It seems a lot of people do not like public speaking. According to Paul L. Witt, PhD, assistant professor of communication studies at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, “The idea of making a presentation in public is the No. 1 fear reported by people in the U.S.” (From this cite.)
But–I have to admit, I rather like public speaking. I’ve lectured at community colleges, taught training sessions for corporate clients, and spoken in moot courts at law school. Each time requires a lot of preparation, but each time is, to me, a rush, and I look forward to it. My wife is an accomplished presenter and speaker as well, and we will often compare methods over the dinner table. (Yeah, we’re the Fun Folks. )
How do you feel about public speaking? Does it fill you with a sense of dread? Would you rather be boiled in oil than speak in public? Or do you, like me, look forward to giving a speech or to delivering a presentation?
“How do you feel about public speaking? Does it fill you with a sense of dread? Would you rather be boiled in oil than speak in public? Or do you, like me, look forward to giving a speech or to delivering a presentation?”
Neither, for the most part. I used to hate hate hate speaking in public since I had stage fright, but for the past two years I’ve had to do a lot of group training as part of my job. I don’t love it, but it doesn’t scare me any more. I’m always a bit nervous at the results, but one spectacular failure aside, I get people through things pretty well.
Except for today… today was sort of scary because we began using a new conferencing program so six people could each train 22 other people at once…and we didn’t have enough time to prep since the earlier training people took went by in about a quarter of the time expected. I’ve never used that program before, so the old butterflies were back. It went okay considering (I had to retrain 7, but 5 of them were brand new as of today), but I’d rather do a training the old fashioned way.
I talk to many thousands of people daily, but they can’t see me, and I can’t see them. So when we’re driving, and I come out of the speakers, it’s more like, “Hey, I know that guy!” rather than “Ugh, is that me?”
Seriously though, I don’t know what stage fright is. I started playing music in front of people before my age had double digits. I won a couple of rounds of public speaking in public school, and if there was a microphone anywhere, I was on it. I’ve never given a lecture or solo presentation at a meeting…there’s none of that in my field. But I can stand up in front of a room full of people or a stadium full, and not even flinch. Other people I’ve known have to throw up before they go on, and when they do go on, they’re pale and trembling, and they try not to look around in case they realize where they are. It kinda makes you wonder why they do it, huh?
One of the few things I do really well. I’ve won awards. I gave a best man speech at a wedding last year, and people still ask me if I do performances and conventions.
I like it. I like singing on stage, too. Many people seem to think this is weird/impossible/awe-inducing. I just tell them I seem to have been born without that particular nerve in my body.
fun, fun, fun - especially when the judge is prepared well and we get into a good debate. The rush from arguing a case when you know you nailed it is like nothing else. I still remember certain exchanges and arguments I’ve had with the judge in some cases, years later.
I recently had to give a talk to about 100 people, and it was the first time doing any public speaking since sophomore year of high school (which was a pretty long time ago). I was so terrified I started a thread here about how to handle it!
I was literally shaking with fear up to the time of my introduction. When I got to the microphone and started, I magically became un-nervous, and rather enjoyed myself.
I think if I had to do it on a regular basis, I would eventually stop being nervous and just enjoy it, but I am not in a position where it will likely become routine for me.
The funny thing is, my boss gave part of the presentation. She speaks in public all the time, and because it’s so routine to her, it never occurred to her that I was nervous.
As long as I have prepared for the event, I enjoy it.
And so does most everyone else answering here, it appears. My theory is that it is simply a learning and confidence issue for most people: in high school one might not have many opportunities to practice, so it’s a dreadful fear, to the extent that many would choose a more difficult class in order to avoid taking one that requires speaking.
As one is forced to stand in front of people in different situations, each situation becomes more familiar and bearable, until it even becomes enjoyable.
Even to this day, an unfamiliar type of public speaking gives me the shivers. Once I’m past the event, the next one that comes along of the same type is fine, and I begin looking forward to it.
I’m fine with it so long as I can present stuff the way I see fit and so long as I am given enough time to prepare.
There have been several times when I’ve prepared a presentation, had a dry-run with my boss, done the changes the boss said to… and the negative criticisms from the actual presentation were 100% about the stuff I’d changed! (Graduate school, corporate training). If I’m good enough to do the presentation, I’m good enough to do it myself, ok?
My current job requires me to give presentations, so I joined Toastmasters. Even though I’ve always had a good line of bull, it really is a skill that can be continually improved.
(although I’ve become kinda soured on Toastmasters, since a lot of the other members down here have an oratory tradition strongly if not exclusively limited to the Black Church. This may or may not limit their ambition of giving speeches in the business world, but beyond the issues of style, I’m getting tired of listening to actual religious sermons at every meeting.)
I like it when it’s informative or educational – in the past few years, I’ve moved into doing a lot of training and orientation at my job, and that I enjoy. The information I’m presenting is something people HAVE TO know to do their jobs, whether or not they personally find the topic interesting. That said, I do a lot of preparation to make the information as clear as possible, and also focus on making the experience as pleasant as possible for the participants, especially if the information itself is a bit dry.
I cannot imagine the pressure of speaking in public if I’m being evaluated on the content, and expected to provide actual entertainment. That I would dread.
I enjoy public speaking, and I’m good at it. I wanted to do it so much that I started a Toastmasters club at my last company almost four years ago; I’ve even won a couple of speech contests. I’m also a singer who loves the stage, I became a lector (reader) at my church when I was in high school, and I was heavily into theatre during high school and college. Public speaking/performance has been part of my life for almost as long as I can remember.
IMHO, there’s a difference between pre-performance nerves (having to throw up beforehand) and stage fright (being nervous/uncomfortable on stage). I have been on various stages and behind various microphones* for the past 22 years, and I still get nervous right before I go on. Never to the point of having to throw up, I don’t doubt my ability to do a good job, and the nerves go away the moment I start, but I definitely get nervous. Every single time. No idea why, but these days the old saw is true that I’d be worried if I weren’t nervous.
When I was in Toastmasters I found it important to share that fact: I have a confident, comfortable delivery style, and many people who struggled with public speaking were surprised to find out that I got nervous, too. I know for a fact that hearing that helped at least two people in my club feel better about their own nervousness.
*including radio microphones, but for this point I mean microphones on a lectern or on a stage with a band
As a former club VPE, club President, and Area Governor, it’s almost required by law that I say, “Please don’t give up on Toastmasters until you’ve tried one or two other clubs in your area.”
I’m usually nervous before the event and sometimes during it. But normally I get into it and it’s a lot of fun.
In my job I sometimes get to go to scientific conferences and other types of meetings and make speeches or presentations. Which is usually a lot of fun. I also get to come in as a guest lecturer two, three days a year to university students. I’ve found teaching to be a lot of fun and I think I’m fairly good at it.
I am definitely not a talkative person in other surroundings, like parties and such though.
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