Sweaty palms. Queasy stomach. Racing heart.
Fear of public speaking, or glossophobia, is among the top five most common fears, said Lee Cohen, professor and chair of the department of psychology at Texas Tech.
Delivering a speech can be nerve-wracking for some people, partly because of the human need to feel accepted, he said.
Ryan Avery, a professional speaker, said he’s no stranger to the anxiety caused by delivering public messages and he’s made it his mission to teach others by giving public speeches of his own.
On Jan. 17, about two years after Avery set out to improve his public speaking skills, he will present “How to Make It a Great Speech” at the Texas Tech Law School.
In 2012, he was named the World Champion of Public Speaking after winning the Toastmasters International competition.
Before he began training for the competition, his public speaking anxiety was centered around making people laugh, Avery said.
He was concerned with not being able to engage people, he said, until he learned the best ways to get over speech anxiety are to gain confidence and adequately prepare.
But speaking in front of crowds can be intimidating and even parazlyzing for many people, said Rob Stewart, senior vice provost at Texas Tech and professor of communications studies.
“Some people will avoid certain kinds of jobs or occupations or service activities where they will have to speak publically,” he said.
These are the effects of the more serious cases of glossophobia, or fear of public speaking, he said.
“Serious cases of speech anxiety are probably rooted in some other form of anxiety disorder that individuals might have,” Stewart said. “A serious case or debilitating case of speech anxiety would be one where a person becomes fearful or breaks into sweats at the thought of giving a speech.”
Jef Conn said he can relate to people with glossophobia.
Conn has been selling real estate for seven years. When he first began his career, he lost a few deals because he would say “um” frequently, he said. About four or five years ago, he joined a local Toastmasters club to improve his public speaking skills.
“It pushes you to the edge of your comfort zone and pushes you to really have to know 'this is what you want,' ” he said. “My problem when I was speaking was that I was so tense. Just simply relaxing helps people overcome their fear. A simple tip: take a deep breath and smile. I used to be afraid that the audience was judging everything I say. The audience is glad that you’re there. They want to hear you tell their story.”
Conn said he suffered from glossophobia even before getting into real estate. One of his worst nervous episodes resulted in fainting.
“When you’re standing in front of a group of people, you don’t feel protected,” Avery said. “You feel nervous. They’re all staring at you, your heart would beat faster and you’re breathing faster.”
But Stewart said nervousness before speaking publically is normal and can show how much the speaker cares about their message.
“If giving a speech is considered important and valuable, there will be some anxiety,” he said. “… It’s what they do with it that determines its effects.”
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