Give Me Death

The fear of public speaking is more common than the fear of death. This means that people would rather be the one in the coffin than the one giving the eulogy. This is quite ridiculous, because I do believe that forcing someone at gunpoint to give a speech in front of hundreds of people will work on anybody. When it comes down to it, people do not want to die. Fear of death is something and not wanting to die is something else. It's more likely a case of people fearing the idea of public speaking more than the idea of death or dying.

If you are part of the minority that does not fear public speaking more than death, then you do have a great advantage. In theory you could charge a lot of money to do something that other people would rather die than doing.

Everybody gets a little nervous before having to give a presentation or a speech. I think this is more related to the fear of making a mistake and embarrassing yourself. If you step out of your point of view, and think about how the audience feels or what they expect of you, it might be a lot easier to overcome this fear. For instance, if you are a student and you are required to give your presentation for a big project, the audience for that presentation is likely to consist of teachers and professors. They know you, and they do not expect you to smooth-talk them into a new belief. Most times the expectations that you feel you should meet are unrealistic, and reevaluating this can help enormously.

Pretending that the audience is naked is not a good idea. This can only make you uncomfortable.

The best way, in my opinion, to help you speak at a good rate (not too fast) and avoid mistakes is to relax. You can persuade yourself that everything is going to be ok, and actually lower your anxiety by relaxing before and during your presentation or speech. If you manage to do this, it will make you appear more confident at the same time.

Taking a humble approach is also a good idea, especially if you will be talking about something that someone in the audience may know more about. It's not likely you are the esteemed expert on the subject you are discussing, and if you don't assume you know more than the audience, then you won't be caught by surprise when they throw you a curve ball comment or question that you can't answer. Don't try to lie about something; the audience appreciates honesty just as much as you do. Remember that telling the truth is easier because you don't have to keep track of everything you've said.

Lastly, facing your fears can give you a major rush or a high. If you've tried bungee jumping you'll know what I mean. You stand on a high platform with a cord around your ankles, and there is definitely fear about jumping. Those who tell you otherwise are lying. Right after you jump off, there is no turning back. The fear dissipates, and the rush or high takes over. It's a great feeling and, to some extent, can be experienced from bungee jumping and public speaking just the same.