Dear Terry,
I have just received a well-deserved and wonderful promotion at work. A large part of my new role will require me to deliver presentations publicly. I will be speaking to groups of 50 or more. That said, I am scared to death to stand up to speak to 10 people, let alone 50. In the past, I froze and was not able to continue with any professionalism whatsoever. How can I overcome this?
- Deer in Headlights
Dear Deer in Headlights,
Congratulations! I would like to give you big kudos for your well-deserved promotion. You must feel good about your newly-awarded largesse.
The first thing that you need to think about is the Peter Principle. This is to say that you may have been promoted above your capabilities and competency, your new pay grade. Don't want to slide downhill, do you?
Second, I would immediately call Dale Carnegie Speaking seminars and ask about their 12-step public speaking program. Is is an eight-week course, three hours each week after work. The speech course is fantastic. You will thaw the ice which had you frozen tight.
This is where the tire hits the road. Invite your boss. Your boss "should" consider going to the speaking seminars with you.. The boss may even have promoted you to avoid speaking in public themself, and perhaps needs the same course that you do. Or the boss doesn't recognize the people who do not have speaking skills.
Once you have been through the Dale Carnegie Speaking training, and you have broken the ice for yourself, you will want to join another ongoing public speaking venue to hone your skills. You and your boss will bond, and you two will put a stop to setting people up for failure.
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