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#325068 - 03/02/05 10:44 PM
Public Speaking
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100 Club
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 174
Faber College
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Do you fear public speaking?
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SittingherealoneandsleeplessWonderingwhereyouareWishingyouwerehereOnthecoldestnightoftheyear
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#325069 - 03/02/05 11:09 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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100 Club
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 174
Faber College
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At what attendence level do you begin to fear public speaking?
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#325070 - 03/02/05 11:15 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I've never been afraid because for the most part it's been small groups or people that I somewhat know. But my niece has asked me to speak at her June wedding. I said ok, then the other day I asked her how many people and almost fainted when she said 250, I didn't know she knew that many (all her grandparents are dead as are most of the great aunts and uncles). She only has me and 2 uncles. She only has 4 cousin of which only 1 is married. Where did these people come from? Now I'm getting very nervous. Hope the wedding is later in the day so I have a drink to calm down!!!!!!!
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#325071 - 03/03/05 03:15 AM
Re: Public Speaking
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
At what attendence level do you begin to fear public speaking?
Oops, you left off the 501 to 999 level.
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#325072 - 03/03/05 04:58 AM
Re: Public Speaking
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
Quote:
At what attendence level do you begin to fear public speaking?
Oops, you left off the 501 to 999 level.
Oops, oops! You mean the 101 to 499 level.
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#325073 - 03/03/05 01:39 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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New Poster
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 7
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I know the problem: You might think, other people will be laughing at you, or doesn't take you for full, or run away screaming while you begin to talk, or hate you the rest of your life for being addicted to sit in your audience. Then your mind, your body and your voice sends the vias of your doubts to the people in the crowd. They will catch it up. Then they will start thinking the way you fear. Because of that you get more nervous, etc...
It is like a chain reaction. The only way is to KNOW that you won't bother them in any way. Without having trust in your own skills, it is not possible to reflect your confidence to other people, no matter how many they would be.
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#325074 - 03/03/05 02:15 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Power Poster
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,726
the sandy shore
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I discovered that once you get over about 300 people, it all just becomes a big blur and it's not quite as scary. But the small groups still make me nervous.
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I disbelieved what he was saying so hard, I probably created an alternate universe where it wasn't true.
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#325076 - 03/03/05 02:35 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Speaking about something you know and are intimately familiar with gives you the license and authority. You have earned the right to convey the information to others. The rest is all in your personal style and in properly preparing the sequence, cadence, and delivery of the material. Soon, you can't wait to give the next discussion!
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#325077 - 03/03/05 02:46 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Platinum Poster
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 776
Going round and round
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I have to agree with EGB - small groups make me nervous, but larger groups become a thing, not a group of people. The only thing that really makes me nervous is a group of 10 people or less.
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Everything is possible with time and motivation
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#325078 - 03/03/05 02:49 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Gold Star
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 473
the Bat Cave
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Sure, I get butterflies, but I love training, lecturing, speaking in public in general. That's actually where I feel most comfortable. Maybe I should have been a teacher??? Anyway, I approach speaking in public the same way I would a spider - it is probably more afraid of me that I am of it! Most of the people in the audience wouldn't dare speak in public, so who are they to complain about me? Besides, they got dressed the same way I did that morning - one leg at a time!!!
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#325079 - 03/03/05 02:56 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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10K Club
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,937
Pulling people out of the ditc...
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I've spoken in a group as large as 700, and have no issues. Only time I ever had a problem was when I was doing the eulogy for my father-in-law, but that was not related to fear.
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Providing alternative truths since the invention of time
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#325080 - 03/03/05 03:48 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Diamond Poster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,975
Alderaan
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I was a shy little girl (yeah, no one can believe it that knows me) so my dad thought he'd cure that and made me be on the speech team in high school. At the time he wasn't on my "Most Popular" list, but what a gift he gave me. I now enjoy public speaking.
Couple tricks I learned then:
1) When you make eye contact, look over the tops of everyone's heads - everyone will think you are looking at the person behind them. I still sometimes lose my concentration if I look directly at someone - I start to wonder what they're thinking.
2) When you first come on, go out, what ever. . . imagine the audience sitting in their underwear. It usually makes me smile (one time I laughed) and you'll realize they look sillier than you do!
3) Practice in front of a mirror. It simulates an audience - again I don't look myself in the eye or I'll get distracted.
4) Practice with a pencil in your teeth longways - that way you'll enunciate and have to slow down.
5) I always take a huge deep breath before I begin. Helps my heart rate drop and slows down my breathing.
