Various Kinds Of Stage Fright Experienced By Business Speakers
Many people cannot speak or perform in front of an audience without getting nervous. Some will even go out of their way to avoid speaking in public as they are fearful of mistakes. Performance anxiety, also known as a stage fright, is characterized by an intense anxiety and paranoia that occurs before, during, and after a performance.
Even keynote and business speakers who are experienced and trained in public speaking can suffer from anxiety before a speech. While some people have the ability and presence of mind to remain cool and composed in stressful situations, most of us are geniuses as far as coming up with all the negative thoughts that may happen before and/or during a performance.
This debilitating fear may depend on the context of the performance. The size of the audience, being alone on stage, the importance of the evaluation; all these factors can change the level of anxiety experienced by the speaker. Many people find that the larger the audience, the more nervous they are. During interviews, the interviewees tend to get more nervous with the general manager than the secretary.
Anxiety And Its Manifestations.
1. Commonly, business speakers and other performers will experience a light headed, unsettled sensation in their stomach which occurs before the performance but as they start talking it disappears. This built up energy can make performers better.
2. If a speaker or performer has not practised, got no experience or does not have speaking skills, they may experience reactive anxiety. With more and more events and public speaking this type of anxiety should go away. This is how business speakers get to the top; practise, practise, practise.
3. There are also physical and emotional signs of stage fright including sweating, shaking, an uneven voice and a quickening heart rate as well as fear and panic. What causes the speaker’s anxiety is the belief that he or she is being negatively evaluated.
Believing that your speech or performance will be a success is a way to alleviate these symptoms. The performer should learn to accept the fear but use breathing exercises and practise to overcome the fearful triggers. Although some level of anxiety may always remain when you publicly speak, you can learn to enjoy your performance and share your speech with others.
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