A Fear of Public Speaking

This week, a colleague shared, “I have a fear of public speaking.”

I flashed back to four years ago. That was me.

Public speaking terrified me. Raising my hand in class… standing in front of a room of people… giving a toast. My palms would sweat; my legs would shake; my breathing shortened. 

It was easier to not speak at all.

Then I started with IBM. The Summit Program taught me the importance of communication and presentation skills, not only in sales, but in management and leadership. I had to tackle this fear head-on in order to further my career.

It’s an essential skill.

Great leaders chart paths for their teams. They must communicate good and bad news. They provide clarity. Set strategy and provide direction.

So, if you’re like my colleague, how do you overcome this fear? 

First, set a goal. When I started with IBM, getting better at presenting was my top goal. I consciously set my mind to it. This is the most important first step. Next…

Try these 3 tactics: 

1. Raise your hand!

Do not overthink it. Close your eyes, take a breath, and raise your hand, even if it’s the last thing you want to do. The more often you do this, the more comfortable you will get.

2. Find someone to emulate

For me, it was IBM’s former CEO Ginni Rometty. Watch them. Take notes. Watch them again. Study the best speeches of all time. I dug into Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream." Note how the speeches are structured, what tactics the speaker is using: storytelling, three main ideas, a call to action, etc.

3. Prepare and practice!

Script it out. Without a script, you will ramble. As you get better at this, the script becomes an outline. Then, most importantly…practice! Early on, I would practice upwards of 100 times. I would record myself on video and watch it back (as painful as it is) – noting pauses, speed, inflection, body language, filler words, hand gestures. Ask yourself: Are these actions helping or taking away from the message?

This works.

I now present almost every week in some way, shape or form. Mostly in small low-stakes settings, but often in formal, high-stakes settings. I speak twice a year to an audience of 100+ new hires. (I raised my hand to do so 3.5 years ago, and I still do it to this day; it’s an excellent way to continue to practice and hone my skills.)

A special shout out to the IBM Summit Program for providing me with these tools and allowing me to try, fail and try again. If you’re looking for a platform to practice, here are a few ideas: Take a course at a local university, ask your manager to present something low stakes to your team, go to ToastMasters, do an improv class.

Asked to share strengths in a course this week, I found myself writing “public speaking" and "presentations” at the top of my list.

In four short years my top weakness became my top strength.

Good luck! Please reach out and let me know if this helps you. I would be happy to provide you with additional tips and coaching.