Jamz3k

I have a serious issue with public speaking as I find it very difficult, its as if I know what I want to say but I cannot spit it out or find the right words. A more serious concern is my inability to read out aloud as I simply cannot do it as the words on the page might as well be in a different language. I feel this is really holding me back and would appreciate advice or if someone could direct me to something that may help my inability.

Steve Whitehorn

iTrader: (13)

I do alot of it.

4 tips.

1. Write down and practise your opening two lines. So you donīt stumble at the start. Getting the first couple of lines off and right sets you up and the nerves go...once you are going you get into the flow of things.

2. Donīt write out exactly what you are going to say. But just the key points you want to talk about in a logical order. Dry up on one. You have your cue infront of you to move onto the next point.

3. In a crowd of a hundred. Initialy focus on one person. All of a sudden it is a bit more like making a speach to one person not 100, 200 whatever.

4. Write down the final sentance. The conclusion that you want your audience to remember.

Hope this helps.

pslewis

I do this quite a lot, I use humour to get me through ... humour has to be carefully delivered - no KluKlux Clan jokes at a Black Liberation Meeting, for example!

When I speak to 500+ people I just look over the group to a point on the far wall - then look left and right and centrally every few minutes .........

I write down every single word in the right order of my talk .... mad to some speakers, but I need that to keep me on track!

Do it often and you build up a confidence that cannot be gained anywhere else.

Dingdongler

I used to have a massive fear of this but had to get over it.

The trick for me was endless practice of what I had to present/talk about. I would go.over it again and again. But this has to be done ALOUD in front of the mirror. In this way you can hear exactly how you sound, where to pause and where to put emphasis. Being in front of the mirror means you can see your own body language and adjust it accordingly.

When I do this practice I do it at a full volume (ie enough to be heard at the back of a large room) so you also know where you voice might start to croak.

By the time I'm finished practicing I could deliver the whole presentation even if I lost all my notes and power point etc.

It takes alot of preparation to make these things sound slick, natural and engaging, but it is worth the effort. The preparation will make you feel more confident and that will come across to the audience

Flaps

iTrader: (1)

When you say you can't do it what actually happens? Shaking? Stuttering? Words jumping around the page? Do you feel ok talking to small groups of people, is the issue only when it's a scripted and formal situation?

Jamz3k

Stuttering mainly, words jumping around the page sounds about right too! Regardless of the size of group or how well I know them, I just cannot do it. Happens in both scripted or formal situations.

Flaps

iTrader: (1)

Is it a case of wanting to do it or having to? What's the situation?

I'm a teacher and see 300 different kids each week, I've also written and presented the Awards Evening for the last three years to a hall full of parents and kids. It's amazing how many people who you think are comfortable speaking to groups are actually quite nervous on the night! A Head of Year at my school can be a right witch to the kids, she's a very strong character and is great hosting assemblies but said she was dreading the two minute speech she had to do at the Awards Evening!!! People on the telly say they 'brick it' before going 'live', it's perfectly normal to be nervous!

Start with identifying who you feel comfortable talking to and make an effort to do it more, then go out of your way to speak briefly with new faces that may turn up (they will probably appreciate someone talking to them and be just as nervous as you!) this will help build up your confidence, just chat for a minute about anything!

I used to train the student teachers at our place and they often dreaded doing even the register! The best approach for me was to drop them in it, earlier than they expected, the register might be the only thing they did that lesson, but it still 'broke the ice' and made the next task easier.

In scripted situations try to be original and don't try and be funny if you don't feel comfortable with it, no laughs are better than sympathy laughs!

Ultimately remember that you are in charge (don't do it if you don't want to), assume your audience is on your side (they will most likely be thinking 'I couldn't do that!' and want you to do well) and also, keep telling yourself, five minutes and you will be done! enjoy the 'buzz' afterwards too

mart360

Its quite normal, to feel nervous or aprehensive when faced with having to give talks to large groups of people.

I do it on a regular basis, sometimes it's demonstrating a technique, others its a technical discussion / presentation.

Two things that stand out,

One i have to admit was a bit of advice given to me by a friend many years ago when i had to give my first presentation to a room full of strangers..

It was this.

Its your presentation, of which you are the expert in that subject. (Think about it? if they knew what your presentation is about, they wouldnt need a presentation would they!)

So no one is going to contradict you, or shoot you down in flames, its your arena so to speak, They are going to be just as aprehensive of you, as they dont know what your going to deliver.

When you do deliver your presentation, i aim for the back wall, that way i dont get distracted in my opening lines.

Once i have started, and am in full flow, then i start to move the eye contact round the room, spotting the receptive members of the audience and using them for eye contact.

The trouble on fixating on one person is that they feel intimidated, and will break eye contact very quickly, once they do that, you then have to find another person, which can be distracting.

I usually do two or three dummy runs of a presentation aloud, usually to myself, that way i can plan my pitch, and iron out any pronunciation or gramatical hiccups that occur..


Unfortuantly they are a double edged sword. if your crap and bomb, everyone will remember you , but if your good, you will get asked to do more of them lol

Mart

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Jamz, are you having to do presentations/speaking now, or is this something you just wish to become better at to help you move forward?

If it is the latter, take as many opportunities as you can to become more confident speaking in front of people, before you actually need to be able to do it.

