How to Overcome a Fear of Public Speaking

Many Americans have a fear of heights.  Another fear that is commonly thought of is creepy, crawly things.  Surprisingly, the highest accounted fear for Americans is public speaking.  I admit to not being as comfortable as I should be when I am supposed to speak in front of a crowd.  Being that public speaking is an issue for most, I thought it would be beneficial to explore ways of overcoming this common fear in this following blog.

 

               The old “picture the audience in underwear” cliché is a little old these days and it doesn't work for everyone when confronting one of their biggest fears.  People need to realize that public speaking doesn't just come naturally to some people, they have to work at it to get to a comfortable state.  Public speaking is like playing a sport where you practice and eventually it turns into muscle memory where you automatically do something without thinking about it.  Overcoming this fear is impossible without taking proper procedures to help improve your talking performance in front of a crowd.  It is important to take baby steps into the event by practicing by yourself then with a friend where they can give you constructive criticism.  Always have note cards which will help organize your ideas and talking points while also giving you a fall back if you need it during the presentation.  There is nothing worse than blanking on a certain aspect of you presentation and you are at a loss for words.  Another way to help you become more comfortable when speaking to an audience is picking a topic that interests you.  This way you will be more engaged and enthusiastic in your presentation which will ultimately improve you overall performance.  I know when I am assigned to present a topic that I have never heard of and that also doesn't spark my interest, I see myself finding it much harder to present these ideals to a group of people. 

               During the day of the presentation there are some crucial things that you need to make sure you address.  First, make sure you got enough sleep the night before the event.  The last thing you need is to be in front of people that you don’t know looking like you haven’t slept in days.  It will also increase your long-term memory which will benefit your speech.  Another important point is to arrive early to the lecture where you are presenting.  This will allow you to find comfort in the room where you will be speaking to an audience.  I find it helpful to know your audience as well.  Not personally, but more of a generic look at what all of the people have in common.  For example they could all be in the same profession as you which means that the topic of interest that you are presenting will most likely interest them as well. 

               Now for the most important part which is during the speech.  Make sure to be relaxed and not give off the notion that you are in any way nervous about the outcome of the presentation.  Be confident as well; you know your material and have prepared as well as you could so that means you are going to give a great presentation.  Feel free to have your index cards in hand as a safety net just in case.  Bringing a sense of humor to your presentation can only benefit it as a whole.  You know the audience in which you are presenting to so gear it into their demographic.  Whenever I present in front of others, I feel a sense of relief and accomplishment even when I get a chuckle out of the crowd.

               To bring this into a more practical perspective I will relate this to the field of pharmacy.  Being a pharmacist involves consulting with patients on a daily basis.  This is a form of public speaking which they will have to overcome to be a good fit for the job.  One thing that helps is that the consultation points are on subjects that they are well versed on and should also interest the pharmacist.  There are tricks that help people remember what talking points they should touch on during a consultation such as the QuEST SCHOLAR MAC method which determines if a patient should be allowed to self-treat their condition with OTC products.  Because a pharmacist will encounter this type of interaction every day, I see that there shouldn't be any issues past the first couple of consultations because there will be plenty of opportunities to practice to make them capable of overcoming their fear.