The best time to conquer your fear of public speaking is 21 days before you give your speech. Like all public speakers, you are frightened of failure. You are nervous about standing in front of an audience and delivering a talk that tanks. That's why you need to take time to prepare. "A well-prepared speech," as Dale Carnegie liked to say, "is already nine-tenths delivered."
Nothing overcomes stage fright better than preparation. An actor who walks onto the stage on opening night unprepared has every reason to suffer stage fright. The only reason actors look relaxed on stage as they deliver their lines is that they've rehearsed. They've memorized their lines, studied their character, rehearsed their entrances and exits. In a word, they've prepared.
Give yourself enough time. Not too much and not too little. Start preparing too soon and you won't be motivated (or nervous enough). Start too late and you'll only exacerbate the nervousness you're trying to avoid.
I start preparing 21 days before I am to give my speech, workshop or presentation. Three weeks gives me enough time to gather my thoughts, meditate on my material, re-arrange my thoughts, and master my outline.
In week one, I gather my material into one place, read all that I have to, think hard about what my audience wants or needs to hear, and choose my topic.
In week two, I outline my talk. I usually have a three-point outline, and under each point I usually have three sub-points.
In week three, I work on my opening and close, and hunt for stories and anecdotes that I can use during my talk to illustrate my points.
The day before I speak, I print out my notes and read them over at different times during the day, make handwritten annotations in the margins, and underline key points I need to emphasize.
The main advantage of giving yourself 21 days to prepare for your speech or presentation is that your subconscious mind works on your talk while you aren't. When you spend time on your message every day for 21 days, you discover ideas and thoughts in week two and week three that never occurred to you in week one. My insights come to me at 2:00 am. Or while I'm cycling to work. Sometimes while I'm listening to a sermon on Sunday morning (I can't help it, honest!).
When you give yourself 21 days to organize your thoughts, meditate on your topic and revise your outline, you discover that your fear of public speaking subsides. The more you prepare, the more confidence you gain. When you finally walk to the microphone, you still have some jitters, of course, but your palms are dry, your hands are steady, your heartbeat is reasonable, and your voice is confident.
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