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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:
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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?
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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.
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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 |
