As a public speaking coach in the corporate arena and working both as a guest presenter and as the leading trainer for QVC The Shopping Channel I would like to offer my opinion as to why so may people hate talking in public.
As with most fears, they stem from our childhood and evolve from situations where we have been ridiculed or made to feel small by our parents or teachers.
Speaking up in public or at work brings back those deep rooted memories and those negative voices start stripping away our confidence and prevents us from offering opinions or promoting ourselves.
Indeed the word FEAR is said to mean: –
False Expectation Appearing Real
Actors often say that without a script or a role that they can step into they feel that at anytime they will be found out and exposed for the fraud they feel that are.
Indeed, exposed is how we feel. How often do our nightmares contain images of us being partly naked?
With my clients I have found that the strongest means to dispel these fears is visualisation. Not the hackneyed vision of our audience appearing naked but rather more visualising ourselves being applauded, successful, receiving accolades for our performance and running in our minds the video of our successful presentation form beginning to the end.
This has both the realistic advantage of rehearsing the presentation but also silencing those destructive voices in our heads.
I also use a process called E.F.T Emotional Freedom Techniques that uses ‘tapping’ as a means to desensitise our emotional blocks.
The key to dispelling a stultifying fear of speaking in public is having a clear understanding of how we are to start our presentation, what is the content of our talk and how we are going to close with a strong ‘selling’ message.
Over the last 12 years, I have sold millions of £’s worth of product for QVC and have developed ‘selling’ presentations that engage and motivate viewers to pick up the phone and order. I also train others how to communicate with power and impact to sell their wares on the Channel.
From this experience of selling to an invisible audience I have developed a process called The 7 Magic keys to P.E.R.F.E.C.T. communication, an acronym that stands for: –
Personal Impact
Emotional Connection
Right to Talk
Facts
Encapsulate
Credibility
The Company.
Using this as a template for numerous presentations situations, from Business Pitches through to Wedding speeches I have enabled individuals to present without fear and with confidence in themselves and the message they want to convey.
It’s not about getting rid of the butterflies in our stomach but rather more getting them to fly in formation.
Have a look at the video presentation of one of my seminars. No sex, porn or nakedness just business relevant fun using the 7 Keys framework and actual MAGIC – yes magic to enable the individual to recall the process.
The 7 Magic keys to P.E.R.F.E.C.T. communication
