Public Speaking and Entrepreneurs

For some entrepreneurs, the very thought of speaking in front of an audience drives unimaginable fear throughout their body.  They shake uncontrollably with tattered nerves that cause some to sweat with anxiety and trip over their words.   Phrases like ‘it’s not my thing’ or ‘I can’t do it’ burst from their lips.   Some even go as far as to pass on the task of speaking about his product, brand or business to someone else.  Well Mr. Businessman, I have news for you; this is one of the biggest mistakes you will ever make as an Entrepreneur.  I have said this before and I’ll say it again – No one can sell your business quite like you.  You have a raw passion for your business that only you possess and emotions only you can articulate.

Public speaking is a necessary business skill for all levels of entrepreneurs.  If you are to network successfully, negotiate business deals and deal with customers: one-to-one communication is necessary. If you are to attract investors, share your expertise or represent your business at any level, skillful one-to-many communication is critical.

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So while you may be fearful, consider it as just one more hurdle that you must overcome.  The following are a few tips on how to overcome the fear of speaking in public:

1.       Know your business – The feeling is that once you created the business you should know all about it, but some entrepreneurs know only just enough.  Business owners are encouraged to do more to get as much knowledge as possible not just about the business itself, but also about the industry in which you operate. Take time to study the current and future trends and current and future developments so that you can share information about the business as well plan for further business development.

2.       Get organized – Long before you go in front of the audience, organize your thoughts.  Start by jotting down the information, little by little.  Once all your thoughts are on paper, begin to put them in chronological order.  Try not to be too stiff.  It’s a story, make it fun, be animated and demonstrative.  Just have fun with it!

3.       Practice, and then practice some more – There is no such thing as too much practice.  As a child, I learnt the phrase ‘practice makes perfect’ and trust me, it does!  Practice in front of your mirror, in the bathroom or in front of a group of your friends.  Just keep practicing; you will get better with time.

4.       Visualize your success – Push through the nerves and visualize your success.  When I first began public speaking, I was given two valuable pieces of advice; ‘Find a friendly face in the audience and focus there’ and then I graduated to ‘engage the audience with your eyes and expressions’. Visualize yourself ‘in presentation’, with nothing but a successful conclusion.

5.       Focus on your material, not on your audience – If you know your material well enough, your audience will overlook any missteps in your presentation.  Spend time preparing. Double and recheck your facts for accuracy. Develop a presentation style that works for you and learn the material.