Public Speaking for "Scaredy Cats"
Business communications researchers have studied the phenomenon
of stage fright experienced by would-be public speakers. Let me
summarize most of the findings in very down-to-earth terms: Most
people would rather die than stand up before an audience and
deliver a speech.
To suggest that these individuals are as "nervous as a
long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs" may be
something of an understatement in describing these public
speaking "scaredy cats." The symptoms are similar to food
poisoning: a queasy feeling in the pit of one's stomach, shakes
and jitters, and a sincere desire to roll up into a fetal
position.
As a public speaker and one who has provided instruction to
others to help them develop their own skills, I have found that
certain approaches work. Other approaches "look good in theory,"
but are not as helpful. One of the oft-repeated suggestions for
overcoming stage fright includes the classic advice, "imagine
everyone else is naked." However, it is rare that everyone else
is naked, upon the speaker's arrival to the podium and as he or
she surveys the audience. In fact, I have spoken extensively,
and I have yet to spot even one naked audience member--I do
think I would have noticed.
Another typical suggestion is to arrive early, meet attendees,
and establish personal contacts with audience members. In
keeping with this, speakers are to "find a friendly face" in the
audience, and imagine "you are merely having a conversation"
with that one person. That's not a bad idea, except that it
would not alleviate the problem that arises with a large
audience sprinkled with several unfriendly faces, or one that
includes even one hostile heckler.
Now we're getting into the root of the problem--the one thing
that most public speaking scaredy cats are deathly afraid
of--the fear of ridicule, rejection, and public embarrassment.
We were kids before we arrived in this predicament of being
asked or told to deliver a presentation (usually by a boss or a
teacher, the first time around). We know that some people can be
real "meanies," and maybe a few readers even have something to
feel guilty about. Perhaps this article will serve a dual
purpose, and encourage audience members to become kinder, more
attentive, more supportive, too. Maybe more people will quit
whispering (sometimes not so quietly) and turn off their cell
phones. Smiling would be nice, for both fellow audience members
and from the point-of-view of speakers. (If not, don't worry
would-be speakers, I will give you tips to roar like a lion and
put those meanies in their rightful place--professionally, and
politely.)
Let's review a few more of the standard suggestions. There is
some value in knowing that you should relax. You should try to
relax. However, individuals who have those occasional sleepless
nights have been told that they should go to sleep. Swimmers
should avoid sharks and avoid sinking. This advice, while true,
is about as helpful to would-be speakers as an anchor is to one
of those swimmers (of course he or she could possibly fend off a
shark by striking it with the anchor, while on the way down to
the bottom of the ocean). Practice breathing, stretch, exercise,
think positive thoughts, learn from other speakers,
rehearse--don't get me wrong--these are not bad ideas at all,
but they are not enough.
What really works? Training. You can attend a workshop and
receive formal training, or you can train yourself. Why haven't
most people been trained before? A detailed explanation would
require a treatise on the education system and a discussion of
how to improve upon typical results (critics complain that
graduates at any level lack strong oral and written
communication skills).
Let's summarize by reviewing three problems that often exist: 1)
New speakers are often forced to address topics that are
unfamiliar to them. 2) Speakers are put under undue pressure,
prior to developing basic skills. In academic settings there are
egg timers and grade point reductions. In professional settings
there are hopes for promotion and fears of demotion, pegged to
the performance. 3) Athletes practice five hours a day; students
may not accumulate that same amount of podium or stage
experience during the course of earning an entire degree, unless
speech becomes a personal pursuit.
Let's turn this around, for the sake of your academic progress,
career potential, and (or) self esteem. First, you need
coaching, training, and practice. You need role models. You need
to make "speaking," as an activity, a pursuit that you engage in
with at least the same amount of vigor as a hobby that you
enjoy.
Here are some of the elements of a good training regimen:
Practice speaking several times per week. Have you seen those
exercise equipment infomercials that say, "in just twenty
minutes a day, three times a week, you can have the kind of body
you've always wanted"? Well, that sounds about right, except
that what you need is a podium and an audience. You can join a
speaking group such as Toastmasters (as a member of a chapter
near you). You can offer to read announcements in a business,
religious, or school setting. You can introduce yourself, often,
in organized networking meetings. You can introduce yourself to
other groups. You can introduce other speakers to groups (that
might be a great way to get coaching--assisting an established
speaker as an intern).
The nice thing about following the above training regimen
advice, is that you can start small, and take care of the
challenge of developing basic skills in bite-sized increments.
There is one catch, which has to do with the fact that you'll
have homework. You must read other people's speeches, and
practice writing your own. One source for studying the heavy
hitters is to visit your local library and look for access to a
"Vital Speeches of the Day" database. You may also want to do
what I just did on a popular search engine. I ran the term
"speech writing" and came up with over three million hits. Now,
as we all know, some of those hits will lead to services that
require commercial payment. Later, that may be appropriate for
some resources.
If you develop basic skills and progress to a level of mastery,
you can actually get paid for speeches. How much do speakers
make? According to the National Speakers Association, an average
professional speaker's fee is around $3,500, plus expenses such
as travel, accommodations, and program materials. Newly
established speakers charge less, often an honorarium is given
in the range of a few hundred dollars. On the other hand,
nationally recognized "celebrity speakers" often charge fees
ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. Now that's what I would call a
built-in incentive program for you, if being promoted or passing
an academic course with flying colors is not enough.
If you've been following my article writing progress, you have
probably deduced that the other critical component of public
speaking success is to know your subject. This is not just
knowledge at an intellectual level, however. It's also the kind
of knowledge that you embrace with all your heart.
A passion for your subject gives you a sense of commitment and
self-assuredness. Deep down, people feel your spirit, and that
is what resonates with any speech and with any audience. In
marketing it is said that one should "sell the sizzle, not the
steak." In performing as a public speaker, it's the inspiring
delivery of desirable information that sways an audience.
Finally, let's talk about rejection, the "thing" that you
fear--the imaginary monster that is keeping you awake at night.
The monster that makes hands tremble, voices crack, and podiums
shake as though they were in the shadow of a giant carnivore; a
ferocious "speaker eater," that will devour you and anything you
have to say like a tasty snack. This one critical insight will
help you slay that monster: People want you to make them feel
good. They want you to help them with insights that they do not
have. Audiences want an "experience, not words." They want you
to succeed. For self-serving reasons, audience members do not
want you to fail, because then they would feel disappointed, and
would be no better off than they were prior to giving you their
time. It's only logical. Audiences want to accept you, and they
want you to accept them as they are, and make their lives better
by the time you leave.
No critic or heckler is a match for an expert--it's not even a
fair fight (but it does create an outcome that's in your favor,
if you develop your own area of expertise). The heckler, kind of
a critic on steroids, is someone who yearns for attention.
Knowing this, we can give that individual all of the attention
that he or she deserves, in a calm and completely confident
manner. Our weapons are factual, credible sources, which carry
far more weight than any heckler's opinion; you are merely a
humble messenger whose basis for speaking is facts in evidence.
Ironically, the combination of credible information delivered
with conviction, a bit of humility, and a sense of humor will
transform your audience. Audience members will see you
differently. They will respect you, and in time, adore you. You,
too, will change and metamorphose from a scaredy cat to a
majestic lion. You will be known as a speaker whose message, and
whose passion and delivery, roars.
Keywords: public speaking, presentations, stage fright, speaking
success