How to Become a Fearless Speaker

Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, it is highly likely that public speaking scares you. Even if it doesn’t and you are working on honing this skill, speaking in public probably still makes you nervous. But never let that fear or nervousness get in your way. You can become a fearless speaker — or at least one who can courageously face his or her fear — if you keep in mind these four simple concepts.

How to Become a Fearless Speaker

Great Speakers Are Made … Not Born

Many people who are afraid of public speaking assume great speakers are born that way. In truth, those who appear to be “natural-born” and fearless speakers have spent a great deal of time becoming good at speaking in front of an audience. Speaking is a skill that can be developed over time. You too can become a great speaker by learning and practicing. If you need to speak publicly a lot for your job, consider joining a Toastmaster’s club to get the tips, support, and practice you’ll need.

Learn more about skill vs. talent here:

Change your Mindset about Fearless Speaking

If one of the reasons you fear public speaking is because you once gave a terrible presentation, you may have to change that negative mindset. But you can do it! Rather than focusing on the one bad speech you gave, think of all the ones you gave that were successful. These can be less formal, like in a team meeting or in a one-on-one client meeting. Remind yourself that it’s normal to be nervous. This is our body’s way of preparing us to do our best.

If you listen to the podcast, you’ll find that several of these now successful speakers started off badly. One person blacked out. Another got sick to his stomach. Another froze. The stories go on and on. But each of the overcame their fears and emerged a seemingly fearless speaker. So can you!

Practice and Rehearse

Devoting a generous amount of time preparing for your speech will help you become a confident public speaker. Winston Churchill, one of the most powerful public speakers of our time cited lots of practice as his “secret” to great speechmaking. For every minute presenting, he dedicated an hour in rehearsing his speeches. So, for every 10 minutes of a speech he rehearsed for 10 hours! This just goes to show how much of an impact practice can make in turning anyone into a confident public speaker.

“The most professional person, the person who looks the most natural,” says Featured Speaker Wendy Kinney, “is the person who is the most practiced and the most prepared.”

Prepare with Dedication
When we dread doing something, we often will procrastinate about doing it. This, in almost every case, causes us more stress than if we’d just get cracking with it. Allow yourself plenty of time to prepare for your speech. You’ll need time to come up with the exact language you want to use, the main points you want to cover and the examples and stories you’ll need to explain any concepts. Going in knowing that you are prepared is one of the best ways to relieve dread and nervousness and come off looking fearless. Remember how you felt going into a big test in school, knowing you hadn’t studied enough (or at all)? We always do a better job when we go in having spent time preparing for the task ahead.

Finally, keep in mind that fearlessness really isn’t a lack of fear. It is having the courage to face your fear of speaking and get up on that stage and speak anyway.

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About the author

Carma Spence, is author of Public Speaking Super Powers. She is fiercely committed to guiding women to Owning their Superpowers and turning their knowledge and interests into a profitable business. She is masterful at helping her clients see what is possible for them and supporting them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, releasing the Mind Goblins of self-doubt, self-sabotage and second-guessing that keep them stuck.

With 20+ years experience in marketing communications and public relations, natural intuitive skills and certification in using some of the most effective transformational coaching tools available, Carma’s mission and commitment is to unleash the inner power every woman entrepreneur possesses so they can boldly go out into the world, transforming the fabric of people’s lives in meaningful and positive ways.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Her website is CarmaSpence.com.