“Public communication skills are important for anyone who needs to share information with others. Or those who hope to persuade others about an issue”. Public Relations professionals are no exception to this. Many times we, Public Relations practitioners, pay little attention to the formal consideration of our communication skills, especially public speaking skills. In this increasingly information-oriented age, Public Speaking skills are becoming more and more critical. As part of our profession, we need to influence people and win friends to get our work done. And most of the time, that is achieved through our gift of the gab.

As public relations consultants, our role is to guide clients to make a successful and effective presentation to media during media conferences. Sometimes, we need to do a welcome address at the media meets or a vote of thanks. Or introduce the speakers who would address the media in the press briefings. In some case, though strange cases, we need to dub ourselves as a spokesperson and address scribes on behalf of our client if the spokesperson is not comfortable with the job. We do encounter many such situations. And the best way to manage such situations is to equip ourselves with the effective oratory skills.

PR professionals need to lobby the media who can turn a press note into a news item and ask them to do as they have the power to do. How can you put it? You have to break the ice. Your sweet and pep talk with media concerned should gain an entry for you. Then you can work what’s the news value for them. You must know what you want to achieve out of the meeting. This should probably be number one on the list. Stay focused on that. Facts are critical. They persuade. Use them effectively with your effective communication skills.

When we are ill equipped in this skill, how can we guide our clients.  In my experience spanned over 18 years, I have seen and come across many of the clients failing to impress media men with their public addressing skills. Representatives, spokespersons, owners of big business enterprises, professional managers and corporate executives of many big companies such as Managing Directors, Vice Presidents miserably failed in their presentation to the media. While some of them, especially those seasoned professionals, many had to be content with unimpressive media briefings.

An owner of 150 years plus old of India’s biggest Jewelry Retail Chain could not utter a single word except one syllable answers in a media briefing. A Managing Director of a large corporate house whose turnover exceeds over Rs 1000 crore, when addressing a press con, managed to scape through but without much positive impression on the media. Equally embarrassed when a Managing Director of a large chain of very popular Clinic made an unimpressive presentation to the media. When clients don’t make impressive presentation to the media, that doubles our role as media won’t highlight it much. We need to work hard to push such news.

Public Speaking is not the easy to acquire. Not all are capable of picking it up on their own. In a survey “What the people fear the most?”, it is found to be Public Speaking. 75 per cent of the people rated Stage Fear as the Phobia number one. People fear public speaking the most so much so that they are more afraid of it than a death, a nuclear disaster. Such is the fear of Public Speaking. Many have suffered with it. And have been living with the stage fright or nervousness. They are unable to conquer shyness, stuttering and stammering. As a result they won’t express themselves impressively. And ruined their chances of growing up the ladder. Missed many opportunities.

How can PR professionals who lack this skill pick it up. Simple. If there is a will, there is a way. It is not all fearful as what one thinks about it. Realize that you are not alone to have fear of speaking in public. Many luminaries such as Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, an author of several internationally published books, and an expert on leadership and personality development Robin Sharma, former Prime Minister of England Disraeli and many others have faced the problem.

Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest communicator who enjoyed the unimaginable public relations had the fear of public speaking within himself. He just could not go up to a large crowd and share his views. After being admitted to the bar in 1891, Gandhi returned to India and spent a short and unfruitful period in practice of law. He discovered his great fear of speaking in public, even in a court of law! At age 23, Gandhi accepted a 1-year contract for legal work in South Africa. When advocate friends organized a send off party for him just before his travel to South Africa on one year contract, he could not utter a single word with fear of public speaking. But, some how, particular the most toughest phase of his life, got to overcome this problem. With many other qualities he had, he fought the mighty Britishers and he fought hard but only with his principles of truth and nonviolence.

As far as his fear of public speaking, he not only overcame that but also went on to become the greatest orators of all time. Not because of the strength of his voice, but because of its strength in moving every one listening to him. And as Mahatma Gandhi put it, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

Robin Sharma, similarly too had some problem in effective presentation. Then he had to take some professional help. Now each year, he travels more than 100,000 miles for speaking engagements. Robin Sharma is a sought-after professional speaker who shares insights on leadership, change, personal effectiveness and life management.

Disraeli, as a Prime Minister of England when made his first speech in the parliament, people present there laughed at him. The furious Disraeli shouted back at them, saying, “A day will come when you will hear me”. He went on to become one of England’s foremost speakers.

When Amitabh Bachan was just trying to get a break in movies he was told to soften his ‘deep’ voice. However it was soon realized that his deep rich voice was excellent for narration. He has provided narrations for several films. He was rejected for the job of an announcer in All India Radio because his voice was considered too heavy for radio. The actor faced immense criticism for his looks, especially his height, many said, “So tall and thin, and a heavy voice- doesn’t really work in Bollywood.”

But Mr. Bachchan went on to become a legend in Bollywood, showered with titles like shahenshah, Big B and many more. He is among the highest paid actors in Bollywood and some say that his reign might never end.

“Bees saal pehle main Mumbai aya tha, sirf 5 rupay the mere jeb mein. Aur aaj mai 500 crore ka malik hoon.” (I came to Mumbai twenty years ago, with Rs. 5 in my pocket. Today, I own Rs. 500 crore of property.), he declared once.

