Public Speaking – Do You Focus on What Could Go Wrong?

It is mind-boggling how much time and energy some highly-intelligent, well-educated, and ambitious people put into finding creative ways to get OUT of public speaking. Public speaking is the number one tool of leadership. If you avoid public speaking at the high cost of your success, why not get the training you need to speak confidently in public?  Increased competence leads to increased confidence. My colleague, Sims Wyeth author of of The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking, offers this thought on taking on the challenge of public speaking:

Narrow Your Focus
by Sims Wyeth

Told that his opponent knew his weakness and had a plan to knock him out, Mike Tyson replied, “Everyone has a plan…until they get hit.”

This holds true for speakers as for boxers.  Five hundred squinty-eyed faces can knock the stuffing out of you.

Great performers narrow their focus.  They put aside fear and thoughts of success and bear down to get the job done.

To watch fast, fun “Tip Clips” on “How to look confident when speaking,” “How to gesture while speaking,” and “How to slow down while speaking,” visit the Sims Wyeth & Co. bookstore.

Sims Wyeth is the president of Sims Wyeth & Co., an executive development firm in Montclair, NJ devoted to the art and science of speaking persuasively.

Thank you Sims!

“If you focus on what could go wrong, it gets in the way of what can go right.” – Patricia Fripp

My article, “Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking” offers additional tips and strategies to help you overcome fear around public speaking.

Sign up for a complimentary seven-day trial and discover how Fripp Virtual Training can transform you and your team. Improve the quality of your training and lower your investment. FrippVT delivers high-caliber comprehensive presentation and sales presentations skills training with built in accountability. http://frippvt.com

Executive Speech Coach and Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker Patricia Fripp is hired by individuals and companies who realize that powerful, persuasive presentation skills give them a competitive edge.