Monday, May 27, 2013

3 strategies to overcome the fear of public speaking

Jerry Seinfeld has his famous bit about public speaking, where he spouts that people fear public speaking more than death, which means that most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.

But public speaking doesn’t have to inspire such terror. Steven Cohen, a Harvard Extension School instructor and managing director of the Oral Communication Program at the University of Maryland, offers three tips to help you quell your fears.

Speak calmly and fluently in front of an audience

Here are the three strategies Cohen suggests in the above video to help you overcome your fear of public speaking:

Visualize yourself succeeding. See yourself going through every step of the speech, from the walk to the stage to the applause at the end.
Relax! The “t-repeater,” a breathing exercise to relieve your nerves before speaking, and easing into eye contact can help you stay calm in front of a crowd.

Practice in specific ways. You don’t want to memorize the entire speech, but instead focus more on the introduction and conclusion of your presentation.

Becoming comfortable speaking publicly can have numerous benefits, whether they be professional or personal. Who knows, after some practice you may even come to enjoy your time in front of an audience!

These tips, demonstrated in the video, can you help you learn how to be confident in front of crowd.