Howard Dickter, Pharm.D., Ph.D., is a reputable Pharmacy Director with a skill for public speaking. He has decades of experience in pharmacy and, when he takes the stage, he can engage and inspire with his lectures.
If you’d like to handle public speaking as professionals like Howard Dickter do, but you’re paralyzed by stage fright, that’s the first thing to work on. Eliminating public speaking fear will help you improve many other areas of the skill, and you can start with steps like those below:
• Prepare. Practice is the best way to eliminate public speaking fear. Go over what you need to say time and time again. Know your key points. When you can feel confident that you know what you need to say, the potential to make mistakes decreases. With a lower risk of mistakes, you can feel better about hitting the stage.
• Imagine. Worried public speakers spend a lot of time thinking about what can go wrong, but not enough time considering what can go right. Imagine the perfect presentation several times over. Think about how easy it will be to accomplish. This can give you the feeling of being experienced with a speech, even if it’s your first time with it.
• Breathe. Find your Zen and regulate your breathing to reduce stress hormones. Meditation prior to your presentation can help with this. The calmer your mind is, the less fear you will feel once you are speaking to your audience.
The above steps are great to start with, but if you’re serious about public speaking, consider finding a mentor with experience similar to Mr. Howard Dickter’s. This will allow you to work with personalized advice for improving your skills.