I hate public speaking, I hate all eyes being on me, it's not really about what I may be saying to some extent, just a hatred of people watching and analysing me. Strangely, in meetings a work, I can contribute a lot to discussions now, but I struggle being the one to take a meeting, and being the focus. People might think I seem confident enough when in a meeting, but that is just me being opinionated, being the focus is a totally different matter. I would never have done that if I hadn't been forced, but truthfully, as scary as it still can be, it has really helped being dropped in at the deep end. It's boosting my confidence, even though I still feel nervous, I am able to speak to a few people now. I doubt I could speak in front of many people, but at least I have moved on from complete panic at the thought of speaking to a handful, and the more practice, the better. All I do, in the meetings I have to hold, is have the info I need to discuss in front of me, and do the best I can to get it across, and allow discussion back and forth to relax me. Doing a presentation.....I'm not there yet, but all this little stuff will maybe get me there, so I suppose it's back to what I said earlier, if you can do stuff like this to raise your confidence if possible, for if/when you need to present or speak in larger groups.

The reading out loud, I can't help you with. I'm yet to find a way not to trip over words. I can read notes to prompt me, but give me a piece of information to read out to people and it all goes to hell, I just get jumbled. It's probably best in situations like that to just take a breath and not get ahead of yourself, just try to stay calm, but I couldn't say for certain. The more you improve speaking amongst people and being less nervous, maybe the better you'd be at reading out loud???

Sorry for going on there.

PaulC72

The one main thing to help get you through would be know your subject, then practice.

If you know what you are talking about your confiedence should already be there as you are in your comfort zone, if you don't know the subject unless you are a strong speaker it will be very hard to pull it off.

It doesnt mean to say if it is a subject you don't know you cannot learn enough to make you carry out a useful speech, sometimes knowledge only needs to be basic to deliver the necessary information.
If anyone asks a question you do not know the answer to never wing it, either use the knowledge in the room to answer the question or explain you are unsure of the answer and don't want to give the wrong one to them so you will check and come back to them - always come back with an answer!

Nerves are normal and in all honesty are a good thing as it keeps you focused, fear however is not.

I am sure with practice you will be fine, it doesnt come easily to everyone, no matter how big the group if you can do 10 people you should be able to do 100 after all you are only talking

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

If (when) I have to, I try to have a few people in the audience that I know, I can then direct the start of the speech at them and I feel less intimidated. Unless it's lot of people I won't use a microphone as I'd start speaking quietly and then start to mumble; speak slowly and project your voice.

mart360

Same here,

I flatly refuse to use a microphone, its a presentation , not oppertunity knocks or karioke

If you project your voice well, everyboy will hear you


Mart

Dingdongler

Except if you are speaking in a multi level lecture theatre/hall then a microphone is essential. No way you will be heard otherwise.

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

Only gets easier / better with practice imho ie you need to do more of it. Perhaps start with a smaller audience?

TX.

Jamz3k

Cheers for the advice guys, looks like manning up is the only way to do it!

ScoobyDoo555

I do this type of thing every day. I also perform to a great many people in my band.

FWIW, break your speaking into smaller "bite-size" chunks. This gives you more time to focus on what you're saying NOW (rather than in 20 lines time!)

And take your time.

Finally, try to look up and address your "audience". Look around.
I personally, rarely even focus on one person - I'm addressing a blur.

Then it becomes easy.

Dan

urban

iTrader: (1)

Leslie

As an instructor I had to do quite a bit of it, a lot of it was classroom work.

Like you I did not particularly enjoy it but as PSL says, it gets easier with experience.

Les

jef

iTrader: (13)

ive had countless CBT sessions for this, helped improve my thinking but ultimately due to a unique set of circumstances i couldnt overcome the hurdle

hodgy0_2

The problem I find, is that, your time comes and you turn towards the audience and it just clicks and the words from your mouth just flow naturally – and you feel akin to Jim Carrey in the Mask

But other times you turn towards the audience and it is like talking through treacle, just hard and tired, -- and you keep thinking, “can the audience tell i am finding this fvcking difficult”

And i can never work out which it is going to be

Obviously you been to know your subject front to back and back to front, but as above, it is always troubling that i can never be sure what experience I am going to encounter

It is tough, no question, but anything worth anything, usually anything is

JTaylor

As perverse as it sounds, I actually enjoy public speaking. I like the sense of theatre, the adrenaline and the post performance buzz; It's the frustrated rockstar in me. Charlie helps, but remember to keep your jaw in check.

john banks

Depending on the situation and audience, they are more scared of you than you are of them, if you handle them properly, and the rest of them are bored, asleep, thinking about sex etc. You have the mic, you have the control, you know your subject and have planned, they could be singled out by you.

stedee

iTrader: (4)

love it. wheres the gurn smiley

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

This is a good idea, start will family and friends, then meetings.

I'm not a fan of it, but realised the other day, I've avoided doing talks to big groups of people, yet present my ideas in meeting rooms of 30 - 40 people .. it never occurred to me, its the same thing.

Sitting down helps me

Coffin Dodger

Couple of cheeky lines and a large glass of whisky - sorted

Leslie

Do you find it gets easier as the throng starts to fall asleep?

Les

classic Subaru Si

+1

JTaylor

I was fortunate enough to be brought up with public speaking and coached at Devonport High. NLP offers some help.

daddyscoob

James Are you left handed by any chance ?

urban

iTrader: (1)

Eh?
Go on.....