My final post is a list of exercises to try to help manage and beat public speaking fear.  The more you put into them the more you will get out of them. Don’t hold back to build your confidence and speak with confidence.

The Public Speaking Fear Drills

On your own, or with a couple of other people in front of an audience or group of friends do the following exercises,:
With an imaginary ax, chop wood although calling to the audience, “Timber, timber, timber!” Repeat.

While churning energetically with an old-fashioned churn,shout, “Watch the butter fly! Watch the butter fly Watch the .
butter fly!” Repeat, opening the eyes as wide as achievable whilst you talk

Pretend you are ship-wrecked at sea. Although you are fighting sharks with one
hand, wave to another ship and cry, “Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!”

Wave to a friend a block away. He can’t hear you so start waving and loudly calling, “Hello, there”

With an imaginary swatter move all around the platform saying vigorously, “Swat that fly! Swat that fly!” Swat as you
exclaim, and keep the exercise up for a full half minute.

Imagine honey bees inside your hair. brush them out with your hands as you jump around crying, “Take ‘em away!” Keep this up for twenty seconds. Repeat should you still have the energy.

Deliver a two minute “I Am the Greatest!” speech. Brag about anything you please, but actually brag. In this drill see how obnoxious and egotistical it is possible to be.

Count to fifty with spirit. Again count to fifty , this time as an angry or a happy man would count.Exaggerate this.

Imitate a few of of the following characters (in speech and manner):
a. Loud-mouthed Charlie Bratton.
b. A baseball umpire proud of his position.
c. An angry basketball player.
d. An excited fan at a basketball game.
e. A talkative intoxicated man.
f. A giggling school-girl.
g. A gossiping old woman
h. A grumpy old man

Make a spirited talk for 45 seconds on this topic: Men are far better
drivers than , or, women are much better drivers than men.

Talk for a minute about some of the following terms:
thingamajig
sidewinder
monkey-business
skullduggery
abracadabra
razzle dazzle
white elephant
heebie jeebies
raspberries
snoop
wolves
bigamy
snobbishness
puppy
yo-yos
idiosyncrasy

These drills can help anyone with public speaking fear that is not acute. When you have something more please see a qualified specialist.

Public Speaking Fear Summary

Public speaking fear is a common fear. Many of the confident speakers today have suffered from this fear. With some understanding, application of speech drill like the above or other simple techniques they have built their confidence up. If others have beaten their public speaking fear than you can to. Keep at it, trying different things, practicing and giving speeches and presentations you will beat your public speaking fear to be able to speak with confidence to any size audience

Public speaking fear is a natural fear that is common among many people. Although it is natural it came be overcome and the benefits of being a confident speaker can be enjoyed by anyone who has this natural fear. Performing speech drills is one way to overcome the public speaking fear.

My second speech drill (see previous post for the first) is for a speaker to tell and show the way to do any activity “which he is very familiar with, for example, – swimming, golf, volleyball, boxing, fishing, rowing, jumping a rope, playing basketball,etc.
Or he may well pick an object (anything) and rave about its values to an imaginary or real audience. He talks about the item as though it was worth a million dollars, pleads with men and women to get it, tells and shows them why they will need it. He puts his entire heart, body, and soul into the drill – despite the fact that realizing it’s only a drill and far much more exaggerated than any speaking he will genuinely do in public. But such drilling will pay a speaker large dividends by giving him freedom of spirit and fearless force when he does speak in public.
Speech exercises which call for violent, exaggerated physical action will help an individual lose the inhibitions which contribute to fear. They’re somewhat like a strong man lifting heavy weights. Since the strong man has become accustomed to lifting heavy weights he can lift ordinary objects as though they were just feathers. Similarly, when a speaker does heavy drills, successfully appearing in front of any any audience becomes like a walk in the park for him. When he can do ridiculous stunts just before an audience, speaking sensibly for listeners is comparatively simple.

Public Speaking Fear Drills Purpose

The purpose of drills is to assist in control and direct nervous energy as opposed to check or kill it.
Some students appear to have the mistaken idea about controlling public speaking fear. For example, one said, “When I’m up there speaking I wish I could really feel just like a block of wood.”
What type of speech could a block of wood make? Would that young man prefer being a dead mule to being a race horse eager at the bit?
Really, to speak well, we ought to feel a challenge when we face an audience. We maintain all our nervous energy, but we focus it to work positively as opposed to in a confused and distressing way.

