There's one skill you can develop that will boost your
confidence, credibility and career. It's public speaking. If the
very thought makes you queasy, you're not alone. For some people,
only death is more frightening. For others, death is preferable.
Are you the latter? Avoiding the spotlight? Suffering not just
butterflies but sheer panic? Dry mouth? Shaking hands? Flushed or
pale face? If this sounds like you, then consider overcoming—or
at least controlling—your fear. You can start by attending a
Toastmaster's meeting and picking up a couple of books for
additional help.
Forget any ideas you have that Toastmasters meetings are
intimidating. You might think you'll encounter only eloquent
and self-assured speakers which would make you even more self
conscious, but that's not the case. You'll find a variety of
members, ranging from those who recently joined to those who have
been members for years. They represent diverse lifestyles and
occupations and varying levels of education. What do they have in
common? Almost every single one joined because they were afraid
of public speaking just like you. This isn't a place for polished
performers to show off; it's a place to learn and practice. Those
members who dazzle with each speech...they'll be your mentors.
And, trust me on this, each fellow member will be rooting for you
to succeed.
In a typical meeting, lasting 60 to 90 minutes, the Toastmaster
will introduce two to three speakers who will give their prepared
5 to 11 minute talks. Their evaluators will follow with a short,
gentle but fair critique. Everyone in the group will also fill
out a critique which the speakers take home with them to review.
The Table Topics Master will present the meeting's theme and ask
questions of attendees who will reply with one to two minute
impromptu answers. Members (who have been given advance notice)
will provide the inspirational pledge, word of wisdom, mentor
moment or joke, or serve as timer, general evaluator, grammarian,
vote counter or "ah" counter. The idea is that everyone will have
a chance to speak, no matter how briefly. At the end of the
meeting, Best Speaker, Best Table Topics and Best Evaluator are
voted on and ribbons are awarded. And surprise! It's all fun.
(Table Topics can be scary but it's great practice for thinking
on your feet!) Membership costs approximately $20-25 for six
months including chapter fees; check with your local group for
exact costs. You'll receive several manuals to get you started
and a booklet for your evaluators' critiques. As you accomplish
the speaking goals in the manuals, you move up to different
levels and receive certification for those achievements.
Do this for yourself: Find a local Toastmasters group at
http://www.Toastmasters.org and commit today to attending one
meeting. You might try several groups in your area, meeting at
different times of the day, to find the one where you're most
comfortable. Guests are free, so you have nothing to lose. This
one simple step right now could make a huge difference in your
future. Dave Hershman, a proponent of Toastmasters, says in his
book, More Income with Less Stress, "Public speaking is such a
great tool because not many people do it well or effectively
(if at all). Attend any marketing seminar and they will tell you
to market by making yourself look different. People then spend
thousands of dollars concocting major schemes to shoot themselves
from cannons... Look at me; I am different. In reality, it only
takes something everyone already has to look different: your
mouth. You should do it and do it well because your competitors
can't."
For additional help, if you're truly frightened of public
speaking, read Janet Esposito's In The Spotlight: Overcome Your
Fear of Public Speaking and Performing. The author herself
suffered with this fear for years before using her training as a
psychologist to study the cause behind the problem and develop a
method for overcoming it.
If you're just a little nervous before speaking and would like
to improve your technique, try 10 Days to More Confident Public
Speaking published by the Princeton Language Institute and Lenny
Laskowski.
How will public speaking boost your career? Every marketing guru
tells you to visit any group where you can promote your business.
"Speak to them," they say. "Hold a seminar." Consider who would
be interested in your services. You could also team up with
others who offer compatible services. Contact companies who
need your skills along with industry associations, Chamber of
Commerce, Lions Club, Rotary Club, and so on. Of course, this is
only good advice if you can speak with authority and confidence,
and you'll be able to do that with the help of Toastmasters.
Maybe not tomorrow or next month, but eventually you'll improve
your speaking ability, gain confidence and be proud of conquering
your fear. And if you can speak comfortably in front of a group,
imagine how easy your one-on-one presentations will be!
Here's a tip that applies to this and every other idea you
consider: If you don't take some action within the next 24 hours,
the odds are you won't ever act on this idea. So do something
now, even if it's only writing a note on your calendar to find
a Toastmasters group. That's a start.
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