Speech Delivery

I was recently invited to lecture on anxiety to several hundred mental health professionals. My talk was scheduled to follow those of a number of well known psychiatrists. When my turn came, I was especially nervous because the speaker before me had been particularly impressive and charming. My heart beat wildly and my mouth went completely dry. "What am I doing here?" I asked myself.

To make matters worse, my presentation partly dealt with fear of public speaking. To calm myself, I asked the audience, "How many of you feel nervous when you give a speech?" Nearly every hand went up. "Well, that's exactly how I feel right now!"

The audience responded with laughter. I relaxed and was able to get on with my presentation.

At times, we all find ourselves in situations that make us nervous. Perhaps you're afraid of saying foolish things at a drinks party, stumbling over a presentation at work or having your mind go blank during a test. For some of us the anxiety is so severe that it can hardly be coped with.

Over the years, my work with hundreds of patients has taught me that anyone can increase his or her social confidence, even in the most stressful situations.

One of a few simple but helpful tips is to make the other person the focus of the conversation. Ask a few questions: "How did you get interested in such and such?" or "Will you tell me more about it?" All most people want is for you to pay attention to them. Psychiatrists and psychologists make handsome livings just by nodding their heads knowingly and asking a few questions. If they can get away with it, so can you.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did the author feel nervous when it was his turn to give the presentation?
2. What should he partly talk about in his presentation?
3. How did the author deal with the problem of feeling nervous before a large audience?
4. In what situations may people feel nervous according to the author?
5. What is the advice given by the author in the last paragraph?

(Keys.)