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Are you one of the majorities of people that fear speaking in public? Fear of public speaking has reached extraordinary proportions affecting most people scheduled to stand up in front of people to speak.

It can be a daunting task to get up in front of people. It's one thing to introduce yourself and your department (if you're speaking in front of a group of people at work). It's quite another thing to present your most recent product offering or ask a potential client to do business with you. However, as everyone knows, real business success comes from the ability to confidently convey your thoughts and express yourself in front of others.

So how can you overcome the fear of speaking in public and achieve career success? Here is one idea to help you:

One technique that many professional speakers do is to "feel the love in the room". This may sound like a strange suggestion at first, so let's look at it a little more closely.

All eyes are on you when you are standing in front of everyone. You COULD think that they are there to judge you. In fact, that misconception is what causes so much of our fear! But that isn't normally why people are there. Remember*

1. They are there to hear what you have to say. YOU! They respect you enough to to hear your thoughts and opinions. Even in sales calls it is your expertise that they came to hear.

2. Aside from everyone in the room respecting and admiring you enough to hear your thoughts, there are many in there that cannot do what you're doing. While you may be scared, there is literally a large percentage of people in every group who are astounded that you have the guts to stand up and speak.

3. And, in almost every presentation, there's a strong chance that someone in the room really likes you and is silently cheering you on. It could be your sales manager or a co-presenter or an ally in your client's office. Feed of the energy they're sending you with their positive best wishes.

4. You are not there to hurt anyone. On the contrary! You are there to help them. You want to help them find the right product or service that you feel can be supplied by your company or perhaps you're there to help guide them to a better understanding of what your product does.

Remember: You know something they don't. Smile, keep a positive demeanor, and speak with confidence. You'll see results!