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Inspiration

Public speaking can be for you

or payments professionals, presentations are When it comes to situations, some provoke more anxiety
part of the job. From merchant level sales people than others. Two examples of high-stress situations are if
calling on merchants day to day, to C-suite a degree or certification hinges on your performance and
F executives negotiating strategic acquisitions, to if the current audience is significantly different from the
countless people filling essential roles in between, the type of people you normally interact with.
industry is full of individuals who know how to make
their case with eloquence and care. Skills pertain to how well you've mastered the area
in question. While most payments professionals are
Some people in payments easily transition to making naturally talented communicators, if you have only
presentations on stage in front of hundreds of peers. For cursory knowledge of a technology you're called upon to
others, going from a comfortable conversation with a lecture about, for example, you could run into trouble.
handful of people to speaking to a large audience from a
podium is akin to trying to leap across the grand canyon. How to get ready
Yes, even for a seasoned salesperson, public speaking can One thing that can improve your public speaking across
cause heartburn. the board is to shift the focus away from yourself. It isn't
about you; it's about communicating to others in an effort
Thus, many people who have valuable industry experience to help them. The more you remember this, the easier a
never step up to share it. Fear of public speaking keeps speech or panel will be for you.
them frozen in the audience.
Contributing factors Also, there are tools to explore to bring yourself into a
calm state. Deep breathing, yoga and meditation are just
According to Theo Tsaousides Ph.D., four factors contribute a few. Searching the internet and asking your healthcare
to this fear: physiology, thoughts, situations and skills. provider for possible tools will provide plenty of leads.
Regarding physiology, Tsaousides wrote, "Fear and anxiety In addition, it helps to identify negative thoughts about
involve the arousal of the autonomic nervous system in public speaking that enter your mind. Just bringing them
response to a potentially threatening stimulus." For some, to light is sometimes enough for you to see they are not
this means preparing for battle; for others it means swiftly based in current reality.
leaving the scene; for some it means freezing in their
tracks. What happens to us at such times is a mixture of Ultimately, all factors contributing to fear of public
our prior experiences and genetic propensities. speaking can be mitigated with preparation, practice and
help from your colleagues. Toastmasters is a great resource
In discussing thoughts, Tsaousides wrote that thoughts for this. Someday you may stand at the podium alone, but
come from our beliefs. "[F]ear often arises when people you don't have to get there alone.
overestimate the stakes of communicating their ideas in
front of others, viewing the speaking event as a potential
threat to their credibility, image, and chance to reach an
audience," he wrote. He added that negative views of
oneself as a speaker can also raise anxiety.

Kate Gillespie, President and CEO
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