Giving a Speech!
I love to help people learn to speak in public. This is more difficult than you would believe. As children we all learned to speak in public yet many adults have convinced themselves it is a fate worse than death.
Literally...
Many studies on fears conclude speaking in public is feared by more people than dying. In my classes I spend most of the day helping people get over that fear. The problem is everyone wants to make the perfect speech. It doesn't exist. Every speaker walks off the stage thinking "I could have done better." So, when the first flub occurs many people start to escalate their fear.
Still, with practice and a little confidence, you can make sure that you get your points over to your audience. And you can make sure that you do it relatively pain free. Trust me. I am a paid professional. Today however I'll give you the secret for free....
Ready?
You are the only one who knows what you planned to say. Any slips or mistakes can be easily repaired and the audience probably will never know you slipped. That sentence you left out? The audience had no idea you wanted to say it first. You can add it now. The chart that you planned to go over at 10:15? It's ok if you don't get to it until 10:25.
People try to speak like they're building a train schedule. It is why they fear speaking in public. They're worried a lot of the audience will be impatiently waiting for the paragraph to arrive precisely at 10:23.
Public speaking is more like a cross country tour. You know where you want to start. You know when you have to arrive. Enjoy the trip in the middle. If you don't see every picket fence and alligator farm...so what? Just travel to your "must sees." Hit the high points of your presentation. Leave plenty of room at the end for questions and "oh, yes, thanks for asking. I did want to tell you..." comments.
On a related note and the inspiartion for this entry: thanks to Joe Jenett at jenett.radio for pointing out the value of sincerity
