Remember when you had butterflies in your stomach, sweaty palms and cold fingers when it is your turn to give a speech? Or the times you had to give a presentation to key stakeholders of your project? Or when as a host you were asked to give a toast to the guest of honor?

You’re not alone. In fact, the fear of public speaking is so common that psychologists have a name for it – “glossophobia” – as described in DSM-IV, a psychologists manual for diagnosing anxiety and mental disorders.

Before you vow never to speak in front of an audience ever again and wander off to live in a secluded cave never to be seen or heard again, we encourage you to give your local Toastmasters club a try. We are here to help you improve and by coming to meetings regularly, you’ll soon find that you have other options to tame your fears instead of avoiding it. You will develop positive attributes such as:

1. SELF CONFIDENCE – not arrogance or cocky self assurance, but well founded, solidly based confidence in your own abilities and knowledge.
2. SPEAKING EFFECTIVELY – to any group, large or small – customers, peers, or superiors.
3. ABILITY TO THINK ON YOUR FEET – quickly and with clarity.
4. SHARPER LISTENING SKILLS – constructive analysis and evaluation is a key part of all Toastmasters meetings.
5. LEADERSHIP – when you develop speaking skills you develop natural leadership skills too.
6. CAREER ADVANCEMENT – no matter what your profession, business or vocation.
7. EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE – you’ll learn new things from a variety of interesting speeches from others.
8. HUMOR – draw your audience in and make your presentations fun.
9. WIDEN YOUR NETWORK – be it professional, service, business or social groups.
10. GAIN VALUABLE FRIENDSHIPS – get to know supportive members and improve together.

Imagine having that warm feeling of accomplishment, knowing that you gave a great speech, and looking forward to giving the next one. It’s never too late to start, put a note on your calendar right now. Toastmasters is a brilliant way to spend an evening once a fortnight, we promise! We are open to anyone who wants to improve, there are no prerequisites.