Fear is All in The Mind

by Randolf Rivera

Everyone is afraid of something. Fears vary from one person to another - from a small insect to a painful death. We cannot go away with these fears. What we must remember is that fear is an emotion; and emotions are completely normal. Another good thing is that we have the capacity as human beings to control our emotions. For me, fears are really all in the mind.

Considered as the most common phobia is glossophobia or the fear of public speaking. It is even more common that fear of death since around 75% of the population has this certain fear. In our group, we also have our flaws. We cannot call ourselves perfect trainers but everyone can get the courage to speak in front of people when asked to. As a trainer myself, I believe in the saying that “experience is the best teacher”. With the right amount of practice and experience, you can conquer anything you set your mind to.

In my years of working in sales, I have come up with some training hacks that would be of help as you prepare for your future presentations:

Own your Stage

Confidence is always a necessity as you do your preparations and more so, when you get up to speak in front of a crowd. Remember that you are the master of your own show. You are the only person who knows your presentation, so speak up and let them hear it.

Be like Running Water

Be like running water - it never stops. Avoid dead air and dull moments. Let them feel like a good friend is talking to them. One way to achieve this is to find their interest by asking questions either at the beginning of your presentation or in-between.

Know your People

You cannot find two zebras with identical stripes. Likewise, each presentation is different. The first rule in communication is to know your audience. Be flexible in terms of the kind of people that you face. You can have the same material but a more formal approach, or you can tweak your material to make it light and casual.

The Material Matters

Your material will just act as your guide, yet it is still important to make them look appealing. Remember that our attention span reduced from 12 seconds to 8 seconds this year. Visuals can help alleviate this issue. Read this article to get some tips on the art of presentation-making.

My last advice would be simple - breathe and have fun. Do not worry about how everything will turn out. As long as you come prepared, nothing can come your way. At the end, you will realize that you are starting to face your fear, one presentation at a time.