FEAR A recent United States survey revealed that the greatest fear most people experience is that of speaking before a large group of people. Those of you who have ever faced this challenge may be able to relate to this. What is it about public speaking that makes some people nervous? Many of my colleagues seem to experience severe anxiety attacks when they have to stand before a gathering and share what they know. I recall one day, an administrative friend and I were preparing a presentation for a group of probation officers. He couldn't settle himself. I told him that everyone in the audience put on their pants the same way he did, and they all had to go to the bathroom every now and then, just like he did. He thought that was kind of funny, but he immediately settled down. Two hours later, in the middle of the presentation, he was smiling and moving people all over the room. There wasn't even a hint of nervousness on his part. Over the years, I estimate I've done presentations before 10,000 people. My largest audience was 2000 students and teachers at Franklin High School. I found that in such a large group, the faces begin to blur into a sea of faces. Whenever I must face an audience, I become excited. My notion is that if they anyone shows up, they must want to hear what I have to say. This may seem presumptuous on my part. However, I don't get nervous. Some might say that this is because I have done it so many times. There is some truth in that. Practice does make perfect. There are some strategies that you can use to dispel anxiety or fear on your part. First, be prepared. Though this is the Boy Scout Motto, it is important to enter any public speaking experience having done your homework. There are some individuals who are spontaneous and can do "stand up" without any preparation. Most of us need to prepare. If you are going to use overheads or a flip chart for illustrations, do them well in advance of the presentation so that you aren't preparing the morning of the event. Second, arrive early. I find that by being there before anyone else enters the room, I can move about and get a sense of the place, feel the carpet or tile below my feet. In moving about, I can determine where my displays will be seen the easiest. I talk out loud and listen to the sound of my voice. Doing so makes me aware of how much I will need to project my voice if the acoustics are not good. Third, greet people as they arrive. Introduce yourself, ask for peoples' names, and make some small talk. You certainly won't remember all the peoples' names, but if you make this a part of your "warmup" strategy you will know some of the people. Then the audience is not a group of strangers. Fourth, begin with a good morning, good afternoon, or good evening. Being polite or cordial is soothing to one and all. I generally, follow my greeting with "Let's have some fun." There isn't a human being alive who will not sit up and wonder what I am about to say or do. Try it the next time you are before a group and see how magical these words can be. Fifth, engage the group in some activity to get them warmed up to your presentation. There are countless books written on the subject of experiential activities for group. One that I use regularly is Games Trainers Play, by Newstrom and Scannell (1980) available from McGraw-Hill Publishers. There are many exercises in the book which can be used for almost any situation. Sixth, pass out information the audience will need after the warmup. Get them involved first, and then share the hard copy with them. If you give it to them right away, many participants will begin reading and you will need to get their attention again. There is always enough time to pass out information once you have the audience's energy flow going your way. Seventh, take breaks. If your presentation is going to last for more than an hour, then stop after 45 minutes for a 15 minute break. Research indicates that most adults don't concentrate for more than 30 minutes. Considering this, 45 minutes is the longest you should go before you break. Eighth, close your presentation before you wear out your welcome. I'm sure you have participated in some affair where the speaker droned on and on and all you wanted to do was leave. Don't repeat this most common error. Following this simple steps may not dispel all your butterflies. Remember that the greatest performances generally occur before large audiences. If you're prepared, arrive early, get a sense of the room before others arrive, greet early arrivals, open with a polite greeting, use some warmup exercise, pass out information 10-15 minutes into the presentation, take breaks, and close before you lose the audience, you cannot help but feel a measure of success when you are done. For the record, the second greatest fear most Americans listed in the survey was having New York Knickerbockers's Coach, Pat Riley, come over to their home, lie down on their new couch, and put his head down on the white pillow nestled against the arm.