As a sales and marketing professional, an essential requirement is excellent public speaking skills. This is a known fact to everyone when they join this profession. But what is just a myth is that without possessing good verbal communication skills you cannot be a part of the sales industry. And another myth is that verbal communication is only required by the sales team. All managers need this quality to excel in their career whether they are related to medicine, engineering, information technology or retail.
Public speaking is feared by most. And unless you can live in an isolated world, it is a fear that we all need to overcome for survival. One thing that might help is knowing that you are not the only one. A lot of people who are listening to you in the audience also have the same problem and therefore will be empathetic. Also, when people are listening to you they are more interested in the content and are busy trying to grasp the information being provided and making decisions about the product. They are not there to judge your speaking skills in particular.
Acknowledge
Knowing that you have a problem is the first step in dealing with it. Talk about this issue with others, accept your disability and then learn to conquer your fears.
Engage the audience
While delivering a speech do not make it a monotone. Firstly, it becomes uninteresting for the listeners and secondly, it will do nothing to calm you down. Interact with the audience by asking questions and taking suggestions. You will feel more relaxed and confident.
Know your script
Learn the speech by heart so that there is at least no fear of forgetting what you had to say. Going back to the script during the speech or missing vital information or not having all answers to the questions posed by the audience will all add to your discomfort of public speaking.
Practice makes perfect
Take help from friends and colleagues to practice well before the final presentation. Standing in front of the mirror is also an age old phenomenon that always works to build up the confidence.