Reducing Your Apprehension

The following suggestions will help you overcome communication apprehension in public speaking as well as in small group and interpersonal communication situations:

Gain experience: The best way to do this is to get as much public speaking experience as you can. With experience your initial fears and anxieties will give way to feelings of control, comfort, and pleasure. Experience will show you that the feelings of accomplishment in public speaking are rewarding and will outweigh any initial anxiety.

Think positively: When you see yourself as inferior – when, for example, you feel that others are better speakers or that they know more than you do – anxiety increases. Therefore, think positive thoughts and build your confidence through especially thorough preparation. At the same time, maintain realistic expectations for yourself. Fear increases when you feel that you can't meet your own or your audience's expectations. Your second speech does not have to be better than that of the previous speaker, but it should be better than your own first one.

See public speaking as conversation: When you are the center of attention, as you are in public speaking, you feel especially conspicuous, and this often increases anxiety. It may help, therefore, to think of public speaking as another type of conversation (some theorists call it "enlarged conversation").

Stress similarity: When you feel similar to (rather than different from) your audience, your anxiety should lessen. Therefore, try to emphasize the likenesses between yourself and your audience. So with all audiences, but especially with multicultural listeners, stress commonalities in attitudes, values, and beliefs.

Prepare and practice thoroughly: Much of the fear you experience is a fear of failure. Adequate and even extra preparation will lessen the possibility of failure and the accompanying apprehension. Because apprehension is greatest at the beginning of the speech, try memorizing the first few sentences of your speech. If there are complicated facts or figures, be sure to write these out; plan to read them and so remove the worry of forgetting them.

Move about and breathe deeply: Physical activity – gross bodily movements as well as small movements of the hands, face, and head – lessens apprehension. Also, try breathing deeply a few times before getting up to speak. You'll sense your body relax, and this will help you overcome your initial fear of walking to the front of the room.

■ Avoid chemicals as tension relievers: Unless prescribed by a physician, chemical means for reducing apprehension are not a good idea. Tranquilizers, marijuana, or artificial stimulants are likely to create problems rather than reduce them. They're likely to impair your ability to remember the parts of your speech, to accurately read audience feeвback, and to regulate the timing of your speech. And, of course, alcohol does nothing to reduce public speaking apprehension.

■ With the nature of public speaking and its benefits in mind and with an understanding of communication apprehension and some ways for managing it, we can look at the essential steps for preparing an effective public speech (Figure 14.2): (1) Select the topic and purpose; (2) analyze the audience; (3) research the topic; (4) develop the thesis and main points; (5) support the main points; (6) organize the speech materials; (7) construct the conclusion, introduction, and transitions; (8) outline the speech; (9) word the speech; and (10) rehearse and deliver the speech. The first three of these steps are discussed in this unit; the remaining seven are discussed in the next two units.

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