Public Speaking & Confidence

[Falky]

I think we should get a new thread started on public speaking and confidence. This is one thing that I lack skill-wise and would love to start improving it. I'm great at writing my thoughts down, but struggle to speak them, even if it's to my Mrs or parents.

I'm sure there are other people here too that struggle with this, so lets see if we can get a big ol' thread going on this subject. Anything you know personally, videos, podcasts, books any information is good.

I'll start with this cool video I found earlier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2MR5XbJtXU

 

[Ed]

If the mere thought of standing in front of a group of people makes your heart pound so hard that people can hear it across the room, you're not alone.  Many people have a fear of public speaking, I know I did. I'm still working on getting more proficient at it but now when I give a speech I'm relatively calm.

There are many books, podcasts, videos etc. that have great information.  But these are close to useless if you're at the stage of being terrified of public speaking.  At this stage there is one thing and one thing only that will help you:

Practice.  Give speeches.

The best place to do this is with Toastmasters.  I can't recommend them enough.  It gives you a supportive environment where you can practice, they can always find something positive with any speech.  They understand people are at different levels.

Another way you can practice is to record yourself.  You don't have to publish it anywhere.

 

My absolute number one tip to get over a fear of public speaking is to practice.  But here are some things that have helped me:

1. Have good posture, you're going to feel so much more confident when you stand up straight compared to if you were to slouch.  Check out Amy Cuddy's Ted talk.
2.  Practice
3. Talk loudly.  This is similar to point 1.  If you're loud, it signifies that you're confident, not just to other people but to yourself.  Obviously you don't want to talk much louder than the situation calls for but as a general rule, it's better to talk too loudly rather than too quietly.
4. Practice
5. Train in MMA/boxing/BJJ etc. Knowing that you can kick ass in a fight against the majority of people you'll meet just gives you a huge confidence boost.  And this confidence will transfer over into public speaking. (You don't have to fight anyone, probably better if you don't)
6. Practice
7. Lift weights, get in shape.  This is a lot to do with how you view yourself.  It's also about how other people view you.  It's not politically correct to say, but people naturally have more respect for someone who is in shape compared to someone who is visibly overweight.
8. Practice
9. Accept that you're not going to be an amazing public speaker right away.  It took me a long time before it didn't feel like I was about to engage in mortal battle before a speech.
10.  You know what this tip is....

[Cam Adair]

Awesome thread

[Ron Tsang]

I think we should get a new thread started on public speaking and confidence. This is one thing that I lack skill-wise and would love to start improving it. I'm great at writing my thoughts down, but struggle to speak them, even if it's to my Mrs or parents.

I'm sure there are other people here too that struggle with this, so lets see if we can get a big ol' thread going on this subject. Anything you know personally, videos, podcasts, books any information is good.

I'll start with this cool video I found earlier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2MR5XbJtXU

 

Falky,

I used to be afraid of public speaking, too. Now it's what I help people with.

Like Ed, I suggest you check out a few Toastmasters clubs near you, to practise in a safe environment. 

And if you're interested in immediate how-to tips on public speaking and confidence, check out my interview on the podcast Superhuman Entrepreneur.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Ron Tsang
I couldn't get the @ tags to work :(

[Cam Adair]

I think we should get a new thread started on public speaking and confidence. This is one thing that I lack skill-wise and would love to start improving it. I'm great at writing my thoughts down, but struggle to speak them, even if it's to my Mrs or parents.

I'm sure there are other people here too that struggle with this, so lets see if we can get a big ol' thread going on this subject. Anything you know personally, videos, podcasts, books any information is good.

I'll start with this cool video I found earlier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2MR5XbJtXU

 

Falky,

I used to be afraid of public speaking, too. Now it's what I help people with.

Like Ed, I suggest you check out a few Toastmasters clubs near you, to practise in a safe environment. 

And if you're interested in immediate how-to tips on public speaking and confidence, check out my interview on the podcast Superhuman Entrepreneur.

Ron is the man! Love that you stopped by to add your thoughts, thanks man. Post up your book when it's available for everyone here!

[Falky]

Great tips guys thanks  I'll check out the links provided!

[Ron Tsang]

Thanks for the shout-out, Cam!

Yes, I wrote a book on how to become a great speaker, called From Presentation to Standing Ovation. You can check it out on Amazon.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2016 by Ron Tsang

[Cam Adair]

If you guys are interested in this subject, go support Ron on Amazon. Good friend, good dude. Knows his stuff!