Many people rank public speaking as one of their greatest fears—some even ranking it higher than fear of death. Speaking in public is a necessary skill for both executives and professionals to climb the ladder of success. Confidently doing it is a skill they need to master. 

Peggy Sealfon, of Peggy Sealfon-Stonewater Studio, is a Life Coach, Productivity Strategist, and Author who speaks at conferences across the United States helping clients reduce anxiety and gain confidence when speaking in public. 

Thrive in today’s business world by improving your confidence in public speaking with these three essential skills.

3 Steps Toward Better Public Speaking

1. Getting Over Your Fear

People fear what they don’t understand. Honing your speaking skills is also an opportunity for personal development, and this fear can be approached from another perspective. Ask yourself: When you step in front of a microphone, how do you feel? If the answer is anxious and insecure, ask yourself what may be behind this?

2. Building Self-Confidence

Once you understand your fear, you can begin exploring techniques to acknowledge and address this fear. Practicing certain stress techniques can help reduce anxiety and gain confidence. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy spoke about boosting your confidence by situating yourself in a “power pose” for just two minutes before a meeting. Consider the ways acknowledging and working with your fears can provide the tools for building the self-confidence not just to speak but to overcome the fear for good. 

3. Developing Clarity

The greatest result of any personal development path is the potential of finding your authentic voice. When you follow these steps to reduce anxiety and build self-confidence, you will naturally begin developing clarity in understanding what it is you authentically have to say to the world, and how it is you can command yourself, your presence, and your voice to deliver it. Once you have the confidence of knowing your message is worthy of being heard, your passion will allow you to speak it with courage.

For more information, check out Peggy’s enews. You can also email peggy@peggysealfon.com or call (239) 821-2266.