Harrison Ford, a well known Hollywood actor has appeared in countless movies and has received the Life Achievement Award of the American Film Institute. But even so, he is afraid to give a speech or talk in front of a group of people. According to Harrison Ford, public speaking is, “a mixed bag of terror and anxiety.” Even when the character he is playing must make a speech, he experiences the same feelings.

Famous people who have suffered a fear of public speaking include: Donny Osmond, an American Singer had stage fright and experienced a panic attack during a performance in 1994. The panic attacks prevented him from singing and made him believe he was going to black out. Donny was scared of shopping centres as he thought people might gather around to ridicule him. Donny sought assistance from a psychologist and engaged in cognitive behavioral therapy. He wrote a book about his life and his performance anxiety.

Barbara Streisand, another American Singer and actress had a social phobia prevented her from singing in public for twenty seven years. Whilst giving a concert in New York in 1967, she forgot the words to several songs. From then on, Streisand was worried that she might make embarrassing mistakes again if she performed in public and therefore totally avoided such engagements. But, she later learnt to cope with her stage fright and gave a comeback tour in 1994. Slow and steadily she tried with a smaller warm up shows, then a national tour and in front of a large television audience.

Sir Laurence Olivier an actor too suffered for about five years. Susie O’Neill, a Commonwealth gold medalist, Queensland swimmer, Susie O’Neill has had to overcome anxiety in order to fulfil her potential as an athlete. In an interview she confessed how her anxiety had impacted upon her ability to perform as a swimmer. In the early days she dreaded ever winning in case it meant she had to stand on the dais and be the centre of attention. Then she’d pray she wouldn’t be chosen for a team event because she was terrified of trying to talk to people she didn’t know. Kim Basinger, an American, Oscar winning actor, reported to suffer from panic. When she accepted her Oscar, she terribly failed to speak despite of her practice. She later related her problem back to school days where as child her worst fear was being asked to read aloud to the class.

Even after hosting The Tonight Show for years, Johnny Carson would get nervous. In his book Self-Help Stuff That Works, Adam Kahn explains that, since Johnny had a history of heart problems, doctors were continually monitoring his heart rate. Right before he went on stage to do the opening monologue, Carson’s heart rate went from 80 beats per minute to 150! The lesson to be learned here, according to Kahn, is realize there’s nothing wrong with you if you’re suffering from public speaking anxiety.

While these suffer with stage fright and anxiety some celebrities like world famous Boxing Champion Mohd Ali, former American President Ronald Reagan suffered from fear of flying which is called aviophobia. Tennis Star Andre Agassi has a fear of spiders(Arachnophobic), Napoleon Bonaparte, the emperor of France, suffered from a fear of cats(ailurophobia). A website lists out about 500plus fears or phobias which people are suffering from. Some of them are as funny as fear of money, fear of women, fear of 13 number etc.

It is quite common to have phobias. It is estimated that on an average one out of 20 Indians suffer with some or the other phobia. About three per cent of people are said to have some phobias at any given point of time. Nearly 95 per cent people, without exception whether Western or Indian seem to be suffering with fear of public speaking which is also called Glassophobia. Approximately 40 per cent of phobias, especially social phobias. These said to have occurred prior to the age of ten years.

And nearly 90 to 95 per cent before the age of 20 to 25 years. Fear of public speaking is a social phobia (an anxiety disorder where the sufferer fears being negatively judged or evaluated by others and therefore they are afraid of doing something to embarrass or humiliate themselves in public). This can incorporate physical symptoms of anxiety such as sweating, blushing, dizziness, heart palpitations, tense muscles, trembling and nausea.

Unfortunately Public Speaking skill is not systematically in any of Indian educational institutions. But, thanks to present day corporate governance, public speaking can be learnt. There are educational institutions which offer systematic curriculum. With little bit of effort and few days of time one can easily acquire this lifeskill must to be acquired by all public relations professionals. It is aid people are more important than profits. People’s knowledge is more useful than product knowledge. What differentiates success from failure is people management. For effective people management, public speaking comes handy.

Public Speaking as a curriculum is the most neglected subjects in most of the Indian educational institutions. Mostly this skills is left to students to learn on their own. See for instance Dale Carnegie started teaching public speaking in America in as early as 1908. Toastmasters International started a forum for practicing public speaking in 1924. But, Public Speaking as a systematic curriculum introduced to India in the recent past by Junior Chamber International in 1968. But, that is mostly confined to its members. Though YMCA’s some branches across India organise some interactive sessions in a very small way, but, are not very active. Looking at the wide gap, Hyderabad based Media Junction embarked on this curriculum from May 2004.  Since then it has trained over 5000 people across India and conducted about 75 workshops private and public.

Dale Carnegie India (Phone : +91-22-67818163/67818181, Email: mumbai@dalecarnegieindia.com) ; Toast Masters International(www.toastmasters.org), Media Junction(098488-42471, Email: mediajunction@yahoo.com), Junior Chamber International(trgns@jciindia.in. Each city in India JCI HAS its local chapters), YMCA branches in your respective cities, Meet Ups on Public Speaking in your respective cities etc and others offer excellent opportunity to learn Public Speaking. You can also do google search for more information. If you need help, you can reach author of this story on 098480-42020 or solusmedia@yahoo.com

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