To date, we have uncovered the secrets to veiling the fear of pubic speaking:
Fear of Public Speaking: Stop shaky hands
Fear of Public Speaking: Stop shaky voice
Fear of Public Speaking: Cure the dry throat
Fear of Public Speaking: Avoid freezing
Once you can successfully manage/veil your public speaking fear, you are ready discover how to emulate confidence, even when you are not feeling that confidence from within.
What are the common denominators of a confident speaker? After years of studying presenters, both nervous and confident, I’ve uncovered the nuances that make the difference.
1) We have already discussed the first: pacing, which dictates that more confident speakers tend to do everything at a more moderate, purposeful pace. Nervous speakers tend to race, both physically and verbally. As as side note, research shows that people who talk too fast and bustle around the office are PERCEIVED as lower in the power chain than those who talk and move at a moderate pace.
2) Confident speakers PAUSE. Without the pause, people cannot digest as swiftly as you speak. Of equal importance your pauses clearly communicate that you are confident (irrespective of whether it is true). Always pause when you make a strong point. Pause when you are searching what to say next. As we discovered in the avoid freezing blog entry, pausing makes YOU feel awkward but it makes you LOOK confident. Conversely, “umms and ahhs” to fill the silence make YOU feel more comfortable, but they make you LOOK far more awkward.
Public speaking fear can be managed easily and effectively using these techniques.
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