Using Your Voice

Public Speaking is an important skill for all career minded individuals. Yet, an estimated 73% of the population report a fear of public speaking or glossophobia (Montopoli, 2017). That percentage illustrates that there are millions of people that are literally fearful of speaking in public settings, but what does this really mean? Why do we speak in public? Why do we put ourselves through something that is terrifying?

What are people really afraid of in public speaking situations:

• Fear of Judgement – People are afraid of “messing up” and forgetting their speech which may lead to judgement from the audience.
  • Hint: we will practice this skill – if you are organized, well-rehearsed, and prepared, you are less likely to forget your speech.
• The Unknown – People report that uncertainty is heightened during public speaking situations; they may not know the audience well, the demographic of the audience, or if the audience will be receptive.
  • Hint: we will practice this throughout this course. You CAN decrease this unknown through proper audience analysis.
• Fear of Conflict – People wonder if their audience will agree or disagree with their message. This can cause a fear of delivering a difficult message.
  • Hint: we will research our speeches to avoid fallacies (information that sounds too good to be true, or information with half-truths) and we will consider the opposition in our audience through our persuasive deliveries. You cannot please everyone; however, you can thoughtfully integrate your position and research to decrease conflicts.
• Fear of Status/Education – People worry that their audience might be of higher status (socio-economic or career) or more educated than they are; this can cause imposture syndrome. Although, there is always a possibility of the audience being of a higher socio-economic status or have obtained higher degrees than the speaker, this does not mean that the speaker doesn’t have incredibly useful information for their audience.
  • Hint: Well-developed outlines, research, and confident verbal and non verbal public speaking skills will go A LONG WAY! You will develop all of these skills through this course.

This is not an exhaustive list but it gives you a general idea of why people claim a fear of public speaking and how you will work to overcome these fears as a public speaking student. Read on!

Public speaking skills are perhaps the most relevant life skills we can build

We will be presented with many opportunities throughout our lives to speak out. It may be presenting our school research, trying to land a big account at work, or expressing our joy at our best friends’ marriage. Some of us may lead corporations one day. Some of us may need to corral a group of third graders back into the classroom after recess. There are many reasons we will engage in public speaking during our lives.

Perhaps the most important reason we will engage in public speaking though is to express ourselves. Through public speaking, we can make people think differently, share our stories, motivate others to change, and change the narrative. If we do not learn how to speak out, the same old stories will be the ones that are told.

Watch this TED talk of an incredible student of Rhetoric. She found herself on a national stage at the age of 24 delivering a powerful poem to the American people at Present Joe Biden’s inaugural address! This speech delivered on the TED stage, illustrates the power of her voice and the ability to transcend her fears of sharing vulnerable information to many types of audiences.

References

Montopoli, J. (2021, January 31). Public speaking anxiety and fear of brain freezes. National Social Anxiety Center. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://nationalsocialanxietycenter.com/2017/02/20/public-speaking-and-fear-of-brain-freezes/