5/11/2010

Lesson 1 - Public Speaking


Here we are, You and I. Me speaking(writing) and you listening(reading). *clears throat* I'm actually a little nervous, this being my first go at expressing my thoughts to the wide open space of the Internet. I try to imagine I'm speaking to a group of unnamed individuals in a lecture hall, it makes it easier than imagining I'm speaking into a void. Speaking to a group of people is one of the hardest things in life, many would rather be shot than have a go at public speaking. Why is this? Why are you so scared of public speaking? This will be my first lesson into life seeing as how it is such a common fear, and something everyone can relate to.

I, like many children in my generation, was forced to do public speaking in the classroom at a young age. The point of this exercise was to apparently make public speaking such a normality that we would become numb to the fear it instilled on us. Usually it doesn't work. I used to be petrified by the thought of speaking in front of a group of people I KNEW WELL. I eventually overcame that fear sometime in High School, probably around the same time I got laid for the first time. I'm not saying that all you need to do to be a good public speaker is get laid, that's not it at all. To be a good public speaker you need to be confident(it just so happened that I got confident after getting laid). I would guesstimate that confidence is AT LEAST 75 percent of your public speaking, the other 25 percent is how well you know what you're talking about. Yes, I know what you're thinking, 'but Marby, I've gotten laid plenty of times and public speaking still scares me.' And fortunately for you I know some other mediums of gaining confidence.

For many people just knowing the material well gives them the confidence they need for public speaking, this is probably the best way to gain your confidence since it kills two birds with one stone, You gain the confidence you need to speak in front of people, and you won't look like an idiot when someone asks a question that you should have the answer to. Another means of gaining confidence is speaking in the mirror, watching your facial expressions, practicing your smile, try to correlate your hand movements with what you're speaking about(For example: say you're speaking about climbing a ladder, as you're speaking about the action of doing it raise your hand up to show upward movement, visual cues along with vocal cues go a long way). Practice your public speaking in front of close friends or family members(be sure to ask them to critique you so you can practice on what needs work, common things to work on is voice volume, eye contact, more movement to keep attention, they may even want you to add visual aids to your speech). Practice and repetition are huge confidence builders in anything.

So let's summarize real quick:
1. Public speaking is a fear everyone possess and will always possess
2. Public speaking is about 75 percent confidence and 25 percent knowledge on the subject
3. To overcome your fear get confident by:
A. Having sex
B. Knowing the material
C. Practice and repetition

The skills and confidence you gain by mastering your fears of public speaking can and will drastically improve many areas of your life. You'll find it easier to approach strangers and start conversations. You'll find it easier to convey your thoughts and ideas to others. People will respect you more if you can talk without stuttering and placing an 'Uh' 'Um' or 'like' between every word. Public speaking is a crucial skill in life, and having that skill makes life so much better. I'm not saying that these things will cure you're fears, but it's what has worked for me thus far, and what I will continue to do until it fails me.

Not bad for a first entry, huh? Thanks for reading.

1 comment:

  1. Pretty awesome man. This post was very well written and made a lot of sense. Your words reminded me a lot of my person experiences in public speaking and presentations.

    I however, got over it in a few different ways.
    The first and foremost way I overcame my fear of public speaking and presentations was enrolling in Theater and being a part of plays.

    Overall, very nice post and I look forward to the others.

    ReplyDelete