Become a Home Based Travel Agent

Public Speaking Made Easy
By: Joanie Ogg

“Surveys show that the #1 fear of Americans is public speaking. #2 is death. Death is #2. That means that at a funeral, the average American would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.” -Jerry Seinfeld

This quote by Jerry Seinfeld may ring true to many of you reading this article. It is a common fear and one that when overcome or managed might perhaps land you some new opportunities to grow your travel business. There are some great ways to work through any fear and trepidation about speaking to a small or large group. I hope this article will be useful and will have you enjoying public speaking as much as I do.

The Knocking of Knees

I remember vividly my first experience speaking to a group of travel agents in Los Angeles at the Hilton Hotel downtown in 1976. I was a sales manager for Runaway Tours and doing a product presentation to a group of 100 agents. Sure, in high school we all have some practice at it, but a group of strangers is nothing like a group of fellow classmates. I was certain that the agents in the room could hear my knees knocking behind the lectern. Worse yet was the fear I had of simply falling down limply like the Straw Man in the Wizard of Oz and weeping like the Cowardly Lion.

Happily, I’ve learned a few things over the years about being on the public stage, and one of the techniques I find most helpful and recommend often is to alter your perspective when it comes to public speaking. In other words, rather than view it as an occasional, high-stakes event that you’re tasked with every once in a while, begin to see that you do a great deal of public speaking every day. When you consider your daily interactions in meetings, at social gatherings, and during routine presentations as bona fide public speaking, you can use these opportunities to hone your speaking skills to help you overcome your fears. Just like anything, the more you do something, the more ‘routine’ it becomes for you and the easier it gets.

Here are few simple things you can do starting today to help you transition your point of view and begin practicing your public speaking skills (and avoid knocking knees) in any group setting:

• Be friendly. Make a point of being genuinely friendly the next time you find yourself in a social or business situation with a group of people. If you aren’t naturally outgoing, then this is show time for you. Put on your “game face” and do all you can to make a good impression. When you do, you’re exercising and stretching your comfort level in a crowd.
  
   

• Introduce yourself. When you’re among a group of people and you don’t know everyone, be the first to proactively introduce yourself to others in the group. When you are comfortable presenting who you are and what you bring to the table in a small setting, it helps you prepare for sharing ‘you’ on the larger stage.
  
   

• Introduce others. Take the responsibility of making sure others in a group know whom everyone is. One way to do this is to make a point of using everyone’s name several times in the course of the conversation. While taking care not to be overbearing, you can use any group situation to help guide the interaction. This is an important skill that helps you command an audience.
  
   

• Maintain eye contact. One of the most effective public speaking skills is making meaningful eye contact with your audience. No matter the size of the group, be sure to demonstrate respect and interest in the conversation by maintaining eye contact whether you are doing the speaking or the listening. When you are the one talking, be sure to share eye contact with each person in the group to help everyone feel valued and included.
  
   

• Think before you speak. (This is really important.) There is a strange phenomenon that occurs when we’re on the spot in a group setting or in front of an audience. We tend to say things we shouldn’t simply because we feel pressured to say something. When you are addressing others, carefully consider what you say before you say it.

Take each of these steps one at a time and practice adding one each opportunity you have when in a public setting. Before you know it, you will be looking forward to sharing your knowledge and enjoying an audience as much as they will enjoy hearing what you have to say!