try

singling out a person, talking to them about your topic, and moving onto the next person.

Expressing your ideas to one person is much easier than expressing them to a whole group

because in that moment, it's just you and the other person (Current Health 1). A key to success is

having confidence in yourself. When a person has to give a public speech, they will start thinking

about how bad they will do. The speaker is expecting failure before even giving it a chance

(Anderson 8). If you think negatively about any situation, including public speaking, you will

have a negative outcome. You have to be confident in what you are saying to the audience,

despite your nerves.

Lastly, you want to be sure you know what you are speaking about. Not only will this

help to build a powerful speech, but your confidence. Sometimes, the audience may have

questions about the topic, so you want to be prepared for what they have to say. When the

audience asks questions, try to recognize the type of question you're being asked, so you can

answer it in an appropriate way (Cosnett 4). If you know what you're speaking about and are

passionate about it, you will know which information would be valuable to their question. One

thing you can do is search about other public speakers to see what they have said. This can help

get you access to powerful speeches about what you're talking about. Also, when you know what

you are talking about and are passionate about it, you can relate it to something about your own

life (Campaigns & Elections 1). When you know what you're talking about and can relate it to a

personal experience, it also helps to keep the audience engaged in what you have to present to

them.

Sue Windels, who is a state legislator in Colorado, still gets nervous to speak in front of

others. She says "the reason I can get up there is that I believe in what I have to say, my message
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is more important than my nervousness." Public speaking is something everyone has to do at one

point or another in their lives. The speaker must know how to keep their audience engaged in

their speech, know what they will be talking about, and most importantly, have confidence in

themselves.
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Works Cited
Cosnett, Gary, et al. “A Survival Guide to Public Speaking.” Training & Development Journal,
Sept. 1990, p. 15. Educators Reference Complete,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=PROF&sw=w&u=pl1949&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE|A94137
11&asid=d8412f1d96dd52d48d186a9fe2e199f8. Accessed Feb. 2017.
Forsyth, Mark. “The Curse of Public Speaking: Put an Ordinary Person in Front of a
Microphone, and They Start to Talk in Pompous Cliches.” Spectator, 30 Mar. 2013, p.
23. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A324763747/OVIC?u=pl1949&xid=7e213a64. Accessed
Feb. 2017.
Gard, Carolyn J. “Do You Need to Psych Yourself Up to Give a Speech?” Current Health 2, a
Weekly Reader Publication, Sept. 1999, p. 18. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A55671747/OVIC?u=pl1949&xid=7daaa02d. Accessed
Feb. 2017.
Muth, Chuck. “To Connect with Your Audience, Tell 'Em Your Story: Making a Personal
Connection Will Go a Long Way.” Campaigns & Elections [2010], 2012, p. 15.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A304727179/OVIC?u=pl1949&xid=28d49dff. Accessed
Feb. 2017.