Making a Mistake in Public Speaking Is Not the End of the World – Just Ask George W or Obama!

by

The Voice Lady

While mans’ fear of public speaking may be greater than his fear of dying, what we fear most when standing at the lectern or the head of the boardroom table is making a fool of ourselves. Making a mistake is something that happens to the majority of famous people; yet, they survive the ordeal.

The basis of your angst is the fear that you may forget or make a blunder, thereby making you look foolish. When George W. Bush made his frequent mistakes in speaking, of course the press made him out to be a fool; however, he was able to joke about his mistakes which was a strength for him.

During his campaign run, President Obama said that his father served in World War II. Had his father served, Barack Obama Sr. would have been 3 years old when he enlisted! Had he been referring to his stepfather, on the other hand, that man would have been younger still! It is likely that Obama was referring to his grandfather, who indeed did enlist and serve in the military after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Has the President survived that misquote and many others? Absolutely.

Our Vice President makes a fool of himself every time he opens his mouth to speak but it doesn’t keep him from talking!

Do not let your fear of making a fool of yourself stop you from standing at the lectern and delivering a speech or presentation. Your audience is not expecting perfection. If they were, we would have no Presidents, no Vice Presidents and no Members of Congress. Everyone makes mistakes in public speaking including broadcasters on TV and the radio. However, we, as the audience, are usually unaware of those mistakes.

Instead of seeking perfection, why not strive to do your very best, mistakes and all? If you know your material inside and out and can treat your audience as if you were in conversation, you will be surprised at just how successful you can be.

If you lose your place or train of thought, refer to your notes or your overhead and continue on. If you fumble a word or give the wrong dates or numbers, correct it and move on. The best in the business do this and they have survived perfectly well, from Presidents of the United States to presidents of the local Lions Club, even if they have looked foolish at one time or another.

The Voice Lady

Nancy Daniels

offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as

Voicing It!

, the only video training program on voice improvement. To see how voice training can improve your life, both professionally and personally, visit

Voice Dynamic

or watch a brief video as The Voice Lady describes

Dynamic Public Speaking

.

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Making a Mistake in Public Speaking Is Not the End of the World – Just Ask George W or Obama!