This is always a funny one for me because I wasn’t afraid of public speaking. Even as a kid in school – if we needed to deliver a speech I would pick the most controversial topic I could. My issue was the reverse. I was afraid of ‘private-speaking’.

What? Well if invited out with people I didn’t know I would have been comfortable addressing the entire restaurant but would die a slow, painful death inside if the person sitting next to me didn’t start the conversation. I had one-on-one shyness not public shyness.

Public Speaking Fears

It isn’t about you!

The fear is internal. The fear is about how you will be perceived, what others will think…

Those fears are all about you and they are actually what you think other will think not what others will actually think.

The answer to mastering that fear then is to take your internal focus and direct it externally. What do I mean by that? I mean focus upon the audience and what you are delivering to them not on yourself.

A Speech is a Performance

A performance is about the audience.

What are you giving your audience. That is part of the reason my speech preparation focusing on the message I wish to deliver helps reduce nerves – it focuses on the audience.

When you go out and do it for them. Be the best you can be for them. Do the best job you can for them. You can forget yourself and therefore forget your fear.

Practice Makes Perfect

It takes practice. Everything worthwhile usually does.

I don’t know a performer that starts at the top, at the pinnacle of their art. I don’t know a performance that isn’t rehearsed. Speaking is no different. People are not born as the best speakers in the world. Like everything there are some who display natural talents or an absence of fear – like me – which can make the path easier. Everyone can learn, can develop skills and their progress in many ways depends on their practice.

That is one of the beautiful things about Toastmasters. It allows us to practice public speaking skills in a supportive environment. We can get feedback on what we do well and what we can improve and then practice those.

Public speaking is a process of continuous improvement.

The more you can focus externally on your audience and the more you can practice the more confident you can be.