Public Speaking: Controlling Nervousness and acquiring Confidence

By:
Ismail Hussein Amazat

Introduction
It has become a phenomenon that, many people are afraid to talk in the public. Thus,
public speaking seemed to be a phobia or fear factor to everyone and has been perceived
as a suicide mission when you asked someone to talk in the public. Besides, public
speaking has been rated as a first fear factor that human being ever afraid or fear to do in
their life. Positively, we should take public speaking as a learning process instead of
perceiving it as a threat or suicide because it’s trainable not inheritance either trait. It’s
just a matter of training whereby we can train our self and become a good public speaker.
On this trend, this article or column attempt to point out some problems that face many
speakers when they are asked to talk or give a speech in the public.

 Overcoming Unavoidable Problems

Towards becoming a good speaker, you must able to know your strengthen and weakness
and evaluate your self by identifying the common problems that almost every speaker
faces such as:
1. Nervousness
2. Choosing topic
3. Acquiring information (Ideas & Data) on the topic on hand
4. Designing & writing a good speech
5. Delivering effective speech

 How to control Nervousness?

Learn to accept nervousness as common and natural to all public speakers from the fresh
starter speaker and very experienced speakers. Thus, there is no way of avoiding
nervousness, you better stop fighting it, leave it alone even if you hands, knees are
shaking and staggering, let them!. What you can do is:

1. Try to have very good presentation and continue practicing and practicing, that is
the key of controlling your nervousness and building up your confidence.
2. Try to relax just before you speak. Your relaxing can be in form of chatting with a
friend, drinking, joking, our sitting down quietly etc.
3. Perceive your audience as your friends, not examiners either your enemies.

 How to choose a Topic for Speech?

Your duties:
 Make sure you choose the topic by yourself, don’t allow anyone to choose it for
you.
 Make sure the topic of your speech has been given to you prior the time of event.

Selecting a topic for your speech

1. Study the nature of your audience who will be listening to you
2. Know the nature of the occasion or even to know what to say whether it is
a birthday party, farewell, weeding, welcoming speech and so forth.
3. Know the time and day of the event (morning, afternoon or evening).
4. Be aware of the event surrounding the speech day such as: during
holidays, after the death of relative or natural disaster.
5. Consider your educational field and the topic e.g. you have been given a
topic on policy & law and you medical doctor, or a topic on IT and you are a lawyer. So
bear in mind that, the less qualified you are in that particular topic given to you, the more
facts, information and preparation you need.

How to acquire Relevant Information?

If you have seen a topic prior the time of event, you have been given a great chance to
prepare as much as you can to gather information, facts, evidence and quotations to
support your speech.

1. At the beginning, try to define the concept of the topic given to you and know
the purpose of the speech.
2. Please know the sensitive surrounding the topic given to you.
3. Know the duration of the speech. Don’t talk too much and forget the time
allocated for you.
4. Try to seize your audience and start in reading their mind.
5. Use statistical information as a reference to support your numeric argument.
6. Use stories and illustrations to elucidate your point.
7. Support your speech with these references:

 Direct Quotation
 Text books
 Encyclopedia
 Story and history books
 Journals
 Magazines
 Newspapers
 Radio
 Television
 Internet
 Your own experience, observation and exposure
 How to Design & Write an Excellent Speech?
You can design and write an excellent speech by using “Triangle Structure”

Introduction

Discussion or Information

Conclusion

Introduction
1. Start your speech with a good introduction of the topic given to you as a
background.
2. Divert people’s attention to what you are going to say e.g.: asking question, tell a
joke, use gimmick or story.
Discussion and Information
1. Summary of the main point
2. Organize your thought in this section by arranging the points and explanation
3. Support your argument with Data
Conclusion
1. Summarize your speech
2. Repeat the main point of your speech
3. End your speech with a Memorable Statement

How to deliver your Speech effectively? (Use Dos and Don’Ts)

1. Have a good plan and preparation
2. Organize your thought properly and practice very well
3. Dress properly and look buoyantly
4. Maintain eye contact with your audience

5. Have your introductions, and conclusion as short as possible

6. Be careful with your conclusion; do not spoil your speech or everything in the last
minute with a wrong conclusion

7. Do not show your weakness in front of your audience

8. Don’t be rude to your audience

9. Don’t apologize without seeing the fact

Conclusion
In order to overcome these problems mentioned above, have a good preparation and
proper planning when you are given a topic for speech. Public speaking is a skill that we
can train ourselves to acquire. We should erase in our mind what people use to say that,
“Public speaking is a birthright and trait and public speakers are born to be”. This concept
and believe is totally wrong, it depends on continuous personal training and practicing
because, practice makes perfect. Therefore, train your self and become a good public
speaker.
About the Author

Ismail is a PhD hold on Educational Management, Planning & Policy, University of

Malaya (2010). A Master holder on Educational Administration, International Islamic
University Malaysia (2005) and Bachelor Degree on Arabic Language and Literature, Al-
Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt (2001).
Email: cityabey10@yahoo.com
sunland72@gmail.com