
Stage fright is an awful experience. It's gut-wrenching, nauseating and knee-quivering and most people fear it more than a trip to the dentist.
I spend quite a lot of my time helping people overcome this fear. I also teach and train corporate employees how to vastly improve their communication skills, and sharpen up their presentations. Have you ever sat through a powerpoint presentation while someone drones on and on but after the 237th slide absolutely COVERED with inexplicable data dumps, you finally give up and just turn off. Death by Powerpoint is a real problem and I can help you with that.
I began my speaking career in College where I competed in speech competitions and won a few of them. However, I was unable to get over the freaking about speaking syndrome. Every time I got up, my diaphragm locked up and I couldn't breath properly and ran out of air mid-sentence. My knees shook so much that they sounded like castanets to my ears though I doubt anyone else could tell unless they could see my trouser pants were waving rapidly at knee level.
That all began t
o change when I joined Toastmasters International in March 2005. Now, nearly six years later I have been on the national executive as an Area Governor with oversight for six toastmasters clubs, spoken to many outside groups, run speechcraft courses for corporates and in the community, entered competitions and won, and on the 4th of January I received Toastmasters highest award - The Distinguished Toastmaster's Award or DTM for short.. (some say that DTM means "Don't Time Me" as many DTM's tend to go overtime on a regular basis and if last night's club meeting was anything to go by, I guess I've proved that - wow.. waaaay over time).Now, do I still get nervous before getting up to speak.... yeah, sure I do... if I didn't I would know it was time to stop speaking. Now however, I control the nerves... and while the butterflies still flutter inside my stomach.. they now fly in formation.
If you are someone who would rather have a tooth pulled than to get up in front of a group of people and express yourself, then I strongly recommend you go to the Toastmasters website (World HeadQuarters) or in New Zealand and look for the club finder. Find a club near you that is on the right day and time for you and take yourself off to view them. Go as a visitor ... if it isn't to your taste (each club has a different club culture) then try another one. You will get to learn speaking, putting together a speech, learning about gestures and how to breathe and so much more, in comfortable surroundings and a warm, friendly and supportive environment.
If you live in Christchurch check out Civic - a late afternoon club designed for people to drop in on their way home from work in the CBD.
It might be a bit too late for a New Year's resolution but still - you know what the ubiquitous 'they' say - if you want to change some things in your life... then you have to change some things in your life.. or in other words... to continue doing the same things and expect a different result... that is the definition of insanity.
Drop me a line and let me know how you go.
cheers
Nyree



