Public Speeking & Stage Frights

[GenMarshall]

I am wondering on how bad the CFC member's fears on public speeking/performing. I know its common to all humans that we all have some fears of public speeking. Some have it worse than others while to some it does not bother them.

I recently had to give a speech for Public Speeking class and I was nervous. What made it worse is that I was being graded on my performance in the speech .

Please share any stage fright stories that you have .

 

[CivCube]

It's not so bad if it's an impersonal crowd, especially if it's a play. I was in a couple last year and never had to think of the audience.

To talk in front of a class, however...let's just say that my mouth has epilepsy sometimes.

 

[ybbor]

its not bad at all for me

a little trick: for those of you who wear glasses and have this kind of fear, simoly take your glasses off before giving a speech. you can't tell if anybody's staring at you, you can't make out indiividual faces, and you can make lots of eye contact without feeling nervous

 

[Vanadorn]

For most of my school days, I was very shy and reserved, often preferring to remain obscured and overlooked in class than to ever have to actually talk to these people. I would sweat, clam up, and struggle to talk without stuttering (I had a bad stutter from ages 10 to 12).

A very excellent teacher for my creative writing class (there were 8 of us in the class) taught me a fantastic trick to get over my stage fright. Since we had to read our work aloud, and he saw the difficulty I was having, after class he gave me a big hint. When standing up there, do not make eye contact with the people in the class. Pick 3 points in the distance, just over the student's heads. One point in front, one to the right, and another to the left. During your speech or reading, look and lock your eyes on these points. Every 5-10 seconds, switch to another point to look at.

What this does is gives the audience the illusion that you are making eye contact with them, scanning the audience as well. But in actuallity, you are avoiding contact, and at the distance you are from them, they cannot see that fact. Over time, and with repeated readings and speeches, he said, you will grow more confident, and less unsure, therefore you will begin to make eye contact and warm up to your audience, and won't need the "crutch" of not looking any more.

Remember, talk loud and sure. Speak from your gut and project your voice.

Good luck, public speaking is one of those tools and traits that is most required as you get older and enter the business world. Never be ashamed or embarrassed of anything you have to say.

My 2 cents.

 

[Johann MacLeod]

i dont have a fear of public speaking, im just not very good at it. (i dont mind acting though)

 

[Perfection]

I really don't have too much of a problem. I just remember that everyone there is worthless scum in need of a good stern lecturing!

 

[Mise]

If I know what I'm supposed to be talking about, I have no problems with talking about it. All too often, however, I'm ill-prepared and I mess it up. So I guess rehearsing speeches and things is my advice.

 

[warmonger]

I have had a quite a bad stutter for as long as I can remember - but i love public speaking and I would, in a most immodest way, say that I'm quite good at it.

My first major public performance was at an international convention where I had to give somebody else's presentation in front of 2,200 people from all over the world. I had been in my job for less than three months. I was about 25 years old, addressing to people that had been in the industry for decades.

After that, no speaking engagement has held much terror for me.

 

[col]

I think we all go in stages of fright.

First we dont like to speak before about 10 people.
Then we dont like to speak before about 30 people
Then its about 100 - especially if we dont know the people.
Then its a large auditorium of about 1000 where you cant see individuals. I remember talking to a couple of thousand.

The best advice is to make every talk to about 10 people no matter how big the audience. I pick people left and right, front and back and deliver my speech/lecture to them. People see you turn and respond as though you're talking to them alone.

Most of all. PPPPP. Prior preparation prevents poor performance.
Decide what you;re going to say. Dont read from a script but give yurself prompts. I use cards with one or two words printed in large letters to remind me what I'm going to say next. Allow for a little spontaneity. Allow yourself to get emotional.

Speak at about half your normal speed. Most people speed up when they get nervous. If you consciously slow down, you'll be back at a normal speed.

Pause. Emphasize key words.

Tell them what youre going to tell them
Tell them
Tell them what youve just told them.

 

[puglover]

I'm weird. I'm more nervous when doing a play than when I give a speech. I once did a speech on the Battle of Saratoga to the Daughters of the American Revolution. I enjoy doing things like that.

 

[Amenhotep7]

This reminds me of a Dilbert Comic:

Setting: Dilbert is preparing his speech at work for the next day. Dogbert is chatting with Dilbert over a morning coffee.

Dogbert: It's said that people fear public speaking more than death.
(Next Panel)
Dogbert: So technically, if you're killing a man before he speaks publicly, you're doing hima favor.
(Next Panel)
Dogbert: When are you going to sleep? *tail begins to wag*
Dilbert: Never.

With that in mind, For the record I do not fear public speaking.

 

[downtown]

as both a music/political science student, I find that i have to speak in front of people/preform an awful lot. I love it. I would like nothing more to sit behind my drum kit with my jazz band, and play for a billion people. the adderiline rush is amazing.

 

[funxus]

If it's given to people you know (like your own class in school), it's not that bad, because they know you from before, and they're usually supportive. If you don't know the people, I think it's a bit harder, because a whole bunch of the people will get to know you through that particular speech.

I don't have much experience of public speaking, but from general experience I know that eventually I will not fear something that at the moment is new to me, which makes hard things I haven't done before a lot easier... make sense?

 

[Yaype]

I always feel a bit nervous, but apparently, it does not come across in my speech. While I think that my voice is shaking, and that I fidget too much, my audiences tend to disagree.

 

[MarineCorps]

Don't really mind it. Do it quite often during the year. National Forensic League.

 

[M37]

While everyone I know would rather not speak in public I havve no problems.
Whats My trick?
Simple remember that about 90% of your audince are glad your giving the speach.

Then agian I've had lots of practice since people are constatly asking me to read, speak in public becuse I've done it before and a lot of people are very afraid of it.

So once again if your ever ased say yes and remember the person who asked is glad your saying yes becuse it means they don't have to!

 

[jack merchant]

In high school, I was terrified of having to make presentations. I choked up in class and nearly did so in the final oral examination (in front of exactly ONE person - I had picked the most prolific Dutch writer ever to give a presentation on so so I could fill the time even if I forgot half of what I wanted to say, which I did). In college though, I had the good fortune of being able to give dozens of presentations (on proposed stock/options buys) in the student investment association I was a member of - no pressure, but a very critical audience as their money was always at stake. There, I learned a couple of simple rules:

Make sure you know what you're talking about.
Convince yourself that the audience *should*, for their own good, be interested in what you have to say to them
Good entertainment trumps memorized fact recital.
The audience won't bite you.

Not quite warmonger's or col's level of presenting, but still rather useful to me.

 

[eyrei]

I actually enjoy being in public if I am sure I know what I am talking about...which is most of the time.

 

[marioh]

I used to worry about giving speeches in front of people when I was younger, but not as much anymore.
I think that's partly due to my voice, which is fairly deep and powerful, or so I've been told. So I do have confidence in my ability to speak clearly and not having an annoying voice to others. Funny thing is, I hate my voice when I hear it via a tape, but apparently, people like it, especially g/f's.

 

[Bootstoots]

I get nervous before speaking, but I don't have a problem with nervousness while I am speaking. I'm not very good at it either (I say "um" and "uh" too many times in every speech to count and have no clue I'm doing it).