No Fear Here!

At a time in U.S. history when the Depression had reeked havoc upon this great nation, Franklin Roosevelt, the President of the United States said, in his inaugural address, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."  In the life of a professional speaker, a Soccer Mom taking the podium at a PTA meeting, a Little League Coach addressing parents before the first practice, a department head stepping to the Board Room lectern, or new member at a Toastmasters club, there is fear.

We can all glibly say that we are fearless, and that is in fact how I bill myself, The Fearless Speaker.  My first blog is entitled the same.  But when the time comes to deliver to an audience, no matter how seasoned or polished we may become, that fear will try to invade our peace.

For me the fear is small indeed, but the tiniest morsel of that dread emotion will yet try to unsettle the most established and credible orators.  For those of you who believe yourselves to be more prone to the attack than most, rest assured we all face this nasty little demon.  And you can likewise rest assured that you are able to defeat fear as easily as I do.  It's all in your preparation.

The Two Keys to Speaking Success, as previously blogged, is your sure foundation.  Confidence in yourself and your message, buoyed by solid practice sessions, will get you ready to present.  The balance of preparation is divided between knowledge of the venue, an understanding of your audience, great knowledge of the material you will present, and time spent practicing.  Did I mention how important practice is??

If the remarks I am to deliver are not rehearsed (practice, practice) so that I know them backwards and forwards, I leave room for the seeds of doubt and fear to creep in.  If I have not taken the time to familiarize myself with the venue, its location, the acoustics (if possible), or to otherwise find out all I can about where I will speak, there's room for doubt and fear.  It would seem ridiculous to speak to an audience with whom you are completely unfamiliar!  Surprisingly, speakers take the stage every day with a canned speech expecting it to play well no matter the crowd.  Oops!  Know your audience.

You can limit the amount of stage fright you feel.  You can control the level of fear.  You can be, as far as anyone would ever know...fearless.  Victory is found in your preparation.

Fearlessly,
JD