If you ask ten different people what their biggest fear is, chances are at least 3-4 of them will answer the same thing: fear of public speaking. Why is public speaking such a widespread fear? First of all, because, if you are not used to the stage, a few dozen or even hundreds of pairs of eyes on you is quite an intimidating sight. Secondly, because, although this is most likely not the case, you get the impression that the audience is "hunting" for your every little stutter, insecurity or other mistake.

Under these circumstances, the logical question is: "How do you get rid of the fear of public speaking?". Before presenting the 5 unique methods suggested by us, we must point out that, most of the time, the fear is not a generalized one, related to public speaking itself, but rather to certain specific aspects: fear of stuttering, of forgetting something in the speech, of being watched by hundreds of people, etc. Without further introduction, here is how to get rid of stage fright and impress your audience, regardless of its composition:

1. Simulate the conditions of the speech as much as possible! If you are going to give a lecture, prepare as much as possible under the same conditions as at the time. So, dress up, stand up, possibly in front of a mirror so you can study your body language, and deliver the speech out loud, not in thought!

2. Focus on yourself, not on the perception of the room! Fear of public speaking also stems from misinterpreting the audience's feedback. So, while you may stumble because of too long a pause, or words reversed or mispronounced, people watching and listening may overlook or even be amused by your little blunder.

3. Prove that you are human in every way! The best contemporary speakers stand out not only for their impeccable know-how, but also for the fact that they allow themselves to be 100% authentic: they laugh at themselves when they think one thing and say another, they are not at all rigid and often allow themselves to step out of the "sandbox" of their prepared presentation from home.

4. Be a real master of the subject presented! If you know the subject you are going to talk about very well, the emotions will dissipate by themselves, as your passion and experience for the subject will dominate them, and the room (of shows, meetings, etc.) will feel that it has a real expert in front of it.

5. Take our public speaking course! To find out what other aces specialists have up their sleeves in effective speech delivery, we recommend you sign up for the Brightway® Public Speaking course now! You'll learn how to construct your presentations in an engaging way and deliver impactful messages, no matter what your job title or field of work. Your voice deserves to be heard!