Presentations Training:
Speaking Fears - Speaking With Confidence Will Improve Presentation Skills

Have you ever been somewhere for the first time and felt awkward about everything you were doing? Was it accompanied by the fear that you would make a complete fool out of yourself, and it felt like all eyes were upon you? If you are like most of the population you have.

The first time you are doing anything it is awkward. Some of the things that you take for granted are the results of countless failures and you don't give them a second thought as you go about your day. Even the "simple" act of walking only came about after thousands of falls.

Parents often celebrate baby's first steps, and don't think about all the times baby started to stand and quickly fell right over. The most common expressions come from things like this. "You have to walk before you can run." Or "Practice makes perfect" as you hit a sour note on the piano time and time again.

So why is it that we feel bad about not being able to get right in front of a group of people and just say the things we have planned in a speech or a presentation? It really is the same thing. You can practice a presentation a number of times, but until you see all those eyes staring at you, the practice isn't the same thing as being there.

Don't sweat it. The greatest public speakers in the world all had one thing in common; early speeches that didn't go as well as planned. Even some of the great speakers have told stories of botched presentation jobs, but they persevered and eventually found success, and so can you.

One of my favorite quotes came from Zig Zigler: "If you learn from defeat then you really haven't lost," and what does that really say? Failure is simply a step on the way to presentation success.

Source: Robert Britt link

Related: Presentation Skills

More Presentations Skills Tips