My next step overcoming public speaking fear

Speaking to huge audiences on the radio was an important step to overcoming my fear of public speaking.

It is one thing to speak to a microphone and one or two others in a studio. Standing in front of a crowd or on a stage is something else.

I cracked it by starting small:

• a small crowd,
• a short talk
• and an easy topic. Something you know about.

Start with a short talk to a small audience

My first official public speaking engagement was for a local computer company in Wellington, New Zealand. The company had regular evening events with food and drink for its customers and would invite speakers.

The company’s managing director asked me to talk for about 20 minutes on my work as a technology journalist. I can talk on this subject about for hours.

Thankfully, the audience was unintimidating, maybe 25 or so people and the mood was friendly, even convivial.

By the time the discussion was done, my fear was history

When I finished speaking, a discussion started which went on for almost another hour — I didn’t realise until afterwards that I had chaired the discussion keeping things moving along when it flagged. I just did what came naturally. There wasn't time to think about what was going on. No time for nerves to kick in.

Over the next few months I had a few similar speaking engagements, the audiences remained small, but the session length and topics would be different. After around five or six events I was comfortable enough to tackle a larger crowd.

It took longer for the fear to reach the point where I could comfortably stand up in front of a crowd and talk, but within 18 months of the small talk, I was hired by the company that was, at the time, Apple's distributor in New Zealand to speak in front of more than 1000 people at a major product launch.