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#325081 - 03/03/05 04:47 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Power Poster
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,020
Land of Enchantment
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I hate public speaking!!! I have always been a very quiet person and tend to keep to myself a lot. Because of my position at my last job, I had to speak in front of groups quite often, whether it was trainings or meetings etc. I had to totally psych myself out before the get together in order to get myself through it. It's not like I didn't know the people personally, it was just having to stand up in front of everyone and speak that freaked (and still does) me out. I usually did well, but it never got any easier for me.
I haven't had to do it at my current job, Thank God!
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#325082 - 03/03/05 04:55 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Power Poster
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 5,063
Pennsylvania
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When I was a child, I was painfully shy. When I was about 13 I became involved in DeMolay (for those who do not know it is a fraternal youth organization sponsored by the Masons) which really promoted memorization and presentation of speaches. While my first few presentations were terrifying, eventually I became comfortable speaking in front of large groups of people. I think that the experience I gained then has really helped me with presentations and training today.
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Knowledge is knowing what to say. Wisdom is knowing when to say it.
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#325084 - 03/03/05 05:21 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Diamond Poster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,975
Alderaan
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#325085 - 03/03/05 06:29 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Power Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,626
State of confusion
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What about 101 to 499 people?
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#325086 - 03/03/05 07:00 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Power Poster
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,726
the sandy shore
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Anyone think speaking to strangers is easier than speaking to people you know?
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I disbelieved what he was saying so hard, I probably created an alternate universe where it wasn't true.
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#325087 - 03/03/05 07:12 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Platinum Poster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 986
Massachusetts
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It is much easier speaking to strangers. If they have any complaints you never wonder if it was personal or if it would carry over into work
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#325088 - 03/03/05 07:30 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Diamond Poster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,975
Alderaan
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I agree - strangers are much easier!
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Duct tape is like the force: It has a light side and a dark side and it holds the universe together.
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#325089 - 03/03/05 08:24 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Power Poster
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4,241
middle of the country
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Actually, public speaking doesn't bother me much at all, strangers or people I know. I do better in small groups because I do better with immediate feedback from the audience. But then, my family always said I have "the gift of gabbing", my hubbie has always said I can talk a leg off!! And I will talk to almost anyone anywhere!! I do love doing taining session, must be the teacher in me, I was going to be a teacher before my first was born and changed almost everything. Every once in a while I think maybe I should try to change that part of me, I probably tell people too much, but then I decide thats just me and not necessarily a bad thing.
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Treading water in a hurricane
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#325090 - 03/04/05 07:34 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Platinum Poster
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 598
Flushing, NY
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I agree, strangers are easier. I lecture at my church often, and I am never nervous. I can do it without any warning ( go to church and get asked on the spot). However, my best friends daughter asked me to lecture at her wedding. I was shocked and saddened at how nervous I was at the rehearsal (all friends and family) you could even hear it in my voice. Fortunately, at the ceremony itself, the church was pretty full, so the "stranger" rule applied and I sounded OK.
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It really doesn't matter, no one listens to me anyway.
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#325091 - 03/04/05 10:34 PM
Re: Public Speaking
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Power Poster
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 7,353
Anchorage Alaska
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I don't tend to get nervous, in front of 10 or 1,000. I think the smaller groups are easier. More interaction, which makes for an easier flow (if you can controll it). I prepare well, and in the old days, I used to tape myself (a very good technique to controll your speed and enunciation...as well as those ummmm and ahhhh's that drive me CRAZY to listen to). I've alwways thought as long as I know my subject, it's not a big deal. If I didn't know what I was talking about, I wouldn't be at the podium. The only time that I get nervous...and It's not even nervous, it's more of a voice controll thing, is when I'm peeved as heckfire. You know I'm ready to bury a hatchet in your back right about the time my voice wabbles. I may sound whimpy, but what I really am is MAD! That's more of a board room problem than a public speaking issue. (I sit on several boards and many have some real idiots on them!) I don't prepare speaches very often. I often have a powerpoint guide, but never more than a guide. I put a great deal of information on the powerpoint for the audience to take home, but NEVER read directly from it (I hate that in a speaker). But again, that depends on the audience. I'm better shooting from the cuff, but I like to practice even that The one thing I always do is frame out what I want to say (just a few bullet points) and then practice saying it without an audience so I know my timing will be ok. There's nothing worse than a speaker who goes 20 mins longer than they're supposed to! It makes the following speaker have to rush, which just isn't fair
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CRA Rating is in...Oh who cares...I'm home with the baby.
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