Helping people overcome one of their greatest fears — public speaking
John Deery, communications coach and founder of The Public Speaking Course.
: John Deery
: Communications coach and founder of The Public Speaking Course
: A trained actor, John Deery has used his communication skills to help people overcome their greatest fear.
Death, divorce and moving house are often cited as the greatest trials of life, but, for some, a deserved fourth on that list is the terror of public speaking. Fear of public speaking is a common form of anxiety, and can range from slight nervousness to paralysing fear and panic.
As American writer and humorist, Mark Twain observed: “There are two types of public speakers — those who get nervous and those who are liars.”
Statistically, over 75% of people suffer from ‘glossophobia’ — a fear of public speaking that manifests as high levels of anxiety and nerves.
“Most people are not natural communicators or born public speakers,” explains John Deery. “Many people are fearful, nervous and self-conscious in front of an audience.”
He points out the ‘little voice’ in their head is constantly over-thinking: ‘What will they think of me? What if I go blank and forget what I am saying? What happens if I make a mistake?’ That constant voice of fear whispers that people will think you are boring.
“That voice says people will laugh at you, that you’re not good enough, that you don’t deserve to be there, that your speech will be a disaster and you will be fully exposed for what you truly are — an imposter.”
Those who fail to face their fear of speaking in public are putting themselves at a professional disadvantage, with their incomes likely to be impaired up to 10% and promotion prospects shrinking by 15%, according to research from Columbia University.
While research shows the fear of public speaking affects as many as three in four of the population, just 8% of people have taken deliberate measures to overcome it.
“Humans are hardwired to be cautious about public speaking. We are social animals who evolved to rely on the group and so to avoid anything that might reduce our standing within it, like speaking out of turn.
"The good news is that modern psychology has given us tools to override our programming and while some of the techniques we deploy on The Public Speaking Course are specific to the individual, many can be applied to every public speaking situation.”
Mr Deery also cautions a fear of public speaking affects the student population, reducing the likelihood of college graduation by 10%.
“I am very big on education and have worked with young people to overcome what would often be shyness at that younger age. I think more needs to be done in schools and universities to address this fear — I’ve seen many people who are frightened to attend a job interview because they don’t know how to behave or respond.”
Hiding behind tech or social media and not wanting to physically or vocally engage is a problem that was further exacerbated by covid: “People stay exclusively with email or text in order to shy away from having a conversation. The previous habit of adding a phone number at the end of an email is no longer the case,” he adds.
Clear, concise communication and the ability to stand up and speak without fear will help to get your message across, whether that be in a professional work environment or in a personal capacity, is key to overcoming this fear, he says.
"I have worked with individuals and companies all over the world — Europe, the USA, Australia, Asia — and it is a fear that goes right across all cultures and ethnicities — a human condition crossing all geographical borders.
"Having helped people from all walks of life: graduates starting out, CEOs, business owners, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, teachers and politicians, the terror of standing alone on stage to address large and small numbers is universal."
“That fear crosses all boundaries — age, gender, nationality — with the majority in that 35 to 45 age group, generally a time in life when they are starting to advance in their careers and will need to speak at business gatherings or conferences.”
He has also worked with a variety of companies and organisations, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Unilever, BT, Pulsant, HSBC, Apple, Microsoft, NHS, Samsung and KPMG.
Mr Deery began his career as an actor working in theatre, television and film. Shortly after leaving the Drama Studio in London, he joined the BBC Radio Drama Repertory Company and appeared in hundreds of radio broadcasts.
He has used his presenting skills for many large companies and corporations, including being the main presenter for BT for five years, travelling all over the UK to present their latest technology to boards, business customers and strategic partners.
On the back of that work, Mr Deery was asked to develop a one-day course teaching employees to speak and present in public for some of the UK’s leading companies. Thus began his current passion to help people overcome their greatest fear.
In terms of helping to improve one’s ability to confront this universal fear, he offers a number of tips. “If you can, always check out where you are speaking beforehand — break the ‘fear’ of the room.
Before you begin, take slow, conscious breaths — in through the nose and out through the mouth. Your exhale should last twice as long as your inhale — this will calm you down in any situation.”
Staying present and being in the now assists that calm: “Remember you are telling a story — focus on the beginning, middle and end. Make eye contact with your audience where possible, just for a split second, taking in all areas of the room.”
Using your body to take up space yields another physical advantage: “Don’t apologise for being there — just be fully present, no matter what happens during your talk. And, if the worst does happen, if you make a mistake or go blank — acknowledge it and move on.”
