Speaking in public can be one of the most terrifying ordeals we face. We recently saw participants from a multinational sales team giving a pitch to their colleagues about what value they bring to the organisation. It was an amazing experience to observe - closed body language created an extremely negative and uncomfortable atmosphere.
That was until one of the younger members of the team broke the ice and came to the front of the room and said - “I will do it”. This poor guy was visibly shaking, with the colour entirely drained from his face. After two deep breaths he give his pitch nervously, it went down really well and this brought others to the front to follow.
At the end of the session the young man was thankful for the opportunity explaining how great he felt after he had given the pitch. He said that the experience proved to be a tipping point in his career, feeling that much of his future success would be based on his ability to get on his feet and communicate to groups of people.
Fact is that ambitious people must master the skill of giving presentations confidently and concisely. If this is an area where you feel uncomfortable - feel the fear - give it a try and keep practicing. The more you do, the better and easier it gets!