An amazing fact is that fear of public speaking is the widest spread fear in the world. Fear of death comes second to fear of public speaking, that’s how ludicrous things have gotten. People would rather die than make a speech in public. And I’m talking about normal people, not people who stutter. And I think it’s high time you all learn how to lose your fear of public speaking (actually, it applies to the author of this article, too).

So in this article some steps are going to be described that might help in overcoming this hideous affliction that people actually incept into their own brains themselves. And if you think about it really, if it is so widely spread it means that basically when you need to make a speech you will stand in front of a room of people who actually are afraid themselves to speak in public so maybe you shouldn’t be worried about them judging you as you had the courage to stand up and talk.

1.      An unflinching positive mindset. The first thing you need to learn in how to lose your fear of public speaking is to keep a strong bright thought in your head: that failure is just not an option. That you must do it, to prove yourself, to send the message you have to send and complete the mission you had set for yourself, that you can do because you have all that it takes and that you will do it no matter what. Having this certainty inside you is basically all you need, it’s the ground structure you can build upon.

2.      Carefully structure your speech. Every great speaker in history, even motivational speakers, even evangelists and even President Obama, pays a lot of attention at the structure of their speech. You need to consider your speech in order to work for your audience and you need to write it in a way that you feel comfortable saying it.

3.      Rehearse what you have to say. After writing something that would sound natural coming out of your mouth, you need to learn it so well and rehearse it so much that even in your strongest emotional turmoil you won’t be able to forget it. Of course, you have to really understand what you are going to say and not learn exactly word for word, rather ideas than formulations. But try rehearsing in front of a mirror or in front of your friends as to feel comfortable with an audience sustaining your gaze.

4.      Put a hook in them. In order to learn how to lose your fear of public speaking, you need to reel the audience on your side. You need to make them your audience. And how can you do that? Conquer them from the very beginning using smart, yet self deprecating humor. Consider this especially if you are about to make a presentation where technical details will abound. You must consider that an audience who is not necessarily interested in the subject, should become attached to the person presenting it in order to pay attention. So try a little humor and try to be as charismatic as you possibly can. And don’t worry if your emotions make you left handed in a presentation – moderate clumsiness is universally considered attractive. 

5.      Smile and arrive early to greet people. I recognize that entering a room that is filled with people can be intimidating especially if you are the one they’ve all been waiting for. So if you’re nervous about facing them all together, why not try one at a time, just to get warmed up? Arrive early at the venue and start greeting them with a friendly smile on your face as they enter the room. Maybe they will be pleasantly surprised of receiving so much attention and it will definitely help you. By knowing them individually, they will not look as a menacing mass of strangers, but a gathering of acquaintances.

6.      Be the best version of yourself. If giving a speech is a big deal for you or if you have a fear for it, you can try doing the rituals you generally do when you want to feel very sure of yourself and in control. So basically do what you would do if you were going on a blind date: groom yourself and dress very well so that the first impression people would have would be a very good one.

7.      The ultimate scenario. If you still feel frightened that things may go awry, just play out in your head all your grim scenarios, but on fast forward. That way, they will hopefully pile up and all start seeming pretty ridiculous at once.

How to lose your fear of public speaking is a difficult task, but this might have just cracked it. It takes a lot of patience and determination and it sometimes takes a lot of trying and not giving up. And in the last stage, if everything is still not working, drink half a glass of red wine like Ronald Reagan used to advise and see how relaxed and charming you will be!

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