PUBLIC SPEAKING PROBLEMS

Public Speaking is the process or act of performing a speech to a live audience. In

communication science, public speaking is defined as a way and art of speaking in front of a general
audience that is demanding for smooth speaking, emotional control, choice of words and tone of voice,
ability to control the atmosphere, and also mastery of the material to be discussed.
Public speaking is commonly understood as formal, face-to-face speaking of a single person to a group
of listeners. Public speaking can cover a variety of different topics. The purposes of public speaking
can be to educate, entertain or influence listeners. Speaking in public is important in business,
educations, and public areas.
Speaking in public for most of us is something tense and frightening, the whole eye is aimed at us as if
it were a defendant being tried by the audience. Public speaking is a skill that we must master, like it or
not. Because at some point in our lives, we will certainly speak infront of a number of people, we must
communicate effectively, correctly and right on target.
The following are the obstaclesor problems that often occur in public speaking:
1. Nervous (Stage Fear)
Nervous is one of the biggest obstacles in Public Speaking (speaking in front of a large audience).
The reason you are nervous is not used to or not trained in not confident, unable, not mastering the
material. And people who have never spoken before an audience will experience it. Nervous or Gerogi
in public speaking is also called the Stage Fever (Irwan. 2015)
2. Lack of confidence
There are several factors that cause a person to feel afraid and not confident in public speaking, namely
(Muljanto, 2014):

 Fear of failure,
 There is no confidence, feeling yourself unable to do that.
 Traumatic, has fear and feels alone when standing on the stage and all eyes look at him.
 Fear of being judged, this occurs because of fear when many people talk about themselves or their
opinions.
 Too perfectionist, the perfectionist is good, but too perfectionist and hoping too much on himself
makes a negative effect.
 Fear of many people, feeling uncomfortable and not confident when speaking in front of tens,
hundreds or thousands of people.
 Lack of preparation, minimal preparation makes the fear of speaking in public increasingly.
 Stress, avoid stress when speaking in public.
 Blank, afraid not to know what to do, what to talk about when speaking in public

3. Inevitable noises
4. Tools that are actually interrupt us
Tools in public speaking are very diverse. such as microphones, loudspeakers, laptop LCDs, and others.
An example of a laptop that fails to connect to an LCD is one of the multimedia problems that are often
faced by speakers in a presentation or perhaps a meeting. Audio noise that doesn't come out, jammed
video or poor quality LCD resolution is another example of multimedia interference that you might
encounter. If this happens, you must be smart to keep the mood of the audience. Don't let their
concentration break, or even leave the room because you have lost your mood. Mastery of the material
is also very important, so that at least you have enough material to convey when multimedia interference
occurs. Always prepare a backup plan to anticipate this.
5. Long-winded closing sentence
Closing usually contains conclusions, suggestions, or messages that are given by a public speaker to the
audience, and it is not uncommon for us to meet the speaker / person in a forum who closes it rambling
or floating.

How To Solve The Problems In Public Speaking

Actually, this fear doesn't even have to be eliminated. The reason is because as long as humans
are alive, during that time the fear is always there. Feelings of worry or fear are commonplace, the
things which should be avoided is excessive fear. In public speaking, we should be able to control fear
and actually make that fear as the driving force (positive energy) needed in preparation for speaking
and when speaking later.

1. Start Small

If you're new to the world of public speaking, start small. Find a few friends and family to practice on.
Begin by speaking to smaller groups and build up from there. The size of the audience makes no
difference. If you know your topic, you're pre-speaking fear will quickly evaporate.

2. Prepare Thoroughly

Nothing helps ease the fear of public speaking more than knowing your material. The ability to
connect with your audience comes from having the confidence you won't get lost during your
delivery. Rehearse several times before the big talk. Time your presentation and always have back up
material in case time is left over.

3. Don't Just Memorize the Words

Mastering the art of public speaking comes not from memorizing word for word your entire speech.
The real pros know their material by remembering key points and prompts on sub topics and
examples to cover.

4. Avoid Common Bullets

The majority of business presentations and speeches are boring monologues filled with endless
PowerPoint slides and bullet points. Trash the PowerPoint presentation and make your material the
focal point of the talk. If you do use PowerPoint, take the approach of using visuals that quickly
convey your message.

5. Reduce Stress

The most fearful moment of any presentation is the one minute before your stage entrance. Use the
tactic of elite athletes by visualizing a positive outcome and using deep belly breathing to reduce
stress and build confidence.

6. Find a Friend to Focus On

Prior to your public speaking on stage introduce yourself to a few members of the audience in the
front row. During your talk look these people in the eye to ease your nerves and connect with your
audience.

7. Engage the Audience

Creating a monologue presentation puts the entire task of informing and entertaining the audience on
you. Make your talk a two-way interaction with questions and participation to reduce boredom and
speak with ease. Having the group involved also gives you time to reorganize your thoughts if things
are going off track.

Make public speaking part of your marketing plan and boost your business success. Your fear will
evaporate over time and you will wonder why you didn't start sooner.