Therefore public speaking fear is overcome and used to perform at your best when making a speech.

My next post will have some more speech drills and exercising for defeating your public speaking fear.

Another way to beat public speaking fear is through speech drills.

Public Speaking Fear Drill No. 1

Speech drilling, which requires a person to speak with exaggerated force and big gestures, will help overcome stage fright. For instance, in private practice or with other students, do the following speech laboratory exercises:
Choose a favorite hobby (your most active one.) Tell and show an imaginary audience how to take part in it. Do this with much pep. Put zip, spirit, and sparkle into your tones. Let your feelings show in your face, eyes and body. Overdo it! Feel that people must share your hobby, not tomorrow or next week, but as you talk about it.
Talk with force and pep, much louder and faster than you usually talk, and with an active body from head to toe. This is only a speech drill so don’t be afraid of high pressure or any¬thing else. As you talk nod your head vigorously (when the thought calls for it), shake your fist, or point directly and force¬fully to demonstrate a point. Make any kind of bodily move¬ments that will explain or emphasize. But make all movements big and positive. No little, easy, timid movements.

Speak earnestly with your eyes and face. Plead with them. Plead wih your whole being for your audience to believe and act upon your ideas. Be so much in earnest an audience must believe.
-Please don’t get tired or dismiss this practice as nonsense. Do the drill again and again — today, tomorrow, next week, next month. Give this exercise a few vigorous minutes often. No soft peddling, please. It is work. Sweat at it. Hit it hard, and then forget it until next time. The purpose of this drill is to cause a speaker to become so excited about his subject he forgets to be afraid. He should talk with intense excitement, like a kid with a new toy — wild with joy. Such practice – will help a speaker break the stiff shell which reserved habits have built abound him.

Try this out and see how your confidence builds and your public speaking fear starts to recede. I’ll have another drill you can use for victory over public speaking fear.

Being able to speak with confidence in public speaking is a challenge for a great number of people. But it doesn’t have to be you. Many of today’s confident speakers did not have the ability to speak with confidence when they started out. They have gone from nervous speakers to where they can now deliver a speech confidently and fluently.

Why Speak With Confidence

Having the ability to speak with confidence has a number of benefits for the individual. Some of the benefits are; performing better at job interviews, getting noticed by your boss, getting promoted, demonstrating leadership qualities, better team meetings, winning more business, being able to influence others.

Speak With Confidence Techniques

It is quite normal to have nerves before you start to speak, it shows you care about what you are about to present.  This is normally at its worst just before you start to speak. Take a few deep breaths to relax yourself. Smile a genuine smile as this not only makes you feel better but conveys confidence to your audience.  Look out your audience and you will find they are not too bad. Don’t focus on your nerves but on what you are to present.

The following two ideas will give you logical reasons to speak with confidence.

Being thoroughly prepared for your speech helps you to build your confidence.  This involves knowing your audience, planning what you are going to say, how you are going to say it, researching your topic and knowing what your purpose for delivering the speech is.

An Important Speak With Confidence Idea

The activity that does the most to develop the ability to speak with confidence is practice.  It is by practicing and doing that builds your confidence. There are two types of practice that will help.

The first is to use every opportunity to speak up. Start small, a couple of minutes are all you need and if possible do this in situations where you are comfortable, such as with people you know. As your confidence grows start speaking for longer and to larger groups.

The second type of practice that helps to speak with confidence is to practice your speech before you have to deliver it. Practice in front of a mirror, in front of friends until you are comfortable in delivering your speech.

Nervousness and fear of public speaking will not be overcome overnight but with more speeches given you will quickly develop the ability to speak with confidence.  Anyone can develop the skill to speak with confidence and in time become an exceptional presenter.

Here is a video from the movie Facing The Giants. Not about public speaking today but illustrates the illusions of self imposed limitations that most of us put on ourselves.

Do you have any limitations you’ve put on yourself? Most of us have a self image of our capabilities that is well inside what we can actually be. Public speaking is one of those areas where many people have these limitations but if only we pushed ourselves a little bit we could actually be an effective public speaker.

The thing with good public speaking or giving a good presentation at work it can help our careers or business more than years of hard work. It is a highly regarded skill that is much in demand in most organizations today.  Step by step, bit by bit you can make it.

Check out the Art of Great Conversation for more information on speaking confidently to audiences of any size.

And remember Don’t Quit. Don’t Quit,