Mary Meserve Bates College NEACRAO 2013 November 7, 2013

 Glossophobia  Public Speaking is often ranked #1 fear!  Before snakes…  and even death!!  75%  Common Symptoms  Physical  Verbal  Non-verbal/emotional

 Identify the root of your fear  Self-conscious  That you will be laughed at  Perceived failure in the past  Preconceptions – what we think is what we are

Why is it a worthwhile skill to develop?  Successfully communicate ideas  Better grades in class  Be seen as a leader in your class, job, club  Can lead to promotions when you are in the workforce

 Calm Anxiety  Acknowledge that fear is normal – you aren’t alone in this fear  Professional speakers and entertainers also battle “stage fright”  Change your perception of it to… “Stage Excitement!”

 Deep Breathing  Breath from the diaphragm  Increase your oxygen intake  Decreases heart rate  Relaxes muscles  Improves vocal cords  Relax  Visualization  Visualize yourself speaking Olympic athletes use visualization before competition Takes some practice

 Arrive early  Get comfortable in the space  Adjust environment settings i.e. seating  Preparation  Practice!  Bates Peer Writing & Speaking Center!

 Know your Audience is on your side  They want you to succeed; they are on your side!  Focus on your material and what you are trying to communicate, not yourself and your nerves  You don’t have to be perfect, just “valuable”!

 The Audience is your ally  Find out ahead of time who is your audience  What do they want to get from your presentation?  Remember, they come in hoping it will be informative and time well spent.  They are primarily focused on themselves and will only assume you are nervous if you telegraph that to them.

 Build rapport with your audience  Deliver material in a relaxed, conversational style  Respect your audience, they are giving you their time and attention  Smile all the time, starting with your introduction  Establish eye contact  Pay attention to questions  Nothing “negative” can happen… depending on how you look at it

 Keep audience involved  Ask for show of hands, do demonstration  Move around  Smile  Eye Contact  Adjust to the size of group  Gestures  Know if you need a microphone ahead of time

 Should I memorize it? NO!  Too much pressure to remember each word and that isn’t where your focus should be  Should I read from a speech? NO!  Audiences don’t usually like to be read to unless you are reading a quote or short remarks

 Use notes  Index cards work well  Be sure to keep them brief and number them  Practice with your notes  Visual aides  Power point  Be sure to make hand-outs for audience so they can take notes

 Humor  Use what you are comfortable with  Don’t pressure yourself to be Jim Carey  Be natural – plan ahead and save humorous anecdotes that are relevant  Use your own stories and we all have them

 Body Language  You are a visual aide!  Be mindful of Gestures Voice Posture Movement Eye contact Overall appearance

 Expect the unexpected  Practice in front of family/friends – great feedback!  Don’t expect perfection  Don’t be your own worst enemy, instead be your own best friend… Your best friend would say “You’ll be great!” …and they are right!!!

 Mary Meserve  Registrar  Bates College  44 Mountain Ave  Lewiston, ME  