A
s a professional speaker with
more than 30 years of experi-
ence, I am frequently asked to
train folks on how to do public
speaking. Did you know that
within my first sentence I offered three
distinct types of speaking; professional
speaker, training and public speaking?
Here is the difference between the three:
A trainer is an instructor of tech-
niques/skills and content on a specific
subject. Trainers are typically paid a fee by
a company, association or college.
A public speaker is someone who
speaks in public and often is not paid
for his/her appearances. They deliver
speeches that promote a particular cause,
company, or organization.
A professional speaker is paid a fee for
performances by a company, association,
or a college.
Many folks use these titles interchange-
ably, yet they are distinctly different. There
are different types of speeches: persuasive,
instructional, motivational, etc. Knowing
the type of speech you will be giving will
be advantageous in preparing for that
speech and will be covered later.
OVERCOMING SPEECH ANXIETY
Let's start with what most speakers and
trainers fear: speech anxiety. There are
two types of speaker anxiety, situational
and trait. Situational anxiety is caused by
factors in a specific situation; trait anxiety
is something you bring with you. Speech
anxiety is normal. Even veteran speakers
have speech anxiety to some degree. The
trick is to keep the anxiety manageable.
Remember, no audience wants a speech
to be a dud. They are on the speaker's
side. Another thought that may help with
your preparation and anxiety would be to
consider that every speech you give is an
opportunity for you to showcase what you
know and have to offer others.
TIPS TO MANAGE SPEECH ANXIETY
Think of a very funny event in your
32 SportsTurf | July 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com
PUBLIC SPEAKING BOOT CAMP
FACILITY & OPERATIONS
■ BY JERRY BALISTRERI
Knowing your intended
outcome of the speech
can also be a great way to help
you organize your thoughts and
content for the speech.
Jerry Balistreri
IMAGE
©ISTOCKPHOTO/AJPHOTO
