You wish to break the ice, seek attention, hope to get noticed and could for hours engage in a conversation (more often gossip) . But when it comes to addressing a little gathering, your legs tremble, jitter, sweat and forget those well rehearsed lines in a matter of seconds. You fail miserably in no time!

I have come across people who have failed on stage and vouched never to step back again. The fear of failure, embarrassment and low-esteem looms large. You do not wish to put yourself through that horrifying experience again!

However, life is a predicament by itself. There are these odd situations in life when you need to speak before an audience at work or in a conference/seminar. The impact of your presentation has a larger influence on your career. Your words are measured, your stance , diction , delivery ,in short-your potential gauged by those few minutes of stage time . It is a test that you need to pass with flying colours  .You either conquer your fear of public speaking or submit to this un-confounded fear that makes you feel worthless. Make your decision now –I believe that a person who reads any further has decided to make a conscious attempt to overcome the fear of public speaking and take a step forward towards achieving the same.

This section of the blog is dedicated to overcoming the greatest fear in life –The fear of public speaking. The section would also deal with the finer aspects of public speaking. Over the days, we would discuss the various aspects of effective communication. I hope to see this section develop into a one-stop shop for all your needs /queries/experiences and apprehensions on public speaking, both for beginners and professionals.

Getting to the basics-

1) How to conquer the fear of stage

“Practice, practice and practice” – is the oft heard answer. Yes, it is only “CORRECT PRACTICE”, that makes a person perfect . However, we all seek a conducive atmosphere to practice and shed our inhibition. The best way to prepare is by practicing your speech before your near and dear ones. It’s the best way to shed your apprehension .Your family could be your first audience , the drawing room- your first stage…make that effort , practice the speech you need to deliver at work before your family . It helps instil a sense of confidence.

Though the practice is not perfect (or anywhere close to it), it helps muster confidence required for a beginner.

Another method is to randomly pick any topic from the daily newspaper and express your views before your little audience at home, everyday for about 5 minutes. If you are able to do this for 7 days continuously, you would get comfortable to a large extent. Anything practiced for 21 days becomes a habit! Once you are comfortable, you need to slowly increase your audience, from family to relatives, friends. This helps gather further confidence and drive away inhibition! Addressing an informal gathering at small parties or occasions further helps your cause.

2) What do I speak about?

For a first timer, the best thing in the world is to speak about YOU. Tell the world who you are, your dreams, desire, love, hatred and all that you wish to express. This helps, because you don’t need to go by a prepared text and also with time you prepare a little bio-data /introduction about yourself. It helps connect with people!

3) What is effective communication?

Effective communication is “Conveying your message”. Does it sound dicey?

To be an effective communicator you do not need good language, diction, body language or a flawless accent .You need to connect with the audience and leave behind a forceful message ( take home ) . Whether you spoke in broken english or with a heavy accent is secondary.” Content is king”. Your message needs to influence the thinking of your listener!

4) Formal Platforms to practice Public Speaking – There are various public speaking societies, debating clubs that meet regularly. I have been a part of an international movement called Toastmasters International, a movement with the objective of making “Oral communication a worldwide reality “. There are toastmaster clubs spread across various cities who meet regularly (   either weekly or fortnightly). All you need to do is to check the club closest to your location in the website http://www.toastmasters.org and attend a meeting as a guest. A toastmaster meeting is more often a life changing experience. I had never spoken on stage, till I got to toastmasters. I have been a member for the last 4 years and I have presently Co-founded a new Toastmaster club called “Banjara Toastmasters “(@ Banjara Academy, 1^st Main, 1^st Block R.T.Nagar, Bangalore -560032) which would be chartered with TMI shortly . Our club is a weekly club. We meet every Saturday between 6.00 pm -7.30 pm. Do drop in, if you stay in Bangalore!

Take the plunge….. it’s a wonderful journey of learning!

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