Five tips to help you lose your fear of speaking in public, and the Hong Kong student who fainted from nerves after giving a speech
Most people are nervous when it comes to public speaking, and for some it’s a fate worse than death. We speak to the experts to get ideas on how to relax, speak naturally and influence people
Bertha Chan had all the symptoms – shakes, sweats, increased heart rate and a heavy pain in her stomach. Then she fainted.
“My nerves got the better of me,” says Chan as she settles into a chair at a coffee shop in Hong Kong’s Central business district.
“I had just finished giving a speech in front of a large crowd and really struggled to keep the shakes and the sweats under control. As I walked back to my seat I fainted,” says the 18-year-old.
Chan was suffering from anxiety associated with public speaking. And she’s not alone. It’s estimated that 75 per cent of all people experience some degree of anxiety/nervousness (official name glossophobia) when speaking in public, according to the self-help book Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions.
And people from all walks of life – business, political and celebrity – have struggled, from US investor Warren Buffett to Indian political leader Mahatma Gandhi. Film stars Harrison Ford and Julia Roberts have also battled their own public speaking demons.
