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Did you know that Americans rank public speaking as their number one phobia? 

It’s true! In fact, it’s ranked higher than the fear of heights, snakes, bugs, and even drowning!

Imagine that! People are more afraid of speaking in front of a room full of strangers than they are asphyxiating underwater. 

On the latest edition of the Inner Edison Podcast with Ed Pacaut, we spoke about the importance of public speaking and how you can overcome that enormous fear. 

We spoke with Joel Weldon, a world-renowned public speaker, and coach. In the past four decades, his Ultimate Speaking System has helped thousands of people learn the essential skill of learning to speak in public. 

Joel’s Edison Moment 

Long before Joel was inducted into the speaker’s Hall of Fame alongside Zig Ziggler, he was a shy kid who couldn’t even lead his Sunday School Class in silent prayer. 

His whole childhood, he was plagued by the fear of public speaking. 

Then, on September 4th, 1969, he finally faced his fear and gave a speech in front of a small group of people. As fate would have it, one person came up to him and asked if he’d like some feedback on his speech. 

Joel agreed, and he was given the worst news yet. The man said, “That had to be the worst speech in the history of all speeches, but if you’re willing to improve, I can show you how. 

It was then that he was introduced to Toastmasters, where he learned how to speak through repetition and feedback. 

Within five years, he would place in the top 3 internationally in the World Finals at Toastmasters. 

How could that happen? Because public speaking is a learned skill. 

So how can you improve?

It’s Not About You

Most people fear public speaking because they look at it the wrong way. 

Most people prepare a speech thinking about how they come across to the audience. Maybe they’ve created talking points that will make them look smarter — more well-rounded; or more educated. 

However, no one in the audience cares about that. Here’s the thing you need to learn: It’s Not About YOU! 

Creating a successful speech or presentation is all about the audience, not the speaker. Thinking about the audience takes YOU out of the equation. 

Sometimes, just doing this is enough to overcome your fear of public speaking. 

So how can you do this: 

• Address your audience’s needs
• Solve a problem in only a way that you can
• Provide relevant information that leads your audience to new insights

By focusing on what your audience needs, you’ll forget about your fears, if only for a moment. 

Know Your Audience

If you write a presentation before knowing your audience, you fail before you even begin. However, if you know your audience, you can create a presentation that speaks directly to them. 

When you create a presentation that speaks directly to your audience, half of the battle is already won. 

Use Feedback to Improve

In Toastmasters, speakers take turns sharing speeches. Everyone in the audience receives an index card where they can share positive and constructive ideas. 

Whenever you give a presentation, you can adopt this philosophy and ask three unique questions: 

1. On a 1 – 10 scale, how valuable were the ideas you heard today? 
2. What was the best thought you got out of this presentation? What was helpful? 
3. How could I have made this presentation even better? 

As you can imagine, the third question is a key to improvement. You take away what isn’t working to enhance what is working.

The result is better speaking habits. 

Do You Want to Improve Your Speaking Skills? 

If you’re looking to improve your speaking skills, use what Brian Tracy, Joe Polish, and others have used to enhance their speaking. 

Sign up for Joel Weldon’s Ultimate Speaking System today! 

As always, if you’re looking for more great interviews about entrepreneurship, business, and more, please tune in to the Inner Edison Podcast with Ed Parcaut.