Question

Public speaking is listed as one of the greatest fears in the general public. How can you use Toastmasters to overcome this fear (do some research on their website)?

https://www.toastmasters.org/

What tips do they offer to be a more effective speaker? How will you bolster your speaking skills after taking this class? How will you overcome any fears you might have?

Answer 1

Tips from Toastmasters

1. Practice aloud before the actual speech. Rehearse as much as possible.
2. Breathing and relaxation exercises - Relaxation exercises are very important to bring down the anxiety level and to be calm during delivery.
3. Develop a unique style- A unique style of delivery would go a long way.
4. Have a superb level of control over the material to be used. Be to the point and use relevant facts to make it interesting for the audience.
5. Know your audience - It is very important to have a general idea about the intended audience. This can help in using or eliminating technical terms.
6. Encourage feedback - Take feedback for further improvement.
7. Have a plan - Always have a plan. Rehearsals, timing, topic research etc. everything must be impeccably planned.
8. Dress appropriately - Always follow the dress code as per the location and occassion.
9. Smile - A smile can do a lot of things. It'll help you ease, help you connect with the audience, make you look friendly.
10. Use humor in between so that the speech is not boring/monotonous.

I'd take the following steps
1. Always rehearse before any speech.
2. Use audio/visual tools to enhance the quality of the presentation
3. Make a proper plan
4. Practice in front of smaller groups first
5. Use common and easy language
6. Connect with the audience
7. Learn from the past mistakes
8. Use relaxation exercises on a regular basis

Practice and relaxation techniques would help in overcoming any fear. Fear is in the brain, you need to overcome the thoughts of your brain and you'll overcome fear.