Page 104 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

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Chapter 3 Managing Speech Anxiety 71

• Avoid overreacting to what you perceive to be negative feedback. Not only are
we predisposed to notice it more than positive feedback, but we also tend to
overcompensate by paying more attention than they deserve to the one or
two people we think are negative.
• Remember, even if you are a little nervous, the research tells us your audience
won’t notice it as much as you will.

Stage Three: After Your Speech

Even experienced speakers can ﬁ nd themselves in a mental fog following their
speech. They may ﬁ nd it hard to concentrate or stay focused on the comments
directed toward them.
What takes place after a speech will affect the way you approach and deliver
your next speech. Comments directed to you by peers and your instructor can
help you prepare your next speech, including: (1) the goals you set, (2) prepara-

tion and practice, and (3) your level of conﬁdence as you take on these tasks.
Constructive comments cannot help you, however, if you fail to hear and pro-
cess them in the ﬁ rst place.
To get the most out of immediate feedback following a speech, we offer the
following tips.
Tips and Tactics
After Speaking

• Take several deep breaths when you go back to your seat. This will help to
bring down your heart rate.
• Minimize self-talk. You can mentally review your presentation later.
• Look for your instructor’s eye contact and tell yourself to relax as you listen
to your instructor and classmates.
• Write down what is said. You can check with your instructor later to deter-
mine the accuracy of the feedback you recorded.
• Within 24 hours review the entire process, and make a list with two columns:
(1) things I did well and (2) areas where I realistically can improve. Refer to
this list as you prepare for your next assignment.
• Practice self-talk patterned after the statements you see in Exhibit 3.6.

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