You know that oldJerry Seinfeld bit about public speaking?

Put this plainly, public speaking is a ridiculous thing to be afraid of.

Still, itremains at the top of the list.

Public speaking tips

I think people are afraid in general, said Patrick McInnis, animprov performerand teacher in Florida.

Communication is a fearful thing, in general.

Being authentic is scary.

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When youre in front of a group of people, all eyes are you.

Thats tough on self-esteem, saidDavid Abolafia, a stand-up comedian and comedy coach.

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Do you avoid people too?

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Enough small talk.Here are some waysto earn extra cash, without all of the social stuff.

Heres what they teach students who are getting up for the first time to perform stand-up or improv comedy.

Did you know?

you might Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion

1.

Sorry, youre hearing it again.

Trust that what got you there is already sufficient, and youll be OK, said McInnis.

It means if youre an intern presenting an idea to the executive team, know youre good enough.

Your confidence and comfort makes the presentation better.

If you are having fun, so will the audience, said McCurdy.

Know Your Audience

Listening is the biggest thing that I teach, said McInnis.

In public speaking, it means paying attention to what your audience needs.

But mostly, it should happen in advance.

If youve listened to their challenges, then youve come up with the right talking points.

Before speaking in front of an audience, verify you understand them.

Are they college students or your co-workers?

Do they want to pick a career or just learn how to use Gmail better?

Tailor your presentation and demeanor to match their goals.

That doesnt mean hes making eye contact with only you the whole time.

The trick, McInnis points out, is to prepare as if youre communicating this message to one person.

That should make the audience comfortable and put you at ease, too.

Dont Say TOO Much

Another part of confidence in yourself is confidence in your material.

I catch myself doing this in presentations all the time!

Afraid the audience wont understand something the way we said it, we keep adding to it usually off-script.

Its usually not necessary.

Slow Down

When people get on stage, they tend to talk too fast, said Abolafia.

Your adrenaline is flowing, and you want to power through to the end of your presentation.

When you write your speech or presentation, build in pauses and places to breathe.

Focus on Your Main Point

My biggest fear when speaking to a group?

McInnis advises, Go back to what you started with.

That is,remember what you promised the audience from the beginning.

Keep that singular focus.

If you forget what youre supposed to say next, return to the purpose of the presentation.

Ask yourself, what else can I say to achieve that purpose?

Maybe it will help you remember the next line.

If not, it will at least help you get on with the show.

After all, the audience doesnt know what you had planned.

If you back off, you never give it a true chance.

Phoning in a presentation is tough.

The audience can usually tell when youre not all there.

Thats a lot easier to do if you actually care about it.

it’s possible for you to ask questions directly or not.

it’s possible for you to point out reactions from audience members or not.

When it comes to public speaking, unfortunately, there are no clear rules of engagement.

Butthinking of it like a conversation should help.

Engagement means you adjust your demeanor according to that reaction.

Skip the line you wrote that says, You know what Im talking about!

when everyone shakes their head and definitely doesnotknow what youre talking about.

Pause for a breath if your audience becomes emotional.

Let them feel it.

And let them laugh even if its unexpected!

Its usually a good thing, so dont venture to talk over it.

Your Turn: Are you afraid of public speaking?

How do you deal with it?

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)

You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…