Reflecting on my job now and myself 7 years ago, there couldn’t be anything more conflicting!

I grew up passive, shy, introverted and afraid to start conversations with strangers! My house was my safe haven (still is!). Hence, delivering presentations and even starting small talk was a far reach for me.

But God had other plans, through my career journey I have found myself in positions where public speaking is required. I had to leave my little comfort bubble to the scary world of being exposed to other people’s opinions of my voice and accent!

So, how did I transition from the girl who was too shy to say her restaurant order to the waiter to the girl who delivers presentations to senior management? Here’s what I did:

1. SELF REFLECTION

No one is perfect, but the best we can do is strive to be better than the person that we were yesterday.

To help with this, ask yourself- what are your strengths and weaknesses? Where are you right now and where would you like to be?

To first overcome the fear of public speaking, you have to acknowledge its an area you struggle in. Recognize that although this is not your strength you can take steps to get better at it.

2. ASK FOR HELP

If you are unable to acknowledge that the challenge exists, you may not be compelled to ask for help.

What ‘help’ did I get with this? I went to a Toastmasters club!

Contrary to what I had heard about it, it was more than just giving speeches! I learned how to: start impromptu conversations, facilitate meetings, use pauses to gain optimal effect, adopt vocal variety in my presentations, prepare and deliver presentations, evaluate performance and most importantly, Toastmasters taught me that even long time members that deliver excellent speeches still got nervous before speaking!  

Another help I sought, was watching TED Talks to understand how different speakers portrayed the skills I was trying to learn.

3. PRACTICE

This is the hard part!

I got accustomed to my Toastmasters club members and was able to deliver presentations to a familiar crowd. However, I needed to test my ability outside those walls to prove that my new skills were legit!

So, I practiced given any random opportunity! From starting small talk with a stranger in the elevator (This was to strengthen my impromptu speaking skills) to contesting with other clubs (This was to strengthen my ability to speak to unfamiliar audiences). My public speaking muscle needed to be strengthened and practicing helped with that!

I realized that practicing never really stops, I still complete a few dry runs before my presentations till this day because

The more I practice, the better I get!

When it comes to speaking in public, 2 things I keep at the fore front of my mind are:

1.The audience don’t have my script- Hence, they can’t tell if I made a mistake unless I show it!

2. I’d rather be scared and deliver an outstanding presentation and be proud of myself afterwards THAN to be scared, give a mediocre presentation and wish I did it better!

And if you’re still freaked out about public speaking, remember what God told Moses when he was too scared to be the spokesperson for the Israelites:

I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say

Exodus 4:12

Thanks for reading!

God Bless you Tremendously

Akhere

Photos: Pexels.com