Copyright (c) 2007 The College Of Public Speaking
How did you feel that first time you were asked to speak in public? Nervous? Overwhelmed? Didn't know where to begin? Fear not, it's perfectly natural.
Public speaking is the worst known phobia. In a recent survey, 90% of people said that they would rather die than stand up and make a speech in front of their family, friends and colleagues. This is a serious problem. But how have we come about this crazy statistic?
It's easy. People don't want to make a fool of themselves in front of their peers. I know that when I was a child, I was of terrified visiting my aunties and uncles' houses at the weekend, because we were expected to perform a 'party piece', a two minute tortuous entertainment. A song, a monologue or a little dance would do the trick.
The major concern was not performing the 'party piece'. This is all tied up with the fear of public humiliation. As if the moment of humiliation isn't bad enough, there's always people close to you who can drop it into the conversation, anytime, anyplace, anywhere.
As children at home, we were always told to be quiet. Similarly, at school, shut up, be quiet, go away if you want to talk! My grandfather had a rather unpleasant saying, "If you can't improve on the silence, then shut up!"
As a child, it was rather difficult to know how to improve on the silence, I found it all terribly confusing. But surely this was what granddad wanted, a quiet life with no interruptions from children who knew, well, nothing.
It's not surprising that we feel less than confident when we stand up and actually want to communicate something serious. This is hardly supportive conditioning for our careers, is it?
Do any of these scenarios strike a chord with you? An amazingly high percentage of people feel exactly the same way. You'll be glad to know that help is just an email away. If you live in the United States you'll find a number of speakers clubs in your locality and they belong to an organisation called Toastmasters International.
If you live in the United Kingdom, there's an organisation called the Association of Speakers Clubs. Both of these organisations are voluntary and they'll give you supportive environment in which to build your speaking skills. It's great fun and you'll make some lasting friends too.
Sure, everybody has felt the sweaty palms, the forehead and under arm perspiration at the prospect of speaking in public. Join your local club and they'll soon help you step up to the speaking mark. As you grow in confidence, remember to read public speaking articles on the web to give you a broader view of the subject.
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The College of Public Speaking has made a major impact on the Corporate Sector, conducting several major speaking programmes for prestigious organisations. Visit us at =>
http://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk
Association of Speakers Clubs =>
http://www.the-asc.org.uk
