How to Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking

culled from:wikihow.com

Steps

1

Practice in front of a mirror. This is an old trick. Practice your speech or presentation in front of a mirror, that way when you get conscious, you can see yourself and improve. You are your best critic.

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   Don’t mug the topic. Whatever your topic is, don’t mug it up. Know your topic well and put it in your own words. You will not forget the content and will be confident, because they are your words.
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   Avoid too much eye contact. If people scare you when you are on stage, just stare in void. Avoid making too much eye contact, just a glance and turn away. This way you won’t feel as if people are going to eat you up.
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   Relax. Just before it's time, take deep, slow breaths and take a few sips of water. Try this as well, close your eyes and visualize that you have delivered the speech or the presentation successfully. If you think that your presentation is successful, then it will be. It is an old law, things are created first in your mind and then in reality. So think positive.
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   Don’t get scared of silence. If in the middle of the presentation you lose track of what you are saying or seem to forget, don’t get scared. Just relax and take deep breaths. That moment may seem like an eternity, but it is only a few seconds. Track back to your speech and resume from there. You could just act thoughtful, giving the audience some time to understand what you've said.
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   Use a podium. It is scientifically proven that when you have a podium in front of you or a table to cover up your legs, you feel more confident. You could use that as an advantage.
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   Check the room set-up. Practice your presentation or speech in the room, with a mock program. From gestures, to clothes, to your posture, practice in the room that you will be using for the real presentation. You will be familiar with what to do and won’t make any mistakes.
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   Remember that no one can put you down without your consent, so go out there and win over everyone and over your fear of public speaking.