Fear Of Talking

Fear in any form can be terrifying and paralyzing, be it the fear of failure, fear of the unexpected or the fear of losing a loved one. Fear, in general, is unhealthy. However, if we are unable to control our fears, eventually they start taking complete control on us, thereby weakening us emotionally, mentally and physically as well. Hence, the best way to overcome our fear is by mastering it and preventing it from controlling us. The fear of talking, whether on the phone or in public, has become a common problem seen in most people nowadays. Not only does it stop the person from contacting loved ones, it also blocks work and business opportunities, causing anxiety and distress. The fear of talking results in delay in picking up important calls and delivering speeches in public. Does the problem sound similar to what you are facing? Looking for ways to overcome this problem? Scroll these lines to find tips on overcoming the fear of talking on the phone as well as in public.

 

Overcoming Fear Of Talking

 

Phone Calls

• Make a note of all the conversation that you would be talking on the phone. Most people are scared about forgetting what they intend to say to the other person on the phone. The best way to deal with this is to write down all that you will speak. This would help ease all your worries.
• Most people panic when they receive a rude phone call, as they do not know how to react to such calls. In such a case, ask your friend to behave like one of those people. He/she might enact the way your boss or the bill collector does. Practice your responses in order to better behave when the actual call rings.
• If you are into a marketing job where you have to promote various products to strangers, it is natural to get anxious about the questions that the customers would pour in. Hence, gather all the possible knowledge about your product to speak confidently and answer the questions accordingly.
• While making calls to an unknown person, some people fear that the person on the other end would respond negatively or start cross questioning. To overcome such a situation, prepare for the negative reaction in advance.
• Always make a call when you feel comfortable rather than talking when the person feels better. Do not worry about the time that you would be calling, simply focus on your comfort level. For example, if you are a morning person, it is best to make calls in the morning rather than when you are dull.

Public Speaking

• Always pick up a topic that you are comfortable with, such as sports, television, fashion or anything that interests you and puts you on the front. Gather all the possible extensive knowledge on that subject.
• While speaking, always look at the audience and make eye contact. Though this is the basic rule of public speaking, it takes considerable time for a person to get adjusted. Many new speakers always look over the heads of the audience or at the floor or ceiling.
• Never ever converse with the first friendly face that you find in a gathering. Try and make efforts to talk to everyone present. Eye contact plays a vital role here in keeping the audience glued to your talk.
• Practice speaking by recording your speech in a small tape player and listening to it later on. Initially, you will be surprised to hear to your voice but with time, you will love to hear it.
• While recording your voice, start looking into a mirror reflecting how you project yourself in front of the audience. This will give you an idea of what gestures and expressions you pose to your listeners and how you can work on them so as to improve.