"In the world, there are two kinds of speakers. Those who are anxious and those who lie." Twain, Mark

One of our most common fears is glossophobia, or speech anxiety. According to research, the number one fear in Australia is public speaking. Death is the second most terrifying thought! You are not alone if you are afraid of public speaking. You can overcome your fear and speak confidently in front of others.

The anticipation of pain is what causes fear. Is your apprehension real or imagined? We are afraid of how others will perceive us, of being mocked, of making mistakes, sounding stupid, and forgetting what we were going to say. We feel exposed in front of our audience, as if everything we say and do will be judged and criticised. However, feeling nervous and anxious before giving a public speech is completely normal. It is not to be feared, but rather to be anticipated, embraced, and used to improve performance.

So, how do we channel the natural anxiety we feel before speaking in public? The old adage "imagine the audience naked" is not advised and can actually be harmful.

1. Face your apprehension
We are afraid of what will happen when we are in front of a crowd, giving a speech or presentation. Your concern is not that you are unfamiliar with your subject. It's the fact that you never know what will happen when you stand in front of everyone. Fear of being judged, making a mistake, falling short, or being hurt can all interfere with a good performance. Remember that everyone in the audience genuinely wants you to succeed. Nobody expects you to be boring or perform poorly. If you come from a genuine place and cover the material clearly, you've won 75% of your inner battle with fear.

2. Don't be concerned about your anxiety.
It is normal to be nervous before giving a public speech. If you tell yourself not to be nervous, you are setting an unrealistically high and unattainable standard. If we tell ourselves not to be nervous and then become nervous, we believe we have failed to control our reactions and can make a variety of disastrous predictions about how the event will unfold. This causes even more anxiety. If you set more realistic expectations and expect to be nervous as a normal part of public speaking, you will be less likely to judge yourself, limiting your reaction to normal nervousness rather than full-fledged panic. Slow breathing can also help you.

3. No one is perfect, so don't expect yourself to be.
Many people prepare for public speaking by rehearsing the material line by line, expecting to be able to get up and speak flawlessly. This, once again, is an unrealistic expectation. The more rigid your attempts to stick to the script, the more likely you are to either bore your audience or make an error. It is not so much whether you make a mistake as it is how you recover from it.

4. Your performance does not determine your self-worth.
Many people elevate the significance of an event to the point where it serves as the foundation for their sense of self-worth. Your performance in public speaking is neither a measure of your worth as a person nor a measure of your intelligence. Public speaking is a skill that, like all skills, can be significantly improved with practise and development.

5. Don't be too cautious.
Attempting to read from a script word for word is a safe way to avoid making mistakes. However, there is a risk that your audience will become disconnected and you will lose sight of the importance of the message you are attempting to communicate. Good public speaking involves both engaging with your audience and conveying information. Communication is about building a relationship and injecting your personality.

6. The importance of preparation
Divide your message into talking points. A speaking point serves as a reminder of what you will discuss next. Using this and your preparation, you will be able to speak more naturally (and sincerely) than if you were reading word for word.

7. Reiterate the message
According to research, people are more likely to believe something they hear more than once, even if it is from the same person. The adage "tell them what you're going to tell them, then tell them what you told them" holds true.

8. Make eye contact
I've heard it said that when people present, they fix their gaze on the back of the room. While this may make them feel less nervous, you risk appearing disconnected from your audience and losing your message. Making direct eye contact is your way of communicating with others. It makes people feel important that you chose to speak directly to them in a room full of people.

9.Tell a story
Stories are an effective mode of communication. It enables people to connect with real-life experiences of real people and can be used to perfectly illustrate your main points. Use humour with caution; do not mock, denigrate, or identify specific people. The best way to use stories is to align them with the objectives of your presentation.

10.Encourage them to Think, Engage, and Act.
A good presentation attempts to elicit thought from the audience and to personalise the topic to their own professional or personal lives. The second task is to engage the audience with authenticity and laughter. Laughter connects people on a positive emotional level. Rather than telling a joke, use stories and anecdotes, preferably true stories with a humorous twist. Another effective connection tool is empathy. The final task is to persuade the audience to take action. You framed the problem, personalised it, got your audience to think, and then provided solutions and strategies, as well as the confidence to act.

You have abilities and skills. The best way to connect with your purpose is to share your gifts and talents. There are people who want to hear what you have to say and will benefit from it.

"Your vulnerability is strong. Your stories are important. You are important. Don't let your fear of public speaking hold you back any longer." ~ Sam