YOU ARE NOT ALONE
I was in the 7th grade. Pimples, growth spurts, and a cracking voice defined my exterior. My parents had forced me to go to a new school in a different country. I was an outsider to the school and a foreigner to the nation of Mexico where my family had transplanted.
The day came when I had to give my first presentation. La Maestra (the teacher) called me forward. All eyes rested on me. Insecurity, doubt, and fear marked my interior. My nerves fried as I stood to speak to the class of forty peers. As my presentation began, so did the laughter. Forty teenagers cackled at me as I stood all—alone. I sped through my words, turning the presentation from merely okay to unintelligible.
Finally, it was over. I made it through the rest of the day amidst teasing and others talking about me behind my back. I literally ran home (we lived 3 blocks away).
Fear gripped me, causing psychosomatic sickness to set in the next day so that I could skip school. I didn’t ever want to do that again.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AFRAID
Fear is why you bought this book. My guess is that you have an upcoming event at which to speak. Or your job or schooling requires you to get in front of people constantly. Each time this happens, your stomach drops, you begin to sweat, and you want to throw up.
I get it.
You don’t have to be afraid any longer. This book can help you. You will learn 7 strategies you can begin today. These strategies will give you a new perspective, they will prepare you, and they will give you actions to practice. As you implement these strategies, your fear will begin to fade.
How do I know that? I have personally acted out these strategies. Years later, I am widely educated and I am broadly experienced in communication. Additionally, I started a company called ADVANCE and I have twenty clients work with me each week to grow their skills. They are in the middle of conquering fear, or have already learned to conquer their fear. You can do this too!
I understand what you’re feeling right now, and I promise you, I know how to get you where you want to go. You can overcome your fear.
I know what it’s like to be nervous, worried, sweaty, and anxious. You are not alone. Today, you can take a step in a new direction. You can begin the journey to overcome your fear right now. If you are overwhelmed by the fear of speaking, begin to believe that things are going to start to change today. You don’t have to be afraid forever.
Or maybe you’re a student of communication, and you just want to hone your skills. You already know how to conquer your fear; you just want to get better at controlling your anxiety and your nerves. This book will help you develop that ability.
Or maybe it’s just been a while since you’ve spoken in front of people, and you want to regain a sense of mastery.
Each week, I work with all kinds of clients who express the desire to get better. I believe you are committed to improving as well, and I applaud you as you take this next step. These 7 strategies can be added to your tool belt if you are brand-new or just need to sharpen the tools that you already have.
Ultimately, this book will help you. You can take these 7 strategies and immediately get to work to overcome your fear. If you want to skip ahead, just go to http://www.speakwithnofear.com/actionchecklist to download my action checklist. These will give you specific actions to practice. However, this entire book will do more than just provide actions to take: it will give you the understanding to help you develop a new mindset.
Whatever your situation currently is, I understand. I used to get sweaty, nervous, and nauseated even to small groups. Now, I have had the chance to speak to 3,000 people at civic engagements, lead leadership workshops, speak to several thousand people at a megachurch, engage audiences of kids and youth, speak at churches of many sizes, and many more events.
MY PROMISE TO YOU
I promise you that you can do this. You can speak with no fear.
Where you are is not where you have to be.
Don’t wait any longer. One day turns into one week. One week turns into a month, into a year, into a decade, and into a lifetime. Don’t let life pass you by while you wrestle with the same old enemy of fear. Do something about it.
Take action today. Begin to read. Begin to learn these strategies. Start now.
Want to read more? Join my launch team at SpeakWithNoFear.com
Or visit amazon.com/author/mikeacker