March 12th, 2010
In this final segment, we’ll look at stage fright specifically, and attempt to allay any unfounded fears.
If you’ve prepared as much as you can, and you know your audience and your material, you might be surprised to still experience a bit of anxiety when you think about delivering your presentation.
That’s when visualization strategies can be most effective in allaying your unfounded fears. In fact, sometimes it pays to imagine your worst fears occurring – and then immediately see in your mind’s eye some solutions for positive responses.
For example, you can ask yourself, “What am I afraid of, specifically?”
If you think, “I might forget my entire speech” then you can imagine yourself blanking out and smoothly referring to your notes to get back on track, then picking up the speech where you left off with nary a hiccup.
If you think, “What if I get asked a question I don’t know the answer to?” then you can imagine yourself responding in a manner that is controlled, professional, and helpful. For example, you might remind yourself that you know this material inside and out, and if someone asks a question YOU don’t know, then it must be a damn good question. So you might respond with, “That is an excellent question that I honestly do not the answer to. Let me find out and get back with you by _____ (date, time, etc.)” People respect honesty and helpfulness a lot more than someone who talks in circles or pretends to know everything.
It also helps to imagine yourself succeeding. Stephen Covey says “begin with the end in mind” and you can imagine yourself at the end of the presentation, smiling as everyone applauds and congratulates you on a job well done. Focus on your strengths. Focus on the strengths of your presentation, your company, your product, your ideas, anything related to your presentation itself.
We hope you have enjoyed this series on conquering fear of public speaking. The next step is for you to reserve your rental projector from Projector123.com right now – click here to get started.
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