Written by: Carthy Ngo / Professional Communication / June 16, 2021 / 10 minutes read

You are standing at the front of the room, prepared to give a presentation to update your colleagues on the project you have been working on. It is a presentation you have rehearsed several times over the past week, and you feel familiar enough with the material that the cue cards in your hands are more for reassurance than necessity. Perhaps you are a little nervous, but overall, you feel calm and collected. The presentation goes smoothly, and your boss looks impressed.

Then, it is time for you to field questions from the room. Suddenly, you start perspiring, and your right leg begins to quiver a bit. Someone asks a question you were not expecting – your worst nightmare. You start with “Um…” and stumble your way through a response. You can feel your cheeks and ears redden. You later leave the meeting room feeling embarrassed, and wonder if your colleagues could tell how nervous you were or question your competence.

When we hear the term, “public speaking”, we often imagine someone standing in front of a large audience, giving a rehearsed speech about a pre-determined topic (TED speakers may come to mind). Many of us have heard that glossophobia, or a fear of public speaking, is one of the most common fears, estimated to be experienced by approximately 75% of the world’s population on some level. When you heard this statistic for the first time, it is likely that you nodded your head in agreement, whether it be because you are part of that 75%, or you can imagine where the fear might come from.

Public speaking is a common area of concern that clients from all walks of life come to us for support with. However, upon further investigation, it is often specifically the fear of “speaking on the spot” that can have a wider spreading impact on a client’s quality of life. Rehearsed public speaking (i.e., a presentation in front of an audience) may not be an activity that you have to do on a regular basis, but being put on the spot by a colleague, friend, or family member, even during a one-on-one conversation may well be a common occurrence in your life!

Can you think of some moments off the top of your head when you were put on the spot, whether in front of an audience, or during a small conversation? Perhaps you were asked during a meeting to respond to a question that was unexpected (like in our scenario), you were called on during a class, or someone at a dinner party asked you a pointed question. It is important to reflect on your personal and professional experiences to identify exactly what it is that you fear. This way, we can tailor your therapy to best suit your needs and goals, and help you find relevant solutions.

1. Pause first to think. Although it may be an instinct to want to speak right away, often this leads to an increased use of filler words or extraneous phrases. There is actually nothing that is forcing you to speak immediately after hearing a question or prompt. 

2. Ask for time. If you do feel the need to say something, you can instead express that you are going to take a moment to think (i.e., “That is a great question. Let me think about that for a moment.”). Depending on the situation, you can even let the other person know that you will get back to them at a later time (i.e., “That is a great question. Let’s touch base after the meeting.”).

3. Keep the end in mind. When you are unexpectedly asked to give a response about a specific topic, you may feel unsure about where to begin. It may seem counterintuitive, but identify your main point first, and keep it in mind as you speak. This way, the details you give will be relevant and cohesive.

This is a communication skill that improves with more practice and exposure. The next time a friend asks you what your favourite television show is, or what your favourite restaurant is, you can use it as an opportunity to practice the above strategies in a safe environment. Pause first to think, let your friend know you will think about it for a second, and then structure your response with relevant details supporting your main point. Although you may not feel the same level of pressure, you would still be applying the strategies on the spot! 

If you are a professional in a high-pressure environment, these situations likely happen predominantly at work, and practicing these strategies in safe, comfortable environments may not be enough to meet your needs. Our Leadership Communication MasterClass may be exactly the type of additional support you can access right now to feel more confident sooner.

To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.