How can entrepreneurs overcome their fear of public speaking?

The importance of building something people want cannot be overstated in the startup world or any business venture. This principle is at the heart of successful entrepreneurship for several compelling reasons: Product-Market Fit: Building something people want is essential for achieving product-market fit — the golden milestone for startups. It means your product fills a market need so well that it spreads by word of mouth, reducing the cost of customer acquisition. Customer Retention: When people want what you're building, they're more likely to become repeat customers. Sustainable Growth: A product that people desire can grow sustainably.

To overcome your fear of public speaking, begin by practicing in front of a mirror or with friends. Begin with smaller groups before addressing larger audiences to gradually build confidence. Instead of stressing about how you appear, focusing on the message you want to convey. Visualize yourself succeeding and realize that making mistakes is normal—everyone does. Know your content thoroughly, interact with your audience, and consider joining clubs such as Toastmasters to practice in a supportive environment. Stay cool by taking deep breaths, and if the fear persists, seek the assistance of a public speaking coach. You will become more comfortable speaking in public with practice and patience.

One thing I've found helpful is to watch myself on video. By watching Zoom recordings, I am able to study myself -- mannerisms, dialect, filler words, eye contact, speed, etc -- and take notes. By having an understanding of how I speak, I feel much more in control of my communication. A lack of control is really the basis of fear, so by taking back that control, understanding where I need to slow down, stop using filler words, pause, etc, I can speak more confidently, whether that be in a room of 5 or 500.

In my experience, preparation and practice are the bedrock of success in any endeavor. These two elements form a virtuous cycle where preparation lays the groundwork for effective practice, and practice, in turn, informs better preparation. This cycle elevates skills, boosts confidence, and ensures that when opportunities arise, you're ready to seize them with competence and grace. Whether it's delivering a pitch, launching a product, or entering a competitive market, the rigorous application of preparation and practice differentiates the outstanding from the merely good. They are the silent partners in the narrative of every great achievement, often overlooked but always essential.

Someone wise told me that public speaking is not about you, its not to make you look great on the stage but to make your message shine. So get over yourself.

I have trained a large set of PhD students and public speech is a key part of the role. Some students (very few) can do it from day one. Most require intensive practice to get to the point where they can do it. I find practicing with increasing size audiences is the trick. I teach my students to practice by themselves, but the trick here is to talk out loud as if they were in a large auditorium. Then practice presenting to a tiny group (2 or 3) but sit them as far away from you as possible. Practice using your voice, and the distance to the audience. Do it for low-importance, low-consequence events regularly, and it will become a normal activity.

Mindset, mindset, mindset before you utter the first word. Having coached hundreds of people around nerves and public speaking, the core strategy is to reprogram the scripts running in their head, the judgements and what is often projected onto an audience. Nerves are a coping mechanism from earlier experiences - fight/flight. They never support the speaker.. so root it out, dig it out, name it, reframe the meaning of speaking in public, run a better story in the head and watch those nerves dissipate! I figured it out and taught it to hundreds of people using NLP. Without this step, no breathing, relaxation techniques will support a speaker as much. Change the story, change the speaking experience. Tried and tested!

The only way to really overcome the fear is to feel the fear. You do not outwork a fear or talk it away, you feel through it so that it can be released.

Controlar los nervios ha sido un desafío constante para mí, como lo es para muchas personas. Personalmente, he encontrado que la meditación y la visualización previa del escenario son de gran ayuda para reducir la ansiedad. Además, a diferencia de muchas personas, mantener contacto visual directo con la audiencia y proyectar mi voz son estrategias que me han resultado muy eficaces.

I spend time with the audience before the speech. If possible, I find someone I can connect with days before. Get to know them and then you will have both someone to 'talk' with, in the audience and likely stories to weave into your presentation that the audience can relate to.

I've found that putting myself in the audience's shoes greatly reduces my jitters. The audience is there to learn something, experience something, be inspired by something. This takes the pressure off me as a presenter and places it on the content. The content is something that I naturally have a mastery of (aren't we all the experts of the content we are there to present?). Since I have a passion for the topic, and because the audience is hungry for it, I've found it easier to connect with and tune into the audience. I've used pregnant pauses, asked general group questions, changed the cadence of my voice, and dove deeper into areas that seem to resonate more with the audience and I've found it gets easier with practice.

