Preparation is one of the keys to releasing your fear of public speaking
One of the first ways that you can overcome your fear is to take control of the situation rather than having the situation take control of you. When you find out that you will be delivering a speech, immediately begin gathering as much information as you can to prepare properly.
The first key to a successful presentation is preparation. This may sound obvious, but we have all been to presentations where it is clear that the presenter did not take the time to prepare.
What is the topic?
Know your topic. You don’t have to know exactly every single detail of your topic. But, you should know it well enough to speak intelligently. It is helpful to have some interesting items about your topic. Take the time to do some research. This is not just about adding in a list of facts and figures. Try to find some anecdotes, interesting statements or unusual facts about your topic. It is a sign of respect for your audience. If you do not care enough about the topic to do the research, don’t deliver the presentation. As much as possible, make the topic your own, by adding in details that you find interesting. Find out as much as you can about what is expected from the speech.
Who is your audience?
The more you can find out about your audience, the better you can prepare to deliver a successful presentation.
Are they experts in the field looking for new, cutting edge information?
Or, are they completely new to the topic and will need an introduction to the basic concepts?
What are the demographics of the audience (age, gender, education, location, and other specific factors that would relate to your topic such as income)? What are their attitudes and experience?
Do they (in general) agree with your viewpoint or not?
Does the audience have any particular expectations about your presentation that would be helpful for you to know before you start?
With this information you can tailor your comments to their interests. You can also decide to deliver the presentation to their existing attitudes or spice it up with a bit of controversy.
Another important detail is how many people will be in the audience. This will help you to tailor your message to an intimate group or a large auditorium. You can also use this information when you are doing your research in order to tailor your talk to fit the specific interests of your audience. It also helps with preparing any materials that you will hand out before, during or after your presentation.
(Note: only give people materials before or during your presentation if it is vital to their participation that they look at them during your presentation. Otherwise, anything you give them will only serve as a distraction.)
Also, as you find out more about your audience, they become less like strangers and more like people you already know. This alone can decrease the fear factor.
This is a very good info graphic that you could consider:
Source: TopManagementDegrees.com
Here’s a video Brian Tracy made recently about speaking in 69 countries:
You might find this useful – How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking
