How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking & Shine on Camera \ Newslooks \ Washington \
– Here’s a number that shocked me: up to 75% of people have a fear of public speaking. That means three out of every four of us are afraid of giving a work presentation in front of your boss, speaking at your friend’s wedding, or giving a speech to hundreds—or thousands—of strangers.
But public speaking does not have to be nerve wracking or induce paralyzing fear.
I know from experience, speaking to millions of viewers each time I was on the air as a network correspondent at CBS News.
So, using my 25 years of experience on television news, I’ve developed “6 Tips to Become a Better Public Speaker” to help all of us become better at speaking in public, on television and to a conference.
- Start with humor: This almost always works because it cuts the tension, sets your audience at ease and gives you a confidence boost when your audience laughs. Usually, the most effective type of humor is self-deprecating: a joke with you as the punchline. This shows you don’t take yourself too seriously.
- Lead with a story: Everyone loves a short, well-told story that seamlessly leads to the point of your talk. This could be how you came up with the idea for your presentation, the theme, or the importance of the content. The story shouldn’t be long winded or off topic. Short and sweet.
- Pick 3: Structure the heart of your talk around three chapters or main points. Only three! So a 15-minute presentation may have many items, but structuring it into three parts, or chapters, will keep your audience following along. Many speakers will even tell the audience of the three chapters just before starting with the first one. It gives your listeners a roadmap for where you’re taking them.
Think of your mother: It’s common to be nervous or anxious before public speaking. So the key is to borrow a tip journalism schools teach to aspiring broadcasters. When you look at that camera lens (or, in this case, your audience), picture your mother or another close person in your life and visualize speaking to them — and only them. This
- often helps the speaker relax, while also speaking in relatable terms, not formal legalese or “formal speaking voice.”
- Summarize: Toward the end, pick one headline from each of your three chapters and use it to form a summary of what you’re just described to your audience.
- Bring it home: Finally, to bring it home, relate back to your opening story and how what you’ve just presented fits into the theme of the story. This has the added bonus of appearing to the audience of being a well-structured talk.
Those short and simple tips will help you transform your public speaking. Just like my former colleagues at CBS News, and in other newsrooms, do every day!
If you want to be a better public speaker, get quoted as an expert in the news media and enhance your executive presence and leadership skills, join me as I host Media Mastery Experts LIVE! in Washington, D.C., Sept 12-14, 2024. This public speaking, media, and leadership training camp will be a transformative experience for you – and how other people view you. Let us help you increase your confidence, craft your message, and get the media attention you deserve.
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