Public speaking - do you like it, do you dislike it, are you afraid of it ?

I honestly, truthfully can think of few things that are worse.
I would do pretty much anything not to do it.
In fact, I would claim that I could not do it for medical reasons.

I'm with you Fanny !

I'm OK with it. I had to do presentations when I worked to large numbers of people and got used to it. However I always knew the subject and was well prepared.

We were taught Public Speaking at Grammar School in the 50/60s, along with elocution/deportment etc.
It was years before I found out that these weren't part of the National Curriculum.

I`m with you FannyC.
I don`t think i would even be able to stand up.

Not when I was younger but yes I can do it now. I found the confidence to do it when I was about 50!

Like Alishka, my very ordinary girls’ grammar school expected us to be able to speak in public as part of being active members of society, and I have been grateful for that all my life. In the 1950s women were not expected to have a public voice so I think our head was well ahead of her time in wanting “her girls” to be able to speak up for themselves.

I found I am good at public speaking (to my surprise) and have given presentations in many, including some high profile settings, including to Government Committees, large conferences, Academic settings and in Whitehall.

I was always surprised at how well it went.
I have seen a lot of very confident male speakers bluff their way badly through speeches and presentations. I think the key is good preparation and being confident in your knowledge of your subject.
So I don’t think it’s an age issue with me, I think it’s my experience that made the difference to me.

I have been a guest speaker several times before covid struck. I was fine with it because it was about my passion that I enjoyed sharing.

I hate it, being a bit of an introvert. BUT as part of a previous managerial role, I had to do it. I hated it, but used the fake it to you make it approach.

Everyone who saw me talk said they would never have known I was nervous. Thankfully.

I have been public speaking since school. Our team won a local schools competition. I joined the debating society at university and did quite well, and I have been doing it ever since. To be honest I enjoy it

The first few times I did it, I was in a total panic, but gradually got used to it. Now there is always an element of stress. But I think that is necessary.

Going back to the schools competition, our team of convent girls beat a team from the local boys private school. The reason they lost was because they were so laid back and so confident that they could beat this bunch of girls, but we were keyed up, nervous -and determined to win. Nervousness, but not too much, is a good thing.

I have done it quite a few times, but can’t say that I like it.
As long as I know what am going to say and have notes handy
It’s not too bad.

GrannySomerset. my experience also dates back to the 1950s. One of the advantages of a singles sex school for girls, is you are unaware that there is anything you cannot do, because all authority at any level is female.

In the 1950s girls schools, especially grammar schools, were hotbeds of feminism without really realising.

I am fairly comfortable with public speaking, provided I know the subject well.

At OU summer school, none of my group was confident to do presentations. I was OK to do most of them. However, there was one presentation, involving statistical analysis, which I was very nervous about and had a very poor grasp of. It was the first time I have experienced real fear because I knew I wouldn't be able to answer some of the queries from the audience. Fortunately, as it turned out, my group dealt with most of the questions so I need not have been shaking and sweating beforehand. It was a very nerve racking and truly horrible experience.

I too learnt to do it at school. I was never nervous and just took it for granted. Since my university job involved getting up and talking, sometimes to hundreds, I was grateful for my earlier training, I don’t have to do it now, but wouldn’t mind if I did.

I can’t bear it I had to do it a number of times in my job and it was always my worst nightmare I m told that it was never noticeable and I gave good presentations but I hated every second of it
Once I was asked to give a talk to a group of midwives, I was in a new role and it was to explain what I would be doing I gave the presentation and felt it went ok they thanked me and said how useful it had been I thanked them for listening feeling utterly relieved that I hadn’t dried up, I turned opened the door and walked straight into the broom cupboard

On reflection, I'm sure you're right MOnica
How fortunate we were!

I have done a fair bit in my time and dont mind at all as long as i have done the research and am well briefed.

I usually crack a few jokes which seems to break the ice. Only thing is, they expect them now so I have to search for suitable clean, non political, non offensive ones. Once they start laughing you get them on side ! I’ve got to do one end of Feb, got the jokes ready already.

Bluebelle

My mum had a booming (Welsh) voice and projected it well in public. No doubt inherited from her father and grandfather in the pulpit.
I was always on the stage as a kid and had to make speeches as Head Girl at school. I found hand gestures a good way of expressing myself and added a bit of movement as I spoke. I think maybe the performance was better than the content!

I used to have to do presentations to MoD and Navy types - I absolutely hated the last Friday of every month when it would be a massive review meeting. It was back in the day of acetate slides and overhead projectors.
One meeting I dropped my stack of acetates, went to pick them up and slipped on one, falling to my knees and making holes in the knees of my black tights. As I got up I banged my head on the side of the projector. Everybody was very kind and came to help but that only made it worse.
Every meeting after that I would look out in the audience and I could almost feel the anticipation, as if they were thinking "What's she going to do this month to entertain us?"

@ SuzannahM at your last sentence!

Have done a fair bit of work related public speaking, have done readings at adult children’s weddings, their children’s christenings and the odd eulogy at friends funeral.
Once had to do a presentation to a group of Arab businessmen about wind energy when my boss was taken ill at the last minute. Fortunately he’d prepared a good PowerPoint presentation, it made me aware that questions afterwards had already been covered in the presentation so answers were easy. I’ve attended many talks since and this latter is a fact.
I joined a local am dram group and found that acting on stage is a completely different ball game, so nervous I forgot my lines, couldn’t ad-lib and stayed backstage ever after.