Episode 49: “Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking”
Synopsis
Even though BNI wasn’t founded to train people to speak in public, participating in a BNI group builds self-confidence in front of groups. Many people fear public speaking more than death.
One early BNI member threatened to quit rather than give a 10-minute presentation. Dr. Misner suggested that she make up questions to ask the group and have members guess whether the answer was “True” or “False.” Because she didn’t think of herself as “speaking,” she was able to be humorous and informative and give a great presentation.
Five suggestions:
- Prepare, prepare, prepare. Don’t wing it, and don’t read a script. Practice in front of a mirror.
- Be specific and talk about the things you know best. Focus on 2 or 3 areas.
- Use handouts, visuals, or PowerPoint slides to support your presentation.
- Remember: you’re the expert.
- Be creative. Think of some way to communicate this information in a way that you feel comfortable.
If you want additional information on this subject, check out the article on page 103 of Dr. Misner’s book Masters of Networking.
Brought to you by Networking Now.
