Aug 16, 2024
Transcript:
I’m Johanna Rothman, and this is Johanna’s 60 Seconds of Writing WIP for August 16, 2024, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress.
This is from the Effective Public Speaking book.
Why do people fear public speaking?
Some people worry about how to decide what to talk about. Others worry about how to present their information. But if you read this far, you know you can design an effective presentation. And you can decide how to present that information in ways the audience can understand.
If you have no more fear, excellent. Carry on.
But too many people fear the actual delivery of the presentation. That's where the speaker stands up and talks--whether that is in person or virtually. Some people even fear "large" audiences. However, when I ask about the specifics, some people tell me "more than can fit around a conference room table."
That's when I ask them to explain how they feel about a three-person conference table as opposed to a fifty-person conference table.
Many of them say, "I can make sure the smaller audience gets what they want if there are fewer people."
That's true. Alternatively, larger audiences allow you to spread your message more broadly--assuming these people are your ideal audience.