I love word play and learning fun new words, and today I learned a great one: glossophobia. It comes from the Greek words “glossa” (tongue) and “phobos” (dread or fear). I think I will remember it easily, because no matter how many times I rehearse, if I get stage fright it feels like I totally glossed over every repetition of my speech.
Public speaking is one of the most common fears worldwide, and most of us have experienced it at least once, to some degree. It can range from a minor case of butterflies in the tummy, to full blown panic attacks or even fainting.
Some people, of course, are natural performers and public speakers, and it is a skill we can develop and refine. Whether you struggle with public speaking or not, there are always ways to improve. I’ve developed my relaxed, professional public speaking presence over my lifetime. Here are some details about my own journey and how I can use my skills to help you build your business or refine your own presentation.
Learn a language
Most of us get our first taste of public speaking in elementary school, through small show-and-tell presentations to our classmates and more intimidating school plays, in front of friends, family, and strangers. I’m convinced the first impression is a lasting one, because I have heard many stories of how traumatizing that first Christmas concert or school play was for so many people.
I don’t recall my first public speaking experience, but it must have been a positive one, because many of my acquaintances lament the fact that now I won’t shut up.
Towards middle school I do recall presenting in front of the class, especially in French class, where we had to perform little skits or read aloud or recite poems in French. I suspect the shared camaraderie of struggling along in a second language really bonded all those classmates, and for me, it created a sense of safety: everyone here is struggling to speak, everyone has to take a turn at the front of the class, so we all have empathy for one another. As a result, I was not afraid to take my place at the front of the class.
I continued my French studies at college and sometimes presented at conferences in front of larger audiences with the confidence that comes from practice.
Join Toastmasters
After college I entered the workforce, and although I did have the occasional chance to speak publicly, those moments were few and far between. After a few years, I found I was losing my sense of comfort on the stage, so when I overheard people talking about Toastmasters one day I decided to sign up.
That was in 2016 and I have been attending weekly meetings ever since. It’s quite fun, a great way to practice speaking, and you also get specific feedback about what you are doing well, and what you can do to improve. It’s also a great way to learn to give constructive feedback.
Plus, it can be great for the ego. There are annual speaking competitions that start at the club level, just in front of the people you meet with every week, up to massive international competitions. I competed a few times (I never got past the third level, still local to my city) and it was a very valuable experience. You get to hear just how impressive some speakers are.
If you are at all curious about joining Toastmasters, you can visit clubs for free to see what it is like, and if you decide to sign up it is only about $10/month Canadian. Find a club near you here: https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
Make it part of your job
The public speaking engagements I have had during my career have definitely been highlights. While I was working at British Columbia’s Government House (home of the Lieutenant Governor and representative of the Queen, super fancy!) I got the chance to host some incredible events. There was one event that I organized that was especially memorable. It was a three day conference at the culmination of a high-school environmental grants program, called the Stewards of the Future. Guest speakers included astronaut Robert Thirsk. The audience was made up of teenagers, so a pretty tough crowd. I had the privilege of emceeing this event, and it was phenomenal.
I have presented technical projects to teams of executives and ministers, and I have led professional development workshops.
And throughout all of those experiences, I have learned a lot.
Or hire a pro
If you are looking for someone to take the stage and speak to the virtues of your business, hire me! Or better yet, connect with me for a quick consultation for more tips about how you can improve your public speaking and presentation skills.
Tips to get you started
- Respect the time limit. People are busy and time is money. If someone agrees to meet with you for 30 minutes, make sure you can finish up in 20 with time for questions. Most of the time, you won’t even have that long. An elevator pitch lasts less than two minutes, and most wedding speeches or other public speaking engagements are between 5 and 15 minutes long. Allow for pauses so that your message sinks in, and you will find you don’t actually have much time at all. Toastmasters is a great forum for practicing concise, timed speaking that still has an intro, body and conclusion.
- Know your subject. If you really know the topic you are going to speak about, it won’t matter so much if you forget a line – you will be able to adapt and speak naturally. It will also be easier to answer questions.
- Breathe. Pause before you answer a question. Breathe. Pause between sentences. Breathe. Don’t say “um, so, you know, uh…” you don’t need to fill the silence. When you are on stage, taking a full breath in and out feels like it takes a year, but to your audience, it is a welcome chance to absorb your message, laugh at your joke, or reflect on the wisdom of your statement. Give them that moment.
- Use body language and eye contact. A huge amount of communication is conveyed through body language. Take advantage of that. Use it to help you limit the words you actually have to say. Keep your speech concise, and let your gestures, vocal variety, and animated facial expressions fill in as much content as possible.
- Set the stage – whether online or in person, if possible, take the time to make sure you look presentable, that you are well lit, that you can be heard clearly, etc. Set up your stage and your technology in advance if possible, and test it.
- Practice regularly. I meet with my Toastmasters club every week, but it’s important to practice in strange new environments too. You can get comfortable with one group, so visiting another Toastmasters club, taking on a presentation for work, or doing something fun like joining a Dungeons and Dragons campaign or other role-playing game can shake things up a bit and test your skills.
Abby W. Pollen 