Plenty of people have a fear of public speaking. They’d rather work in the background or write everything down rather than speak out. Here are a few tips to get over this fear:
Organize your thoughts – nothing is more important than making sure that you are prepared. Before you open your mouth, you have to already know what you are going to say. Think slow, BUT ACT FAST.
Relax – Most likely, your audience doesn’t know that you are having a bout of nervousness. Take slow, deep breaths, smile, look at the friendliest face in the audience, pretend you are just chatting with a group of friends .
Visualize – imagine your audience listening, laughing, applauding. Remember happy moments in your life.
Fix up, look sharp – Knowing that you look good, your clothes are pressed, your hair is fixed, will add to your confidence.
Stay with it – Nervousness will lessen the longer you stay onstage. So if you get the jitters during the opening of your speech, remember that it will pass too.
Practice in front of a mirror at every opportunity you get. In class, raise your hands frequently to be called on. And lastly, think about this: Nervousness does not show one –tenth as much as it feels. Try to feel confident and before you know it, those butterflies in your stomach will fly away permanently.