***Can You Be Good at Public Speaking If You Are Shy?

Absolutely. I have worked with many, many people who were not outgoing or extroverted but were able to 'bite' the bullet, so to speak, and address an audience with great success. The question is, how do you 'face' the crowd the first time and conquer your fear, your inhibitions, your timidity?

First, it is important to realize that, in many respects, you are no different than the extroverted individual who is deathly afraid of the speech or presentation. Nervousness in public speaking is not selective. It is man's greatest fear, so rest assured, you are not alone.

A lot of mental reasoning is part of the answer as well as the practical application of your speech or presentation.

What I mean by this is that you must ask yourself what you stand to lose if you do not take that 1st step? One woman phoned me and was desperate to improve this aspect of her work skills. Her boss had told her that if she refused to give presentations, she would not get promoted in her job. Kathy had no choice but to get coaching on how to conquer her nervousness as well as her timidity in speaking up. She needed to allow her voice to be heard.

If you look at successful people the world over, the shy or the diffident are not the ones getting ahead. They are the ones in the back; however, many of those who have succeeded managed to break out of their shyness and forge on. One man I know was a shy computer programmer; today, he gives presentations on being a super networker!

If you expect to get ahead, you must be willing to open up and allow others to hear you speak. One of the best means for accomplishing this is to practice your presentation or your speech in front of a camcorder. Do this in total privacy so that you do not have to deal with any nervousness.

Play the recording back, study your delivery, and be very honest with yourself. Was it good? Was it bad? Was it mediocre? You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that you are better than you had thought.

Are the problems you see in your delivery something you can fix on your own? The 1st time I saw myself on TV, I noticed that I had a tendency to close my eyes when I was speaking. One week later, I had another television interview and I did not close my eyes! What you can learn from watching yourself on video is a tremendous learning experience. Certainly it is one of the best tools I use when working with clients.

If you see problems with your delivery that you cannot solve on your own, seek help. Find a coach, join Toastmasters, read articles, get help in some fashion. Do not allow shyness to stand in the way of your future. Sitting back and doing nothing will change nothing. If you are willing to take the 1st step, you will be very surprised at how much easier it is than you think.