“For anyone giving a speech, a presentation, or talking in public, I would really recommend ‘Act The Maggot.’ Amy made it much much easier than I could ever have imagined. This course certainly made me feel a whole lot better and no longer do I have that sense of dread or fear.”

Is Public Speaking a necessity?

How many people do you know who fear Public Speaking? I know at least ten who are absolutely petrified at the thought of speaking in public. And they are good friends who have confided in me. A lot of people orchestrate their personal lives and especially their work lives to avoid having to speak in public but nowadays this is becoming more and more difficult. Many jobs require some element of Public Speaking. It does not always mean literally getting up and giving a speech. It can be presenting the quarterly accounts, chairing a discussion, speaking up at meetings.

Is it time to tackle your Glossophobia?

Glossophobia is speech anxiety or fear of speaking in public. Did you know that it has been estimated that 75% of all people experience some degree of anxiety/nervousness when it comes to public speaking. If untreated, public speaking anxiety can lead to serious detrimental effects on one’s quality of life, career goals and other areas. For example, educational goals requiring public speaking might be left unaccomplished. However, not all persons with public speaking anxiety are necessarily unable to achieve work goals, though this disorder becomes problematic when it prevents an individual from attaining or pursuing a goal they might otherwise have – were it not for their anxiety. Read this Forbes magazine article about Public Speaking.

What can you do if you are afraid of Public Speaking?

Face your fear and do it anyway! It feels wonderful to set yourself a challenge and see it through. It gets easier with time and the right preparation. The right preparation being key. Take a course. it doesn’t have to be a Masters. It doesn’t have to happen over months and months. And it does not have to be all serious. Take a short evening class. There are lots of options. With us, after six two-hour sessions with others in a group you will improve hugely and be in a much stronger position. And we take a light approach to learning. We are serious about the learning but we like it to be fun and interesting. Our Public Speaking course runs twice a year only. The next one runs from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on Tuesday nights from May 21 to June 25, 2019. Price €240. Please email us for more details or to secure your place. actthemaggot@gmail.com To read more about our class take a look at our Effective Public Speaking page. We look forward to seeing you in class!