|
Public
speaking is the number one fear of the average person. It’s
a statistic that’s repeated constantly. But the question
remains: “Why?”
There are
plenty of psychologists that will give you a theory. But
here’s another thought. Could it be that we fear public
speaking because it is an unnatural act for the human
species? Put another way, if you look at the evidence,
humans were not designed to stand in front of large groups
and speak. As a result, most of us feel uncomfortable doing
it.
Consider
the evidence:
-
Exhibit A: Our voices. We have soft voices that obviously
weren’t designed to address large groups of people. If we
were intended to address large groups, wouldn’t we have
voices that didn’t need microphones to be heard in large
auditoriums?
-
Exhibit B: Our stature. If we were
intended to speak to large groups, we would be much
taller. That way we wouldn’t have to stand on platforms
when addressing large groups.
-
Exhibit C: Our facial features.
One of the most expressive things about our bodies is our
faces. Yet we have small eyes and mouths. Our facial
expressions are only effective when speaking in intimate
settings where your listeners can really read your face.
The number
one way to overcome a fear of public speaking is to rehearse
like crazy. Next time you’re feeling really nervous about a
presentation, practice like crazy. You’ll still be nervous.
But you’ll do a lot better than you expect.
At
Speechworks we help our clients learn how to give
presentations that connect with the audience. If you’re
interested in becoming a great communicator give us a call
at 404-266-0888 or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net |
