One of my favorite, favorite Jerry Seinfeld quotes is, as follows:
“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”
Although the above quote is silly, it is true that a lot of women are not so confident about their public speaking skills. However, public speaking can be improved with practice. No woman should ever feel they would not or could not succeed in a leadership role because of their fear of public speaking.
Suzannah Baum, Public Speaking and Presentations Skills Expert, wrote an article outlining 7 steps on how to manage your fear of public speaking. They are summarized as follows:
- Prepare Thoroughly
- Practice
- Get to the Event Early – get a feel for the room/technology set up
- Have a Backup Plan – know what to do in the event anything goes awry
- Breathe!
- Look & Feel Confident
- Give Yourself Permission to Be Nervous
For the full how-to article, click here.
