Rehearsing: A Way To Eliminate Public Speaking Anxiety
It is almost impossible for one to go through his or her adult
life without having been asked to speak in public at least once.
You might have proposed a toast to a wedding, or reported in
front of a class. At work, you could have done an oral
presentation for a promotion. Or you could have faced a group of
interviewers before you actually got hired for the job that you
now have.
All of these and more would require a person to get up and speak
out in front of a number of people.
This can either be a good or a bad experience for the speaker.
In the United States, studies show that public speaking is one
of the most common fear that Americans have.
How do we eliminate this widespread public speaking anxiety?
The key is to face your fear, master your material, and rehearse.
Here are some helpful tips on how you can use rehearsing to
eliminate the fear of speaking in public:
1. Know your material.
Prepare an outline of your speech and look for bits of
information which could be a major point of interest.
Read about every aspect of the topic so that it will not be
difficult for you to answer unexpected questions should they
come up through the course of your discussion.
2. Have a "dress rehearsal" before the big day.
If you are making a formal presentation in a particular place,
go to the venue a day ahead or several hours before the
presentation to familiarize yourself with the surroundings.
If there is a rostrum, stand in front of it and test the height.
Make the necessary adjustments so that the audience will have a
clear view of you as a speaker.
This is also a good time to check out the equipment that you
need to proceed with your presentation.
Create charts and photos for a slide presentation to make your
presentation more informative and interesting.
Time is also important so you can have a run-through of the
entire speech and record your voice while doing so. This would
give you anidea of how long it will run. The recording will also
reveal the focal points where you can vary your tone of voice
for a more lively speech.
It is also a great idea to tape yourself or have somebody do it
for you while you are rehearsing your actual speech.
Review the video and look for ways to improve your overall
presentation.
Practice makes perfect, so it is very important to rehearse
before giving out that all-important oral presentation and help
you reduce your public speaking anxiety.