Glossophobia;
the fear of public speaking.
Did
you know that most people (almost 75%) suffer from some form of
glossophobia. In fact, more people are afraid of public speaking than
they are of dying.
I've
been a Toastmaster for only a year now. In that time, I've participated in
a number of roles, from evaluation team duties, to speaker, to Vice
President of Education. I've learned a great deal from each of these
jobs. All of them require me to do a bit of public speaking.
I
wouldn't say I suffer from glossophobia, but I do get nervous each
and every time I make a speech. I've given six so far.
My
first, called the “ice breaker”, was the worst. I completely
forgot what I was going to say. I stood there, in front of a room
of 30 or so people, all of them staring at me, while my mind raced to
remember what on earth I was doing there. After what seemed
like minutes (I was told later it was only a few seconds), I jumped
to the ending, which was a story I'd told many times. Thus, telling
it was easy.
A-ha.
Isn't that interesting!
That
was my first big public speaking lesson: practice.
After
that, I work out what it is I want to say, then rehearse it in my
empty office. That's a bit of a stigma, talking to oneself. But it
always pays off. I still get butterflies in my stomach before my
speeches, and my heart races just as I take the stage, but then I just
say it. I've rehearsed it, five or six times by that point. I go on
autopilot and just do it.
Does
that work, I hear you ask? Yes. After the meeting, people have
commented a number of times on how natural and calm I seem to be. If
they only knew...
It's a team thing
The
Toastmaster organization is strictly voluntary. No one is paid for
any effort they put into it. Each meeting runs solely by the will and
grace of those who participate. Recall, there are at least thirteen
people who give time and energy to each meeting we hold, and that doesn't include the time to schedule the agenda, keep track of dues, maintain the website, update email lists, plan contests, so on and so forth.
Why
do they do it? Everyone has their own reasons. Some recently got jobs
that require them to do presentations so they'd like to do so more
effectively. Some are tired of fearing to be called upon to talk at a
business meeting. Some come because they have things to say but don't
know how to say it.
Everyone
has different reasons for trying Toastmasters, but the key is why
they stay. They stay because it's valuable to them. They stay
because they feel they are part of the team.
They
stay because it's fun.
Keeping it useful
Consider
for a moment that you're a speech evaluator. The person you've been
assigned to evaluate is working on using their body language (lesson
5 in the Competent Communication manual). The speech, you find out
that day, is on roller coasters.
And
you HATE roller coasters.
On
and on they go about how great and wonderful roller coasters are!
They talk about some of the best ones, the technology, the speeds ...
and you're mortified. You can't think of a more disgusting topic.
Moreover, the very last line of the speech was, “If you don't like
roller coasters, you're a meatball!” It gets a laugh in the room.
But you're insulted.
This
does happen. People have opinions about everything. What to do?
Your
job. You're an evaluator. You're trying to help make
them better speakers, not voice a counter argument or opinion (feel free to approach them after the meeting).
The
speaker was supposed to focus on body language. Did they? Did they
make eye contact with the audience? Did they use good facial
expressions? Did they move their bodies, acting as if they were on a
roller coaster? Focusing on comments to help them
become a better speaker will also help you.
Odds are there's a Toastmaster club near you.
Find out at Toastmasters International. As the name suggests, they are world wide. Whether
you're a student, seasoned professional, or just looking for
something new to try, Toastmasters can be a great place to better
your leadership skills, better your speaking skills, or, heck, just
make a better you.
