Entrepreneurs´s Journal

July 29, 2003
A Moment’s Notice - The Joy of Public Speaking
By Emily McHugh

Statistics show that most people fear public speaking more than almost anything else. Why?!? Is it really all that bad, does it hurt, or will one simply expire? The answer maybe yes depending on your position on the subject. It was surprising to me to hear my mother one day express how much she disliked speaking in public, this coming from someone who is quite eloquent and freely recites poetry. We may have the false assumption that because someone makes something look easy, that it is easy or that they actually enjoy it.

There are probably a plethora of psychological factors that may contribute to why the strong aversion in our society to speaking in public. It may have a lot to do with how we grow up and maybe how much we were encouraged or discouraged to speak as a child. Or it could be due to the physical adjustment our vocal chords have to make in order to project volume to an audience. This process may make the voice sound shrill, almost crackly, and as a result potentially inspire chuckles or outright laughter from the listeners. The thought of this is enough to petrify the would-be speaker into a state of sheer terror.

Like anybody else, I get stage fright if I have to speak in public, because I don’t want to "mess up", "look stupid", or worse yet, "say something stupid". In essence, utter self-consciousness. If we were to stop thinking about ourselves so much and instead think about how we can benefit others by what we have to impart, we will stop feeling nervous very quickly. It is my fervent belief that the earlier in life a person has the opportunity to speak or perform in public, the better. I remember when I was little reciting the Ten Commandments in church, and playing my violin in public for the first time. It did not seem so earth-shattering then, but looking back now, those events totally shaped my public-speaking life. As an entrepreneur, you have to talk, whether you like to or not, and many times in public.

Case in point: I attended a function recently and was sitting in the audience and was all of a sudden called upon to get up and speak on the topic of "business relationships", to fill an unexpected gap in the program. There was not enough time to be stunned because I had to start talking as if I were a planned part of the program. Then I had a flash back to when I was in college as a member of the debate team which required me to extemporaneously expound on random topics. But for me this is made easier because I kind of like doing things like this, throwing myself into the unknown, it is like starting a business. It’s fun! Really!

The most important aspect of public speaking is preparation - the ability to formulate thoughts quickly and express them clearly and concisely. It takes practice, but it can be done, and moreover, ANYBODY can do it. It doesn’t matter if your voice starts to quiver, just be sincere, take your time, and in the selfsame moment the words will appear. Preparation comes from a variety of things, one of the key elements being reading. Preparation also results from practice. Whether the speech be planned or not, you can still practice how to speak in public — stand in front of a mirror and talk. Recite in your mind how you would express certain thoughts for a given occasion; get used to listening to and watching yourself talk. (But please, don’t get too carried away.)

As an entrepreneur, speaking opportunities are great for business. Instead of being shy, make the mike your friend, get excited, not nervous. This is your chance to share something special of yourself with others, but make sure you are ready at a moment’s notice.

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