Being in Toastmasters for a number of years, I now have no problem getting in front of random people and speaking on any number of topics. In the past few months, I have realized that this was making me somewhat rude when others asked how to start getting comfortable in front of an audience. Because I have conquered my fears of speaking in front of others, I have in some ways, forgotten what it was like to be afraid anymore.
In my studies of adult learning models and methods, I have found that experienced professionals often have difficulty in describing what it takes to get started. They have internalized their current experienced model so much, that they have in some ways forgotten the inexperienced model.
So how do we fix it? How can those of us that are comfortable speaking teach that first step towards comfort?
Even as many more people attend Toastmasters, Dale Carnegie and other speaking schools, I know that there are many more people out there that still haven’t taken that first step.
How do we explain it?
About the Author: My Toastmasters Blog is written and edited by Chris Elliott, a professional speaker and blogger. Chris serves as a leader for supply chain and international non-profit organizations. He enjoys using his knowledge and experiences during his speaking engagements, workshops, consulting projects, and one-on-one coaching sessions. The result—connecting people and empowering change. If you would like information on how you can bring Chris to speak to your next meeting, please download Chris' one sheet or contact him by clicking here.
I’ve found that people want concrete advice, so “just keep doing it, eventually you’ll get comfortable speaking in front of a group” doesn’t cut it.
So I give the teeming masses what they want, I tell them simply: “5 speeches. After 5 speeches, you’ll feel comfortable doing this. I guarantee you.”
It WORKS. People typically DO notice a marked improvement around speech 5, so you have a self-fulfilling prophecy here.