Many good points already offered in this thread. Copy light sides, good body language, know your topic and audience and practice, etc.. What I would add is story-fy your presentation. Many good books on the topic as storytelling has kind of become the new black in marketing. But stories have the power of connecting with the emotional part of the brain that drives action, behavior and decisions. Appealing to the rational side of the brain with boring facts features and benefits will merely help the audience "understand" what you're saying, but not know what to do with it, much less remember what you said.

Learning from feedback in public speaking is important for entrepreneurs. Feedback offers valuable insights into how your message is received, helping you fine-tune your communication style and content. It allows you to adapt to your audience's preferences and needs, making your presentations more effective and impactful. As an entrepreneur, constant improvement and feedback is a direct path to growth. It helps you build credibility and trust by addressing any areas of improvement.

Treat Talks Like MVPs 🎤 View your audience as beta testers of your 'speech product.' 🔄 Ask for targeted, constructive feedback—think of it as user reviews. 📝 Reflect on comments; identify trends to refine your next version. 🎥 Review recordings to spot strengths & weaknesses. ✅ Celebrate what works, tweak what doesn't. 📈 Embrace feedback loops for continual improvement—turn anxiety into action!

Absolutely, feedback is invaluable. After every presentation or business pitch, I seek out opinions – what resonated, what didn’t. It's like getting customer reviews; it helps me tweak my approach. Honest feedback, especially from mentors or trusted peers, is like gold. It's not just about what you did well, but where you can improve. I watch recordings of my talks, noticing not just my words but my body language and audience reaction. And every bit of critique is a step towards being a more impactful speaker. It's all part of the entrepreneurial journey – continuous improvement.

One thing I found extremely helpful is to start small and low risk. Instead of signing up for the next TEDx talk, perhaps grab your favorite book of poetry and read aloud 1 poem at a local open mic. Assess the experience and challenge yourself a bit more with your next speaking opportunity.

The greatest tool for conquering public speaking fears isn’t found in a book, it's found in action. The key is simply to begin—step up and speak out. With each word you voice, confidence grows and fear shrinks. Dive in and let experience be your guide!

This step has really helped me to overcome my fear. Whenever there has been a chance, I tried to speak up and give a comment even if it is a sentence or two just to create a feeling of achievement. This helps release dopamine which will help you be more courageous at speaking or achieving more.

If you have never done it, it's going to be overwhelming. So don't wait till you get a BIG break. Speak to a small group first. Pick a topic that you're familiar and passionate about. For example, it can be about a childhood hobby that taught you a life lesson. Slowly increase the size of the group. No one starts by being a great speaker from day one. Take a long term view.

I’ve been afraid of giving talks. A speech? No way! Run… Starting in school, I’ve become an expert in avoiding talks, speeches. Why? I’ve been afraid. I have a north Bavarian dialect. I’ve felt ashamed about it. Avoided talks for years. You all know: this can’t work forever. 1st job application for PhD in 2005. Had to give a talk. In English. In front of Stefan W. Hell. Nobel Laureate 2014. No way out. Pramod, trained me, challenged me, helped me, put me through the thing. Did the talk. Was OK. Didn’t get the job. Learnt in front of a Nobel Laureate. Did get the real experience. Didn’t die by doing so. Overcame my fear. Now people are my thing. The more people, the better. Talks, speeches, keynotes. Bring it on!

You’ve probably heard of the Myers Briggs Personality test, where you’ll discover that ENFPs and ENFJs make the best public speakers 🔊 lucky for them, they don’t need these tips 🍀 But what if you’re a self-professed introvert or INJF who wants to make a positive impact in the world? 🤔 An introvert’s world is dynamic, creative, and intense. So intense that they let others talk while their minds leap into action.🎢 This activity often results in deep knowledge 📚 public speaking is the best way to share knowledge, without being interrupted. 🤫 For those who struggle to find the right words, prepared insights will keep you on track 📝 and mesmerize and delight those seeking your insights.