How to Survive a Public Speaking Class | Brian Tracy

Hello, I'm Brian Tracy, and you may or may not know that I have been teaching professionals how to speak in front of large and small audiences for many years. So I want to talk to you today about how to survive a public speaking class. Now, for many people, the idea of public speaking, and therefore the idea of taking a public speaking class, is a terrifying thing, sure to bring on bouts of anxiety. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the fear of public speaking ranks above the fear of death. Amongst Life's major fears, 54% of adults rate speaking in front of an audience as higher than dying. But the truth is, a quality public speaking class and virtually all classes out there that are successful quality class is designed to help you overcome any fears associated with speaking in front of other people. However, speaking in front of others is guaranteed to be a part of the class, and this can be very frightening to some people. And I'm here to share seven steps that you can take to make your experience in the class a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. And it's very important, by the way, that if you're going to take a class, you watch this video and you have other people watch the video as well. So to start the first tip for surviving a public speaking class is to remember that the audience you are presenting to is comprised of students just like you, many of whom are likely to be just as nervous as you are. In a public speaking class, the audience you present to understands that you are there to learn, just like they are, and they aren't there to judge you so you can relax. Next, before you commit to a public speaking class of any kind, figure out what type of speeches will be covered in the course. Speeches can be broken down into four different categories persuasive speeches, informative speeches, demonstrative speeches, and entertaining speeches. Figure out what type of speeches will be covered in the class that you are taking so you'll be able to research and prepare yourself ahead of time for what to expect. The more you prepare, the less nervous you will be when you start creating your speech. Focus on the three pillars of effective Speech Writing don't get overwhelmed with the pressure to write the perfect speech. Instead, focus your creative process on the three pillars of an effective thorough research, quality writing, and strong delivery. Being able to break your speech writing down to these three key areas will help the task seem less daunting and give you a clear direction to focus on next. And possibly the most important thing that you can do to survive a public speaking class is to thoroughly prepare and practice your speech over and over before showing up in class to deliver it. Your level of preparation is immediately obvious from the time that you open your mouth. My son is a professional speaker, starting with no experience three years ago and now he gets standing ovations because he prepares carefully whatever talk he has a chance to give. He prepares and prepares and prepares, and he gets wonderful responses from his audiences, which, as a father, makes me very happy. Nothing combats nervousness and anxiety quite like preparation. Once you are confident that you have written a great speech and you've practiced it enough to deliver it in your sleep, delivering that speech in front of an audience becomes less daunting. In fact, you can hardly waste if you're still feeling anxious about your in class delivery, the next tip is to perform your speech in front of a friendly audience. First, if you have a few friends or family members who are willing to listen to your speech, you should take advantage of the opportunity to practice in front of a friendly audience. If they are someone you trust to provide you with honest, helpful feedback, then that's all the better. If not, have them record your speech so that you are able to view it yourself and make your own critiques. And by recording, we mean to videotape your talk. Another tip for surviving a public speaking class is to try to understand your instructor's grading system. Public Speaking at Class Grading systems will vary from course to course. Knowing what your instructor's grading system is will provide you with advance notice about what you need to do in order to make a good grade in the class. Last but not least, combat your glossophobia with confidence. Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, is a phobia that can be overcome with confidence. Remember that people want to see you succeed, and no one who ends up watching your speech in a public speaking class is going to be rooting for you to fail. They want you to give a good talk. If you've put in the work before your speech, you have every reason to be confident about delivering it. And confidence replaces fear and nervousness. If you enjoyed this video and feel it was valuable in teaching you about how to survive a public speaking class, subscribe to my channel like this video and share this video with your friends. Don't forget to click the button on the screen for a free gift. Thanks again for watching.