So what is your greatest fear? Flying. Spiders. Heights. Accidently calling your boss ‘dad’ ... well what about public speaking?
If the mere mention of speaking in front of a crowd has brought you out in a cold sweat, then you are not alone. In fact, a number of surveys put ‘fear of public speaking’ (or Glossophobia) as a top ten fear and for many it is the number one, above dying!
Even if not a full blown phobia then it is estimated that 75% of us suffer from anxiety at the thought of speaking in front of a group or audience. Now as someone who has to regularly present and make pitches as part of my job, presenting comes relatively easily (although it wasn’t always the case). But every week I see evidence of just how stressful it can be for people who aren’t used to it.