If you run your own company a typical week will throw up several opportunities for you to talk in public – from addressing a small group of team members, to making a pitch to hundreds of people at a conference. Does the thought alone put you into a tizzy?
If so, you may be re-assured to know that you are not alone! It is such a common condition that it has its own medical term – glossophobia, or fear of public speaking. Experts reckon that up to 75% of the population suffer from the sweaty palms and shortness of breath that accompanies it.
Trying taking our Odd Man Out test below… which of the four celebrities, all famous for performing flawlessly in public throughout their careers, suffer from glossophobia? The answer is at the end of this article.
If you or any of your sales team has this issue, there is good news. There are lots of things that can be done to turn a quivering wreck into a convincing, articulate and confident speaker.
I recently worked with a sales team and took them through a skill pill (short course of 90 minutes) called “Giving the Perfect Presentation”. Before the session several of them were just not prepared even to stand up in front of their peers, in a safe environment, and talk for five minutes. Within weeks of the session, however, even the most nervous of them were able to give good and persuasive pitches to new clients, with the result that the sales pipeline filled up much more quickly than before. The confidence this brings is infectious, which can be even more valuable to long term company morale than the immediate increase in business opportunities.
The key to overcoming your fear is recognising it, reaching an understanding of it and confronting it. Easier to say than to do! But with the right support, you can turn a weakness into a massive strength.
Just as all our celebrities did. Because the answer to the Odd Man Out test is that all suffer from glossophobia apart from Boris Johnson. He is the Odd Man Out. All the others are serious sufferers from nerves and stagefright. Robbie Williams for example is a complete wreck before a gig to the point where nobody can talk to him without receving an earful! The Rolling Stones got so wracked with nerves that they wrote a song about it. Do you think you know which one? Tweet Matt to find out if you are correct.
As to the Odd Man Out test, did you guess right? If so award yourself a pat on the back and make a New Year’s resolution to overcome glossophobia in your team in 2015.
David West is on our panel of our interim Sales Directors.
Want to comment on this subject? Tweet me at @MrMattGarman
