I am admittedly not one who generally enjoys being the center of attention, especially when it comes to public speaking. I tend to be more of a one-on-one kind of girl that likes to connect in small groups. Nevermind speaking in front of an audience! I have read that glossophobia, more commonly known as the fear of public speaking, is one of the most common fears that people have. I certainly fell into that category helping add to the overwhelmingly high statistics that make it a common fear.
Are you ready for a plot twist? I absolutely love when CGC does training for other teams, and organizations....and I am on the training team. Who knew that I would do a complete 180 degree turn regarding my strong feelings about public speaking? I certainly would never have anticipated that I would get over the fear, much less enjoy what I had avoided most of my life.
Here are a few things that have helped me to embrace training:
Find a way to authentically connect with the material that you are presenting.
Present the material in a way that brings out your personality.
Thoroughly know and understand the material that you are presenting.
Be engaging with the audience, make it about them.
Practice presenting BEFORE you are in front of an audience
I find that one of the things that really helps me to connect with the people that I am training is that I believe in and am passionate about what I am imparting. I find that when I personally buy into what I am presenting, it organically helps others to connect. Because I am naturally passionate and expressive, I utilize these traits to engage my audience when I present. Attempting to stay perfectly buttoned-up is unnatural for me, and that would be translated to my audience as I train. I have studied and know the training material well, and as a result I do not feel unsure or insecure, which allows me to focus on how it is being received. When I turn my attention to connecting and engaging with the audience, I am less focused on feeling insecure. I made sure to take sufficient time that is needed practicing prior to speaking in front of others so I had a cadence down that facilitated my ability to present within the given time frame allowed.
I hope that some of these pointers are helpful to anyone who feels that public speaking is intimidating. And I would love to hear any suggestions or tips that you have that have helped you.
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